Messenger Lists in Manychat empower businesses to re-engage with customers beyond the standard 24-hour messaging window, provided they have obtained prior customer permission. This feature transforms the way you communicate, giving customers more control over their messaging preferences while providing your business with a robust tool to nurture relationships and drive engagement.
Messenger Lists are customer-centric. They allow users to subscribe to receive updates and, just as easily, unsubscribe when they choose. This ensures your communication remains relevant, respectful, and compliant with Meta’s messaging policies.
Additionally, Messenger Lists include support for One-Time Notifications (OTNs), enabling you to send a single follow-up message outside the 24-hour window.
This article will guide you through understanding, setting up, and utilizing Messenger Lists to maximize your messaging potential and customer engagement.
- How to create Messenger Lists in Manychat
- How to subscribe contacts to Messenger Lists
- How to find contacts subscribed to a Messenger List
- How to engage with contacts subscribed to a Messenger List
- Limitations and troubleshooting
How to create Messenger Lists in Manychat
Creating a Messenger List in Manychat is a seamless process that is done directly within the automation where you intend to include it.
To get started, open the automation where you want to add the Messenger List block or create a new one from scratch. In the Flow Builder, locate the message node where you want to include the Messenger List, or create a new message node specifically for this purpose.
Once you're in the message node, select the Messenger List option from the available content blocks. This will add the Messenger List block to your message.
From there, you have two options: you can either choose an existing Messenger List from the dropdown menu, or click on + Create to set up a new Messenger List from scratch.
When you choose to create a new list, a setup section opens, presenting three main components that you need to configure.
The first is the List Name, which serves as the internal title of your Messenger List. This name is for your reference only and will not be visible to your contacts.
Next, you'll need to select the Frequency, which determines how often your contacts will receive messages from the list. Only Daily or One-Time frequencies are available.
⚠️ Note: Starting January 31, 2023, Meta deprecated the notification_messages_frequency, meaning message frequency will no longer be required when sending opt-in requests for marketing messages.
Notification tokens created before January 31, 2023, for weekly and monthly frequencies will still be supported. The message frequency for these tokens will remain unchanged, and the notification_messages_frequency will continue to appear in the messaging opt-in webhook notification.
Moreover, starting August 10, 2023, notification tokens will no longer expire, meaning that re-opt-in requests and opt-out reminders will no longer be sent.
Lastly, in the Type Subscription Request section, you will write a brief description explaining what kind of updates subscribers can expect. This description will be visible to your contacts when they are prompted to subscribe.
⚠️ Note: In this section, the subtitle is automatically set up and sent to subscribers by Meta, and the text on the “Get updates" button cannot be modified due to Meta policies. Contacts will see its text in their language. In short, both of these are preset by Meta.
Once you’ve completed all the setup steps, click Create to save the Messenger List. The list will then be added to your automation, ready to collect subscriptions and engage your contacts.
After the Messenger List is created, you can upload an image to make your message more visually appealing. This is optional but can help enhance the user experience.
The “Get updates" button, which allows users to subscribe to your Messenger List, can be linked to another step in your automation, such as a confirmation message or additional action that will be triggered once the button is clicked.
By incorporating Messenger Lists into your automations, you can effortlessly re-engage customers, delivering timely updates and valuable content in a professional and user-friendly manner.
How to subscribe contacts to Messenger Lists
Subscribing contacts to your Messenger List requires their explicit consent. This means that you cannot automatically add new contacts to a list without their permission. To ensure compliance with Meta's policies, the process of subscribing contacts to a Messenger List must involve the contact actively opting in.
To subscribe a contact to your Messenger List, they need to click the "Get updates" button, which is linked to the Messenger List. This action is a clear opt-in, signaling that they want to receive updates from your business.
Once a contact clicks the "Get updates" button, they are subscribed to the Messenger List, and you can begin sending them messages based on the frequency and content you've set up.
💡 Please note that since the subscription requires explicit consent, contacts also have the ability to unsubscribe at any time. If they choose to unsubscribe, they will no longer receive messages from that list, and you will need to respect their decision.
