WhatsApp marketing consent in Shopify
A WhatsApp message that asks a customer to come back and buy is marketing, and it needs the customer's opt-in. In Shopify that opt-in is the customer's marketing consent collected at checkout or in your store. Order confirmations are transactional and do not need it. WhatsApp Pilot applies this split automatically.
By Mousa Alhelo, founder, E-SAFQA · Updated · 5 min read · How we write and test these guides
Transactional vs marketing
| Message | Type | Needs marketing consent? |
|---|---|---|
| Order confirmation | Transactional | No, but the merchant switches order messages on |
| Shipping or tracking update | Transactional | No |
| Abandoned-checkout reminder | Marketing | Yes |
| Discount or promotion | Marketing | Yes |
Where consent comes from in Shopify
Shopify stores a customer's marketing consent on the customer record, collected through the checkout opt-in, sign-up forms or imports. WhatsApp Pilot reads that consent and the phone number used at checkout; a reminder is sent only when the consent is granted and the number matches. Email or SMS marketing flags alone are not treated as WhatsApp consent unless the store collected them as such.
How to collect it
- Enable the marketing opt-in at checkout and label it clearly for WhatsApp.
- Add an opt-in to your newsletter and account forms.
- Never import numbers from other channels and mark them as consented.
- Honour opt-outs immediately; keep replies open so customers can tell you to stop.
What happens without consent
The reminder is not sent. Message History shows the checkout with the reason marketing consent required, so you can see how much of your abandoned volume is unreachable and improve opt-in at checkout.
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