How to send WhatsApp order confirmations from Shopify: setup in ten minutes
Set up automatic WhatsApp order confirmations on Shopify with your own number: install, connect, edit the template, test with a real order, troubleshoot.
From install to first WhatsApp message in four steps
No code, no hosting and no business API account. Here is the full setup, with what the app needs at each step.
Install WhatsApp Pilot on your store
Install from the Shopify App Store. The app opens inside your Shopify Admin like any embedded app.
Add your number and enable the widget
In Settings, choose your country code, enter your WhatsApp number and write the default message shoppers will send you. In Floating Widget, adjust the look. Then enable the app embed in Theme Editor.
Widget settings with live preview Connect WhatsApp on Pro
Open the WhatsApp page and scan the QR code with the phone that holds your number. The page shows the connected number (masked) and lets you check or disconnect the connection at any time.
Connection status with a masked number Activate automations
Create an Order Confirmation flow, edit the message, preview it with sample data and activate. Order Cancellation and Abandoned Cart Recovery live in the same hub and are activated separately. For back-in-stock alerts, add the product button block to your product template. Requests are collected automatically on Pro, and you can edit the restock message in Product Demand.
Your automations on mobile
Screenshots are taken on a test store with sample data.
Requirements
- A Shopify store with the Online Store sales channel (the widget is a Theme App Extension).
- A WhatsApp number on a phone you control. WhatsApp keeps linked devices connected even when the phone is offline, but logs them out if the phone itself is unused for about 14 days.
- Pro plan for the WhatsApp connection and automations.
- Customer phone numbers on orders for confirmations, and WhatsApp marketing consent for recovery reminders.
How the WhatsApp connection works, and how it differs from the Business API →
What data the app uses
| Access | Why |
|---|---|
| Themes (read) | Enable the storefront widget as a Theme App Extension |
| Orders (read) | Trigger order confirmations and build the order status link |
| Customers (read) | Find the customer's phone number and WhatsApp marketing consent for recovery messages |
| Discounts (read and write) | Create and verify unique recovery discount codes |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to keep my phone online?
Not for every message. WhatsApp Pilot is a linked device, like WhatsApp Web, and WhatsApp keeps linked devices working while the phone is offline. WhatsApp does log out linked devices if the phone has not been used for about 14 days, so keep using WhatsApp on that phone.
Can I use a WhatsApp Business number?
Yes. Any number that runs WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business can be linked.
Can I disconnect and reconnect?
Yes, from the WhatsApp page in the app. Automations pause while disconnected and resume after you reconnect.
Related guides
Add a WhatsApp button to the Shopify Dawn theme (and any Online Store 2.0 theme)
Add a floating WhatsApp button to Dawn and other Online Store 2.0 themes with an app embed: where the toggle is, positioning, and fixes when it does not show.
How to design a three-message WhatsApp abandoned-checkout recovery sequence
Design a WhatsApp recovery sequence: when to send the first reminder, how to space the next two, when to add a discount, how to stop on purchase, plus EN/AR templates.
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.