How to find contacts subscribed to a Messenger List
Identifying contacts subscribed to a Messenger List in Manychat is simple and can be done through the Contacts section of your account. You have two main ways to locate and filter these contacts:
Choosing the respective Messenger List to filter
In the bottom-left corner of the Contacts section, you’ll find the option to select a specific Messenger List. Choose the desired list, and all contacts currently subscribed to it will be displayed.
Applying filters to existing contacts
Alternatively, you can use filters to refine your search. Apply one of the following conditions:
- Messenger: List subscription available right now – To find contacts who are currently eligible to receive updates from the Messenger List.
- Messenger: Subscribed to List – To view contacts subscribed to a specific Messenger List.
Additionally, you can view the full Messenger Lists subscription history for any individual contact within their profile. This includes all Messenger Lists the contact has ever subscribed to or is currently subscribed to.
How to engage with contacts subscribed to a Messenger List
Engaging with contacts subscribed to your Messenger List in Manychat is straightforward and offers several flexible options. By using the right tools, you can re-engage your audience and share valuable updates in a way that resonates with them.
Here are the primary methods to communicate with contacts in your Messenger List:
Broadcasts
Broadcasts allow you to send messages to your entire Messenger List or specific segments of it. This method is perfect for time-sensitive campaigns or announcements.
Using the Broadcasting tool to message your customers who subscribed for the Messenger List is one of the safest and simplest ways to implement this feature within your Manychat account.
To get further information about this feature, please see the related article: Broadcasting in Manychat: Connecting with your audience at scale.
Sequences
Sequences are ideal for delivering a series of messages over time. You can use this tool to create drip campaigns or nurture subscribers with relevant updates.
The Sequences tool allows you to set up multi-message drip campaigns and schedule them to be sent on a recurring basis.
After successfully creating your first message, you can adjust the schedule, add another message and set it active from the Sequences tab.
You can find more information on this feature in the associated article: Setting up Manychat Sequences.
Automations
Automations enable you to include the Messenger List as part of a more extensive workflow, making it easy to trigger messages based on customer actions or specific conditions.
You can incorporate a Smart Delay block in the same automation where the Messenger List block is sent. As illustrated in the example below, once 1 day has passed, clients will receive the remaining messages in the automation.
Please ensure that the next message is marked to be sent outside the 24-hour window. Additionally, make sure to select the Messenger List that was previously sent out to contacts as the reason for sending this message outside the 24-hour window.
Each of these tools provides unique ways to effectively engage with your subscribers, ensuring that your messages are timely, relevant, and valuable to your audience.
Limitations and troubleshooting
1. Instagram DM Lists worked the same way as Messenger Lists, but it's important to note that in February, 2024, Meta paused the allowlisting of accounts for the Instagram DM List Beta. Only those who have already been approved will be able to use this feature and will see it in their Manychat accounts.
2. Starting January 31, 2023, Meta deprecated the notification_messages_frequency for both Messenger and Instagram, meaning message frequency will no longer be required when sending opt-in requests for marketing messages.
3. Starting August 10, 2023, notification tokens will no longer expire, meaning that re-opt-in requests and opt-out reminders will no longer be sent.
4. Due to Meta limitations, you can only send one message per day per notification message token. If you are sending multiple messages be sure to delay subsequent messages by 24 hours.
For example, if you send a Broadcast to all people subscribed to a specific Messenger List, the next Broadcast to those same people can only be sent after 24 hours have passed since the first one. This means that if a user receives a Broadcast today, they will only be eligible to receive the next one after 24 hours, ensuring compliance with the rule.
If you see that, let’s say, only 1 person out of all 500 subscribed to your Messenger List is eligible to receive the next Broadcast, don’t panic! This means that the 24-hour period hasn’t passed for the other contacts who are still successfully subscribed to your Messenger List. Once that time has elapsed, all eligible users will become available to receive the next Broadcast. Just remember to plan your Broadcasts accordingly to avoid confusion!
5. For comprehensive details on this feature and its potential restrictions, please refer to Meta's official documentation, which is available here.
If you're experiencing issues with the Broadcasting feature, please contact our Support Team.