Can Shopify send order notifications on WhatsApp?
Not by itself. Shopify's built-in order notifications go out by email and, where enabled, SMS. To send order confirmations or updates on WhatsApp you need an app that reacts to the order event. The options differ in how they connect to WhatsApp and whether they charge per message.
By Mousa Alhelo, founder, E-SAFQA · Updated · 5 min read · How we write and test these guides
What Shopify sends natively
Order confirmation, shipping confirmation and other customer notifications are email templates, with SMS available for some notification types where the customer provided a phone number and the store enabled it. There is no WhatsApp channel in the notification settings.
Option A: a linked-device app
The app links your existing WhatsApp number and sends the confirmation when Shopify's orders/create webhook fires. Flat price, no templates to approve, text you control in five languages. WhatsApp Pilot adds a short, store-branded link to the order status page and logs every send in Message History.
Option B: an API-based app
The app sends a pre-approved utility template through the WhatsApp Business Platform. You get delivered and read receipts and interactive buttons, and you pay Meta's per-message utility rate plus the provider's fee.
Which notifications to send
- Order confirmation: yes, immediately.
- Order cancellation notice: yes, when you cancel the order in Shopify. Available in WhatsApp Pilot.
- Shipping or fulfillment notice with tracking: yes, when you fulfill. Available in WhatsApp Pilot Pro, one notice per fulfillment.
- Delivery and review requests: only with consent and frequency caps.
- Marketing offers: never from a transactional flow without opt-in.
Frequently asked questions
Do order confirmations need marketing consent?
No. They are transactional messages about an order the customer just placed. WhatsApp Pilot still requires you, the merchant, to switch on order messages for your number.
What if the customer entered only an email?
Without a phone number there is nothing to send to. The message is skipped and the reason is shown in Message History.
Ready to put WhatsApp to work on your store?
Start with the free widget. Upgrade to Pro for order messages, cart recovery, the smart product button, back-in-stock alerts and Product Demand.