Guide · Channels · For the owner who lets staff post to the shop's channel

Running a WhatsApp channel for your business: up to 16 admins at a time, handing over ownership, polls, insights and reopening a closed channel

Once a shop's WhatsApp channel is running, the owner usually wants staff to post to it. WhatsApp's Help Center explains what that hands over: who can post, who sees whose phone number, how to pass the channel on when someone leaves, and what to do if WhatsApp closes it. Here is that, step by step.

Published 14 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026

One owner, and admins invited up to 16 at a time

WhatsApp's article About channel ownership says a channel can have one owner at a time. The owner can do everything an admin can, and also:

Admins: Invite and dismiss other admins, and see the list of current and invited admins.
Ownership: Transfer ownership of the channel to an admin.
Deleting: Delete the channel. Only the owner can do this.

The article How to invite and dismiss channel admins says the owner can invite up to 16 admins at a time, chosen from contacts. Admins who aren't the owner can't invite or dismiss other admins. About channel ownership adds that owners and admins are responsible for keeping the channel's content safe, relevant and age-appropriate for followers.

What an admin can do without asking you

WhatsApp's article About channel admin controls lists what every admin can do:

Change the channel: The name, icon, description and settings, such as which emojis followers can react with.
Post straight away: Updates made by admins are shared immediately. They don't need the owner's approval.
Edit or delete anyone's update: Admins can edit or delete their own updates, other admins' updates or the owner's, for up to 30 days after sending.
See the numbers: All admins see the available insights, such as followers, top regions and accounts reached, and how many times each update was viewed. Only admins see views.
Post under an admin profile: An admin can create an admin profile with a name and photo separate from their personal WhatsApp profile. When admin profiles are turned on for the channel, it appears on the updates they post. Followers don't see the admin's number or WhatsApp account information.

The same article says it isn't possible to remove channel followers, and that all channels are public: you can't set a code or password for one.

Our reading

There is no approval step. Anyone you make an admin can post to every follower at once and change or remove what you posted. Give the role only to people you would trust to speak for the shop.

What you post, and who can see it

WhatsApp's article How to share a channel update says updates appear in a separate tab of the app, away from personal chats and calls. They are a one-way broadcast rather than a conversation, and they are always shared from the channel, so followers don't see your name or phone number. The article adds, as the most important difference from a chat, that channels aren't end-to-end encrypted. Everything you share is public:

Followers: They see all channel updates, including ones shared in the 30 days before they started following.
People who don't follow: Anyone can see channel updates from the past 30 days.
WhatsApp: Channel updates are reviewed against WhatsApp's Channels Guidelines.
Other channels: People viewing another channel see your update if it was forwarded there.

The same article lists what an update can contain:

Written updates: Formatting such as bold, underline or strikethrough, emojis, and links, which show a preview of the page and an image when one is available.
Photos and videos: Taken with the camera or picked from your phone's gallery (or your computer on WhatsApp Web), and you can add a caption to each. Followers can save any media you share.
Stickers and voice updates: A sticker is shared to the channel straight away. A voice update can be cancelled while you record. On a phone, letting go of the record button shares it straight away. Only when recording without holding the button (or on WhatsApp Web) can you pause and preview it before sending.
Forwarding: You can forward messages from your chats to the channel.
No PDFs: You can't share PDFs to a channel.

The article also says that to manage a channel from WhatsApp Web, you first have to link the device you use for channels.

Our reading

Treat the channel as a public notice board, not a private message, and never post anything about a particular customer. A price list or catalogue can't go out as a PDF, so share it as photos, as text, or as a link to the page where it lives.

The phone numbers admins see

WhatsApp's article How to invite and dismiss channel admins says the invitation is sent as a chat message from your personal WhatsApp account, not from the channel, so invited admins can see your phone number. The article About safety and privacy on channels for admins adds:

Followers: Updates come from the channel, so followers and other viewers don't see an admin's WhatsApp profile name, picture or phone number. If admin profiles are turned on, they see the separate admin name and photo instead.
The invitation: Your full phone number, profile picture (depending on your privacy settings) and profile name are shared with it.
Admins with each other: The owner and all admins can see each other's phone number, profile picture (depending on privacy settings) and name, so other admins may contact you, for example by private message.
Two-step verification: Both articles say all admins should turn on two-step verification for their WhatsApp accounts.

