Available nowFree and Pro
Floating WhatsApp chat widget
A customizable WhatsApp button for your storefront: the homepage on Free, every page on Pro.
Read more →WhatsApp for Shopify stores: the complete guide
There are three practical ways to use WhatsApp with a Shopify store: a chat button so shoppers can message you, automatic order notifications, and reminders for abandoned checkouts. This guide explains each, what Shopify offers natively, what consent you need, and how to choose an app.
1. A WhatsApp chat button on your storefront
The simplest integration is a floating button that opens a WhatsApp chat with your number. You can add one with a wa.me link in your theme code, or with an app that gives you a styled button, page targeting and click analytics. No API is involved: the shopper's own WhatsApp app opens.
A second button belongs on the product page. WhatsApp Pilot's Smart Product WhatsApp Button reads Order via WhatsApp when the selected variant is available and Notify me when back in stock when it is not, and the requests it collects feed back-in-stock alerts and the Product Demand dashboard.
2. Order notifications on WhatsApp
Shopify's built-in notifications are email and SMS. To send order confirmations on WhatsApp you need an app that reacts to the order event and sends the message. Apps differ in how they connect: some link your existing number as a device, others use the WhatsApp Business API through a provider with per-message fees.
The same applies when an order is cancelled: you cancel it in Shopify and an app sends the customer a WhatsApp notice. WhatsApp Pilot does this with its Order Cancellation automation. It sends the notice only; the cancellation and any refund stay in Shopify.
3. Abandoned checkout reminders
Shopify records an abandoned checkout when a customer enters contact details and leaves. Shopify can email a recovery link itself. A WhatsApp reminder is a marketing message, so it requires the customer's marketing consent; good apps enforce that automatically and cancel reminders when the order completes.
What Shopify offers natively
Shopify's own messaging features and Meta's WhatsApp app on the Shopify App Store focus on marketing through the WhatsApp Business Platform. They are the right fit if you already run the API. For a single store that wants a button, confirmations and reminders from its own number, a linked-device app like WhatsApp Pilot is simpler and has no per-message fees.
Consent and compliance
- Transactional messages (order confirmations) are tied to an order the customer just placed.
- Marketing messages (reminders, offers) need the customer's opt-in to WhatsApp or SMS marketing collected at checkout or in your store.
- Keep an opt-out path and never message numbers you collected elsewhere.
Choosing an app
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How does it connect to WhatsApp? | Linked device (your number, no API fees) vs Business API (provider account, per-message fees, templates) |
| Is there a free plan? | Lets you test the widget before paying |
| Does it enforce consent for reminders? | Protects your number and your customers |
| Can messages be in my language? | Arabic templates and RTL previews matter for MENA stores |
| What does analytics actually measure? | Sends, failures and clicks are verifiable; delivered or read rates are not available on linked devices |
Features
Available nowPro plan
Automated order confirmation
A WhatsApp confirmation when an order is placed, in your customer's language.
Read more →Available nowPro plan
Order cancellation notice
An automatic WhatsApp notice to the customer when you cancel an order in Shopify.
Read more →Available nowPro plan
Order status links
A short, store-branded link to the Shopify order status page inside the message.
Read more →Available nowPro plan
Abandoned cart recovery
Up to three timed WhatsApp reminders, each with an optional discount or free shipping.
Read more →Available nowPro plan
Smart product WhatsApp button
One product-page button: Order via WhatsApp when in stock, Notify me when back in stock when not.
Read more →Available nowPro plan
Back-in-stock WhatsApp alerts
Shoppers request an alert on WhatsApp for a sold-out variant and get a message when it returns.
Read more →Available nowPro plan
Product Demand analytics
See which products and variants customers are waiting for, before you restock.
Read more →Available nowFree and Pro
Message history
Every automated message with its status and the reason when it was skipped.
Read more →Available nowFree and Pro
Analytics
Messages sent, failures, link clicks and storefront button clicks by day.
Read more →Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify integrate with WhatsApp?
Not natively for order confirmations from your own number. Shopify sends email and SMS; WhatsApp needs an app.
Is there a free WhatsApp app for Shopify?
Several widget-only apps are free. WhatsApp Pilot's Free plan includes the widget; automations are on Pro.
What is the 24-hour rule on WhatsApp?
On the WhatsApp Business API, a business can send free-form messages only within 24 hours of the customer's last message; outside that window it must use approved templates. Linked-device connections do not use that template system, which is why consent and relevance matter even more.
Which WhatsApp API is best for Shopify?
If you need the API, choose a Business Solution Provider that lists Shopify as an integration and publishes its per-conversation fees. If you need confirmations and reminders from your own number, you may not need the API at all.
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.