> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vambe.me/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create campaign > Create a one-time campaign that sends up to 5 Meta templates, in order, to the contacts of a segment. A recipient who replies stops receiving the steps after it. One campaign can be created every 30 minutes per account. Creates a one-time campaign that sends up to 5 Meta templates, in order, to the contacts of a segment. ## How it sends * **Audience**: the segment's contacts are captured when the campaign is created. Contacts who join the segment later are not added. * **Steps**: each step waits `wait_before` (1 day by default) after the previous one. A recipient who replies stops receiving the steps after it. * **Start**: `start_at` is `"now"` (the default) or a future date-time. Without `batch_size`, everyone is released at once; with `batch_size` and `batch_interval_minutes`, the audience is released in batches until everyone has been reached. ## Template variables `variables` sets each template variable by its position: `"1"` is `{{1}}`, counted across header, body and buttons, in that order. A value is either fixed text or a contact placeholder resolved for each recipient: | Placeholder | Value | | - | - | | `__CONTACT_NAME__` | Contact name | | `__CONTACT_EMAIL__` | Contact email | | `__CONTACT_PHONE__` | Contact phone | Header and body variables you leave out are written by the AI for each recipient, from their contact information and conversation. The response lists them in `ai_filled_variables`. Button variables (URLs, phone numbers and button text) are required. ## Limits One campaign can be created every 30 minutes per account. A request inside that window answers `429` with `retry_after_seconds`. Requests rejected with a `4xx` before the campaign is created do not start the window. Track the campaign with [Get campaign](/reference/campaigns/get-campaign) and [Get campaign recipients](/reference/campaigns/get-campaign-recipients). ## OpenAPI ````yaml post /api/public/outreach-campaign openapi: 3.0.0 info: title: Vambe AI API description: Vambe AI documentation version: '1.0' contact: {} servers: - url: https://api.vambe.me description: Production Server security: [] tags: - name: Vambe AI description: '' paths: /api/public/outreach-campaign: post: tags: - Campaigns summary: Create campaign description: >- Create a one-time campaign that sends up to 5 Meta templates, in order, to the contacts of a segment. A recipient who replies stops receiving the steps after it. One campaign can be created every 30 minutes per account. operationId: PublicCampaignController_createCampaign parameters: - name: x-api-key in: header description: API key needed to authorize the request required: true schema: type: string requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: type: object required: - name - segment_id - steps properties: name: type: string minLength: 1 maxLength: 255 segment_id: type: string format: uuid description: >- The segment to send to. Its contacts are captured when the campaign is created; contacts who join the segment later are not added. steps: type: array minItems: 1 maxItems: 5 description: >- The messages to send, in order. A recipient who replies stops receiving the steps after it. items: type: object required: - type - template_id - channel_id - stage_id properties: type: type: string enum: - meta_template template_id: type: string format: uuid description: An approved Meta template, from List Meta templates channel_id: type: string format: uuid description: The WhatsApp channel the template is sent from stage_id: type: string format: uuid description: The pipeline stage recipients are placed in variables: type: object additionalProperties: type: string example: '1': __CONTACT_NAME__ '2': 20% off description: >- Values by variable position ("1" is {{1}}), counted across header, body and buttons. A value may be fixed text or a contact placeholder such as `__CONTACT_NAME__`. Header and body variables left out are written by the AI for each recipient; button variables are required. file_url: type: string format: uri description: >- Media for a template with an image, video or document header. Defaults to the template's own media. wait_before: type: object required: - amount - unit properties: amount: type: integer minimum: 1 unit: type: string enum: - minutes - hours - days description: >- Time between the previous step and this one, at most 30 days. Defaults to 1 day. Not allowed on the first step. sending: type: object properties: start_at: type: string default: now description: '"now", or a future ISO 8601 date-time.' example: '2026-10-20T13:00:00Z' batch_size: type: integer minimum: 1 maximum: 50000 description: >- Recipients released per batch. Send together with batch_interval_minutes; leave both out to release everyone at once. batch_interval_minutes: type: integer minimum: 1 description: Minutes between batches. responses: '201': description: Campaign created and scheduled. content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: id: format: uuid type: string name: type: string segment_id: format: uuid type: string audience_size: type: integer description: Contacts captured from the segment start_at: format: date-time type: string batch_size: type: integer nullable: true batch_interval_minutes: type: integer nullable: true steps: type: array items: type: object properties: step_number: type: integer type: type: string enum: - meta_template template_id: format: uuid type: string channel_id: format: uuid type: string stage_id: format: uuid type: string wait_before: type: object required: - amount - unit properties: amount: type: integer minimum: 1 unit: type: string enum: - minutes - hours - days nullable: true ai_filled_variables: type: array items: type: string description: >- Variable positions the AI writes for each recipient because no value was given '400': description: >- Invalid request: an empty segment, a template that is not approved or not enabled on the channel, an invalid stage, a missing button variable or a start_at in the past. '404': description: Template or segment not found '429': description: >- A campaign was created less than 30 minutes ago. The body carries retry_after_seconds. ```` This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.