Our reading

Every admin sees every other admin's number, including yours. Invite only staff you would already give your number to, and ask each one to set up two-step verification before you invite them. Our guide stopping someone taking over your WhatsApp business number covers that setting.

Inviting, revoking and dismissing admins

WhatsApp's article How to invite and dismiss channel admins says all of this happens on the channel info page: open your channel and tap or click its name.

Invite: Choose Invite admins and select people from your followers and contacts, or open the menu next to a follower's name and choose Invite as channel admin. Add a message and send. Each invitation opens a separate chat with that person.
When an invitation ends: After seven days if it isn't accepted, when it is accepted, or when the owner revokes it.
Revoke: Under the invited list on the channel info page, open the menu next to the person and choose Revoke invite, then Revoke. You can also revoke from your chat with them.
Dismiss: The owner opens the menu next to the admin and chooses Dismiss as admin. An admin can leave with Dismiss yourself as admin at the bottom of the page.

The owner sees current admins at the top of the follower list, and invited admins in their own list on the channel info page. A dismissed admin stays a follower of the channel unless they choose to unfollow.

Our reading

When a staff member leaves, dismiss them as an admin the same day. They stay a follower, which lets them read, react and vote but not post, and followers can't be removed.

Handing the channel to someone else

WhatsApp's article How to transfer channel ownership says an owner can transfer ownership to another admin, and a channel can only have one owner at a time. On the channel info page: choose Transfer ownership, select an admin, choose Transfer, and, if you want to give up your admin role too, choose Dismiss yourself as admin. Then enter your phone number and choose Transfer. If you dismiss yourself, you remain a follower.

WhatsApp's article How to delete a channel covers the case where an owner deletes their WhatsApp account. If you want both gone, delete the channel first. A channel that has other admins is not deleted automatically with your account. Instead, the admin who has followed the channel longest becomes the new owner.

Our reading

If the channel was set up on one person's phone, the shop does not control it on its own. Transfer it to the person who should own it while the original owner is still around, rather than relying on the longest-follower rule.

Editing and deleting updates, or the whole channel

Editing: WhatsApp's article How to edit channel updates says you can edit some updates for up to 30 days. Edited updates show the word edited next to the time, and followers aren't notified. Photos, videos, audio updates, polls, other media and forwarded updates can't be edited.
Deleting an update: WhatsApp's article How to delete channel updates says you can delete an update for everyone up to 30 days after sending: tap and hold it, then choose Delete for everyone. Any admin can delete updates.
What deleting doesn't reach: People might see an update before you delete it. Media saved to people's phones and forwarded updates aren't deleted.
Deleting the channel: WhatsApp's article How to delete a channel says it is permanent. On the channel info page, choose Delete channel, then Delete, then enter your phone number to confirm. Only the owner can do this.
After the channel is deleted: Followers can still find it, see a message that it was deleted, and keep past updates on their phones. Non-followers can no longer see or find it, new people can't follow, and the channel link stops working.

Our reading

A wrong price in a photo can't be fixed by editing, only by deleting and posting again, and anyone who saved or forwarded it keeps the old one. Check prices before you post.

Polls and quizzes

WhatsApp's article How to share channel polls and quizzes says polls, like all channel updates, are public, and anyone using channels can vote on them.

Question: Up to 255 characters.
Options: Up to 12, each up to 100 characters. Options can carry a photo or emoji.
One answer or several: Turn off Allow multiple answers to stop people voting for more than one option.
Changing a poll: You can't edit polls. You can delete one for up to 30 days and create a new one. Photo polls can't be forwarded.
Who voted: Choose View votes. Admins see each responder's profile name, when they voted and, depending on their privacy settings, their profile photo.
Quizzes: A multiple-choice question where you select the right answer. Choose View responses to see responders' profile names, and their photo depending on their privacy settings.

Questions to your followers: answers stay with admins unless you reply

WhatsApp's article How to share questions to your channel says an admin can share a question to the channel to get real-time feedback. A question can include an image or video and emoji, and viewers can see and respond to it for up to 30 days.

