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MAX broadcasts: how to stay legal and consent-based
How to run MAX broadcasts legally: consent, opt-in collection, service messages, bot setup and common mistakes. A practical compliance guide.
A MAX broadcast is lawful only with the recipient’s consent. Service messages, an opt-in bot and a previously collected base with clear consent are workable; purchased lists create blocking and data-protection risk.
MAX is a young platform, and the temptation to “just message everyone” is the same as in any messenger. But a broadcast is lawful only with consent: the person must understand what they are signing up for and be able to unsubscribe.
Broadcast vs channel
A channel is a public feed read by subscribers. A broadcast is a targeted message to a specific person. For most businesses the useful combination is a channel for content plus a bot or service messages for requests and reminders.
Lawful scenarios
- Service messages. A request confirmation, appointment reminder or order status — sent because the person contacted you.
- Opt-in subscription. The person left a contact and explicitly agreed to receive news; every message includes an unsubscribe route.
- An existing base. If consent was collected earlier, check its wording and age. When in doubt, ask again.
How to collect a base
- Offer a lead magnet: a checklist, a discount or a consultation.
- Use a form or bot where the person leaves a contact and ticks the consent box.
- Record consent: date, source and exact wording. Keep it so you can prove the basis for messaging.
- Offline: a QR code on a receipt or business card should lead to the bot, not to a bulk list.
Sending through a bot
A MAX bot works through the Bot API: create it, get a token, and message people who started a dialogue with the bot or opted in. Bulk messages without consent lead to complaints and blocking.
Broadcast hygiene
- One message, one reason. Do not mix an announcement, an invoice and a survey.
- Make unsubscribe visible and working from the first click.
- Personalisation improves response, but it does not replace consent.
- Store only the data you need and delete it on request.
Common mistakes
- Buying a list of “warm” contacts. That is not consent; it is risk.
- Messaging strangers without a prior interaction or an unsubscribe option.
- Ignoring complaints. The platform can restrict the bot, not just one message.
Read next: posting to MAX for business and bots in MAX for business.
Frequently asked
Can I broadcast to a purchased MAX list?
No. A purchased list does not contain the recipients’ consent; such messages violate platform rules and data-protection law.
What counts as consent for a broadcast?
An explicit action: a checked box, a command to the bot, or a request that includes a contact. Record the date, source and wording.
How do service messages differ from marketing?
Service messages relate to a request or service already in progress: confirmation, reminder, status. Marketing needs separate consent and an unsubscribe route.
Try it on your own channels
Free plan: one channel and ten posts a month, no card required.
This guide is also available in Russian — the whole knowledge base exists in both languages.