## Overview

**Message forwarding** lets you select 1 to 30 messages from a conversation and send them to up to
5 other conversations at once — including conversations on **different channels** (WhatsApp,
Instagram, Messenger, email, API and so on). On **WhatsApp (device connection)** the recipient sees
the native **"Forwarded"** badge, exactly like the official app. Incoming messages that arrive
already forwarded also show the badge in the chat.

## Prerequisites

- Access to the source conversation and the target conversations.
- Forwardable messages: text, received email (becomes text), stickers and attachments (image,
  video, audio, document). Private notes, activities, deleted messages, failed messages, view-once
  messages and interactive messages (buttons/lists/polls) cannot be forwarded.

## Step by step

1. In the conversation, use **Forward** in the message quick actions. On a phone, tap **More message
   actions** beside the bubble; on a computer, you can also right-click.
2. Selection mode opens with that message checked and temporarily replaces the reply box — tap/click
   other messages to add them (up to 30). Press **Esc** or **Cancel** to leave.
3. Use **Forward** on the bottom bar, which remains fully visible and reachable on phones too.
4. Search the target conversations or pick from the **recent** ones; select up to 5 and confirm.
5. Copies are created immediately in each target, in chronological order, and follow each channel's
   normal delivery flow.

## Settings & options

- **Multi-target**: up to 5 conversations at once; a failing target never blocks the others.
- **Cross-channel**: content adapts to the target channel (a sticker may become an image; a voice
  note keeps the voice-note format on WhatsApp).
- **Contacts and locations**: on WhatsApp via device and WhatsApp Cloud, representable cards remain
  native messages and do not require an attached file. If a contact has no valid phone number or the
  target channel does not accept the card, the copy uses readable text with the available details.
- **"Forwarded" badge**: only **third-party** messages (and messages that were already forwarded)
  carry the badge — forwarding **your own** message produces a clean copy, just like WhatsApp. On
  WhatsApp via device the badge is native on the recipient's phone; on other channels it shows in
  the dashboard.
- **Channel visible**: every option in the target picker shows the inbox and the channel icon, so
  you know exactly where the message will go out.
- **Mentions preserved**: messages with @-mentions keep the readable name in the copy and, in
  WhatsApp groups via device, the mention arrives natively (highlighted) for the recipient.

## Use cases

- Pass a customer request on to the internal team conversation that owns it.
- Resend a receipt or document received on one channel to another conversation.
- Quickly distribute an announcement (text + media) to several customers.

## Tips, limits & best practices

- Limits: **30 messages** and **5 targets** per operation (WhatsApp parity).
- Large bursts flow through the WhatsApp anti-ban throttle as usual.
- Instagram and Messenger have a 24-hour window — forwarding outside the window may fail on
  delivery (the message shows an error in the target conversation).

## Troubleshooting

- **"Unauthorized" on a target**: you don't have access to that conversation's inbox.
- **Copy failed to send**: check the target channel connection and use **Retry** on the bubble.
- **Forward option disabled**: the message type is not forwardable (see Prerequisites).

## See also

- Pinned conversations and saved views (article "Custom filters and saved views").
- Attachments, voice, emoji and reactions.