Who sees the answers: Only admins. If you reply to a response, your reply is posted to the channel for all followers and viewers to see, but the responder's profile name, photo and phone number stay hidden from them.
Reading answers: Find the question and choose View responses. You see each responder's profile name, and their profile photo depending on their privacy settings. Filter by All, Contacts or Replied, choose Read more for a long answer, and Reply, or Reply again to send another reply.
The customer's side: WhatsApp's article How to respond to channel questions says followers and other viewers choose Respond to answer. When an admin replies, they get a notification, and their response appears on the channel with the reply.
Forwarding a question: People viewing the channel can forward a question to their personal chats or status, up to 5 at a time, to get others to respond. Those chats and status stay end-to-end encrypted.
Problem answers: WhatsApp's article How to report, block, and delete question responses says that under View responses an admin can choose Report, which sends the response to WhatsApp for review, Block responses, which stops that person answering your questions, or Delete.
What the person knows: They won't know you blocked or reported them. You can block someone from answering your questions, but you can't block them from following the channel.

Reactions work differently. WhatsApp's article How to react to channel updates says followers can react to updates from the past 30 days, with one reaction per update.

What admins see: The profile name of each person who reacts or votes in a poll, and their profile photo depending on their privacy settings.
What everyone else sees: How many reactions an update has and the count for each emoji, but not who chose which.
No hiding: Reactions and reaction counts can't be hidden.
Limiting emojis: Admins can limit which emojis followers can use to react.

Our reading

A question works as a private feedback box for the shop: a customer can say which item they want back in stock without other followers seeing who they are. Replying puts their answer and yours on the channel, without their name, so reply only in words you would be happy for every follower to read.

Insights: what the numbers mean

WhatsApp's article How to see channel metrics and insights says insights are on the channel info page, and all admins can see them. It adds three warnings: insights are in development and may change, reported numbers may be delayed by about a week, and insights aren't available for channels with fewer than 100 followers.

Growth: Net follows (follows minus unfollows), follows and unfollows over the past 30 days. Unfollows include accounts that were deleted.
Reach: Accounts that viewed any of your updates at least once in the past 30 days, each counted once, including followers, non-followers and admins. Also up to 10 top regions; a region only appears if your channel reached more than 100 local accounts there.
Followers: Your total followers, the percent change over 30 days, and up to 10 regions with the most followers.
On each update: The number of each emoji reaction and who reacted, poll votes and who voted, and the number of views. Your own views aren't counted.
The follower list: Followers' profile names, and photos depending on their privacy settings. Tapping a follower who is also your contact opens a private chat from your own WhatsApp profile, not the channel.

Our reading

Reach counts your own admins, and the figures can lag by a week. Treat a week-old number as a trend, not as the result of yesterday's post.

Labelling updates you were paid to share

WhatsApp's Help Center article on labelling paid updates in channels says the feature is rolling out gradually and may not be available to you yet. It tells followers that you were paid or otherwise compensated to share an update, and should only be added to those updates. After posting, open the menu on the update and choose Add paid partnership, then Add label. Text, link, image, video, document and audio updates can be labelled.

No undo: The label can't be removed once added. If you labelled an update by mistake, delete it and share it again without the label.
Forwarding: A forwarded update doesn't carry the label.
Editing: After you edit an update, you need to add the label again.

Music in channel updates

WhatsApp's article How to share music updates to your channel says music on channels is rolling out gradually, and some features might not be available to you yet. The article gives steps for Android and iPhone. You can add music, and music stickers, to a photo or video update, or share a music update on its own without a photo or video. Search for a song or browse popular ones, then use the progress bar to choose the part you want.

On a photo: Thirty seconds of music is included, unless the song is shorter than that.
On a video: The music can last as long as the video, up to a maximum of 90 seconds.
Where you are: Music availability might vary by location. In certain countries, music updates might be muted because of music licensing restrictions.
Business accounts: To make sure its licensed music isn't used for commercial purposes, WhatsApp restricts licensed music for business accounts and certain channel categories. Your music selection might be limited when you use WhatsApp Business, or when you share to a channel in certain categories.

Our reading

Don't plan a product video around a song from WhatsApp's library. On a business account the song you want may not be offered, and in some countries the update may play muted. The article's limits are about songs from WhatsApp's music library, so a video with your own voice or sound avoids them.

