WhatsApp Pilot links your existing WhatsApp number as an additional device, the same way WhatsApp Web does. You scan a QR code once and the app sends your automations from that number. It is not the WhatsApp Business API.
WhatsApp lets one number be used on several devices. WhatsApp Pilot registers as one of those devices for your number. Messages your automations send appear in your own WhatsApp app as sent messages, and replies arrive in your WhatsApp like any other chat.
The WhatsApp Connection page in the app shows the current status and the action that fits it. You stay in control of which number is connected.
| Action | When you see it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Connect WhatsApp | No number is connected | Shows a QR code to scan with the phone you want to use |
| Check connection | A number is connected | Verifies that the connection is still working |
| Disconnect | A number is connected | Stops future automated messages and cancels pending recovery reminders |
| Reconnect WhatsApp | The connection was interrupted | Restores the connection for the same number |
| Use a different number | The connection was interrupted | Removes the previous pairing so a different number can be connected with a new QR code |
| Linked device (WhatsApp Pilot) | WhatsApp Business API | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Scan a QR code | Business verification, Business Solution Provider or Cloud API account |
| Number | Your existing number | A number dedicated to the API |
| Message templates | Free text, edited in the app | Pre-approved templates for business-initiated messages |
| Fees | Flat app price, no per-message fee from WhatsApp Pilot | Per-conversation or per-message fees set by Meta and the provider |
| Delivery and read receipts | Not available in the app | Available |
| Volume | Suited to transactional messages for a single store | Built for high-volume campaigns |
| Phone | Stays linked; re-link if the phone is unused for about 14 days | Not needed |
No tool can promise that. WhatsApp enforces its terms on every account. WhatsApp Pilot reduces risk by sending only transactional confirmations to your own customers and consent-based reminders, one message per event, with no bulk campaigns. Keep your templates personal and relevant to the order.
No. WhatsApp Pilot uses a linked-device connection to your existing number. If your business needs the API (high volume, template approvals, read receipts), a Business Solution Provider is the right route.
Meta charges per conversation or per message by category and country, and providers add their own platform fees. WhatsApp Pilot charges a flat Pro price with no per-message fees from the app. Check Meta's current pricing page for the exact API rates in your country.
Yes. Disconnect the current number and connect again, or choose Use a different number after a connection loss, then scan a new QR code with the phone you want to use. Automations send from the newly connected number. If the old number still appears under Linked devices in WhatsApp on the old phone, remove it there.
Future automated messages stop and pending recovery reminders are cancelled. Your settings and message templates stay saved, so you can connect again later.
Yes. WhatsApp Pilot is simply another linked device for that number.
The three ways a store can run WhatsApp: the free Business app, the paid Business API through a provider, and linked-device apps that automate your own number.
WhatsApp Business API pricing in 2026: Meta's per-message rates by country (US, UK, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE and more), the October 2026 changes, provider fees, and when to skip the API.
Which Shopify consent allows WhatsApp marketing messages, how to collect it at checkout, why order confirmations do not need it, and how WhatsApp Pilot enforces it.
Start with the free widget. Upgrade to Pro for order messages, cart recovery, the smart product button, back-in-stock alerts and Product Demand.
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