What followers can and cannot see

WhatsApp's article Building Private, Safe, and Secure WhatsApp Channels sets out the principles behind channels. For a shop running one, these are the points that matter:

Your number: Anyone can create a channel without revealing their phone number or profile photo to the people who follow it.
Your followers: People can follow a channel without sharing their phone number with anyone new who isn't in their contacts. WhatsApp says other users won't see which channels someone follows or be able to contact them through a channel. As an admin you still see your own channel's follower list, as the Insights section above explains.
Following is a choice: People can't be added to a channel without choosing to follow it, and they can unfollow at any point.
Recommendations: WhatsApp says it will not recommend channels based on people's personal messaging, which stays private and end-to-end encrypted.
Notifications: Channel notifications are muted by default. Followers can turn them on for updates they don't want to miss.
Before following: People see a limited history of a channel before they follow it, and updates appear in date order.
Your responsibility: As the owners of their channels, admins are responsible for an age-appropriate and safe experience for followers. Channels are reviewed against WhatsApp's Channels Guidelines, those engaged in abuse may be suspended or face other action, and WhatsApp says it keeps responding to valid legal orders from authorities in the countries where it operates.

Our reading

You can't add your customers to the channel, and you can't reach them through it one by one. They have to choose to follow. Because notifications start muted, ask followers to turn them on if you post offers that end soon, or many will only see them when they open the channel.

When someone reports your channel

WhatsApp's article How to report a channel says that anyone who believes channel content is harmful or breaks WhatsApp's policies can report the whole channel or a single update, by choosing Report and then Report again. They can unfollow the channel at the same time.

Who is told: No one in the channel will know about the report, and the admin is not notified.
No undo: Once a report is submitted, it can't be cancelled.
How long it takes: Review typically takes 24 hours. The person who reported can follow it under Settings (or their profile picture), then Help and feedback, then Channel reports, where it shows as Report in review or Report reviewed, with WhatsApp's decision.
If nothing is wrong: If the reported content doesn't break the Channels Guidelines, the channel will not be affected.
If WhatsApp acts: If WhatsApp takes enforcement action against your channel, you can dispute the decision by requesting a review. The next section has the steps.

Our reading

You won't hear that a customer reported your channel. If an update breaks the rules, the first sign may be a channel alert. A report on its own changes nothing when your updates follow the guidelines.

When WhatsApp closes your channel

WhatsApp's article How to request a review for a closed channel says a channel might be closed if an update violates the Channel Guidelines. While it is closed, followers can't see the channel's history and you can't share new updates. To see why, open the channel and choose Channel alerts, then Your channel is closed. If you don't see Channel alerts, open it from the channel name.

Delete the update: On that page, choose Delete from channel, then Delete. The update is permanently deleted for all followers and the channel is reopened.
Ask for a review: If you think it was a mistake, choose See options, then Request a review, or Submit an appeal and fill in the form. If it succeeds, the update is restored and the channel reopened. Progress shows under Channel alerts as Update in Review or Update Review Completed.
One try per alert: Review requests can be submitted once per alert, and only admins can submit them. One admin submits; all admins can see the progress.
30 days: All channel updates are removed from WhatsApp's servers after 30 days, so even if the channel is restored, your updates might not be available.

Our reading

Agree among your admins who will request the review, since a review request can be submitted only once per alert. If the update really did break the rules, deleting it is the quicker way back. The rules themselves are in our channels guide.

Downloading your channel's records

WhatsApp's article How to request channels report says you can ask for a report of your channels information. If you are an admin of a channel, it includes:

The channel: Its name, description and profile picture, and its verification status.
Followers: The number of followers.
Updates: The channel updates shared in the past 30 days.
Subscriptions: Channel subscription information. The article notes that channel subscriptions are only available in certain countries.

On an Android phone, go to Settings, then Account, then Request account info, and under Channels activity choose Request channels report. On WhatsApp Web the path is Settings, then Request account info. The screen then shows Request sent.

How long: The report is typically available three days after you ask, and a Ready by date shows while you wait. A WhatsApp notification tells you when it is ready.
No cancelling: Once requested, you can't undo or cancel it. If you change your phone number or delete your account, the pending request is voided and you have to ask again.
The file: Choose Download report to get a ZIP file of HTML and JSON files. You can't view it inside WhatsApp, so export it to another app. You have a limited time to download it before it is deleted from WhatsApp's servers, and the screen shows how long.
Every month: On a phone, turning on Create reports automatically under Channels activity makes a new channels report every month until you turn it off. If you uninstall WhatsApp, you need to turn it on again.
What it leaves out: The channels report doesn't include your account information and settings. That is a separate account report.
Keep it safe: The report contains your private information, so be careful about storing, sending or uploading it to other services. Deleting the downloaded report doesn't delete your channel activity information.

Our reading

The report holds only the past 30 days of updates, and WhatsApp removes channel updates from its servers after 30 days. If the shop wants its own record of what it posted, request a report regularly, or turn on the monthly report on your phone, and keep the file somewhere safe.

What this means for your shop

BitByteCore is a verified Meta Tech Provider (since 9 September 2026). This guide repeats WhatsApp's own Help Center articles, and is not legal advice.

Our reading

A channel is easy to share and hard to take back. Keep ownership with the person who owns the business, add only trusted staff as admins, make sure each has two-step verification on, and dismiss people the day they leave.

Questions

How many admins can I invite to a WhatsApp channel?

WhatsApp's Help Center says the owner can invite up to 16 admins at a time. Only the owner can invite admins or dismiss other admins. An admin can dismiss themselves.

Will my staff see my phone number if I make them admins?

Yes. The invitation comes from your personal WhatsApp account, and the owner and all admins can see each other's phone number, name and, depending on privacy settings, profile picture. Followers don't see admins' numbers.

Do I have to approve what admins post?

No. WhatsApp's Help Center says admin updates are shared immediately without the owner's approval, and any admin can edit or delete any update, including the owner's, for up to 30 days.

Can I remove a follower or make the channel private?

No. The Help Center says followers can't be removed, all channels are public, and you can't set a code or password.

Can I post a PDF price list to my WhatsApp channel?

No. WhatsApp's Help Center says you can't share PDFs to a channel. You can share written updates with links, photos and videos with captions, stickers and voice updates.

Can I stop a customer answering my channel questions?

Yes. Under View responses you can block responses from that person, and report or delete a response. They won't know you blocked or reported them. You can't stop them following the channel.

Are WhatsApp channel updates end-to-end encrypted?

No. WhatsApp's Help Center says channels aren't end-to-end encrypted and updates are public: anyone can see the past 30 days, and WhatsApp reviews updates against its Channels Guidelines.

Why don't I see any insights?

Insights aren't available for channels with fewer than 100 followers, and the numbers that do show may be about a week late.

Can I add music to my shop's WhatsApp channel videos?

Music on channels is rolling out gradually. A video update can carry music up to 90 seconds, but WhatsApp's Help Center says it restricts licensed music for business accounts, so your selection might be limited on WhatsApp Business, and in certain countries music updates might be muted.

Will I know if someone reports my WhatsApp channel?

No. WhatsApp's Help Center says no one in the channel will know about a report and the admin is not notified. Review typically takes 24 hours, and if the content follows the Channels Guidelines, the channel will not be affected.

Can I add customers to my WhatsApp channel?

No. WhatsApp's Help Center says people can't be added to a channel without choosing to follow it, and channel notifications are muted by default until a follower turns them on.

How do I get a copy of my channel's updates?

Request a channels report under Settings, Account, Request account info (Settings, Request account info on WhatsApp Web). For an admin it includes the updates from the past 30 days, and it is typically ready about three days later as a ZIP of HTML and JSON files.

WhatsApp closed my channel. What can I do?

Open Channel alerts, then Your channel is closed, to see why. Delete the update to reopen the channel, or use See options to request a review or submit an appeal. Each alert allows one review request, and only admins can make it.

Who is BitByteCore?

BitByteCore is a verified Meta Tech Provider (since 9 September 2026). This guide repeats WhatsApp's own Help Center articles, and is not legal advice.

Sources

WhatsApp Help Center: How to invite and dismiss channel admins, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About channel ownership, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About channel admin controls, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About safety and privacy on channels for admins, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to transfer channel ownership, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to delete a channel, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to edit channel updates, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to delete channel updates, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to share channel polls and quizzes, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to see channel metrics and insights, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to label paid partnerships on channels, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to request a review for a closed channel, read 14 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to share a channel update, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to share questions to your channel, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to respond to channel questions, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to report, block, and delete question responses, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to react to channel updates, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to share music updates to your channel, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: Building Private, Safe, and Secure WhatsApp Channels, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to report a channel, read 15 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to request channels report, read 15 October 2026.

This guide describes WhatsApp's pages as we read them, and is not legal advice. More plain-language notes like this one are on the guides page.

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