Connecting Your Store to WhatsApp: A Step-by-Step Guide for Online Sellers
Connecting your store to WhatsApp means your WhatsApp number can read your store’s products and orders, so it can answer stock and order questions, send order updates and take orders in the chat. You need a WhatsApp Business number on the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API), a tool that connects that number to your store, and approved message templates for anything you send first. With AeroChat, you connect the number with embedded signup, connect your store in the dashboard, and describe what you want WhatsApp to do.
What a connected store can do on WhatsApp
- Answer product and stock questions from your live catalog, with the product link.
- Answer “where is my order?” by looking up the order and its tracking, after checking who the customer is. See WhatsApp order tracking.
- Send order updates such as confirmations, shipping and out-for-delivery messages to customers who opted in. See WhatsApp order confirmation and delivery updates.
- Take orders in the chat and collect payment with a link. See WhatsApp ordering and payment links.
- Handle changes and returns: address changes before packing, cancellations, return requests. See order changes.
- Recover abandoned carts for customers who agreed to WhatsApp messages. See abandoned cart.
Step 1: Choose the WhatsApp Business app or the API
The free WhatsApp Business app on your phone is fine for replying by hand. It can’t be connected to your store’s order data or automated beyond simple greeting and away messages. To connect your store, your number needs to be on the WhatsApp Business Platform, which Meta calls the Cloud API, through a provider such as AeroChat. See WhatsApp app vs API and WhatsApp Business API.
You don’t have to give up the app. With coexistence, Meta lets a business keep its WhatsApp Business app number and use the API through a provider at the same time, with chats kept in sync. AeroChat supports it. Some app features change after onboarding, for example broadcast lists become read-only in the app. See WhatsApp coexistence.
Step 2: Get your business ready on Meta
- A Meta business portfolio for your company. Verifying it raises your messaging limits and lets you register more numbers. See messaging limits.
- A phone number for WhatsApp: your current WhatsApp Business app number (with coexistence) or a new one.
- A display name that matches your business.
- A payment method on Meta for the messages Meta charges for. Messages customers send you are free. See WhatsApp pricing.
Step 3: Connect the number and the store
In AeroChat, connect your WhatsApp number with embedded signup, which takes you through Meta’s own screens. Then connect your store. Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix are built in. If you sell from a spreadsheet, the Google Sheets store keeps your products and orders in a Google Sheet. Other store systems with a public API connect through their API keys.
Once the store is connected, AeroChat syncs your products and can look up orders. Order lookup checks the customer’s email or phone first, and orders are never stored in AeroChat.
Step 4: Set up templates and opt-in
WhatsApp has one rule every store must plan around. When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and you can reply freely inside it. Outside that window, any message you send first must use a template approved by Meta, in the utility, marketing or authentication category. Order confirmations and shipping updates are usually utility templates. Promotions are marketing templates. Review can take up to 24 hours. See WhatsApp message templates, template approval and message templates in the glossary.
Customers must agree to get WhatsApp messages from you. Add a WhatsApp opt-in at checkout and record it. See opt-in and opt-out. Ready-made wording is in the order confirmation templates and shipping update templates.
Step 5: Describe the workflows
With AeroChat you describe each workflow in your own words, and AeroChat builds it. No code needed. New workflows start as drafts, so you can test them before switching them on.
Copy this into AeroChat
When a new order is created and the customer opted in to WhatsApp, send our approved template order_confirmed (example) with the order number, items and total. When the order ships, send our template order_shipped (example) with the tracking link. When a customer messages to ask about their order, confirm their email or phone number, find the order and tell them its status and tracking. If they want to change the address and the order isn’t packed yet, update it and read it back to them. If the parcel is late by more than 3 days (example), apologize and hand the conversation to our team with the order number.
Step 6: Bring customers to WhatsApp
- Add a WhatsApp chat button to your store. See the WhatsApp link generator.
- Put your WhatsApp link on order confirmation emails and packing slips.
- Run click-to-WhatsApp ads. See click-to-WhatsApp ads.
An example after connecting
Customer: Hi, has my order shipped? It’s #2290. (example)
AeroChat: Let me check. Can you confirm the phone number or email on the order?
Customer: This number
AeroChat: Thanks. Order #2290 shipped this morning. Here is your tracking link. The courier shows delivery expected on Thursday (example).
Questions
Can I keep using WhatsApp on my phone?
Yes. AeroChat supports coexistence, so the same number runs on the WhatsApp Business app and the API, and you can still reply from your phone.
How much does WhatsApp charge?
Meta charges per delivered message, by category and country. Messages customers send you are free, and each business number gets a monthly allowance of free service replies. Check current rates on Meta’s pricing page. See WhatsApp pricing.
Do I need a verified business or a green tick?
You can start without verification, with lower messaging limits. The official business account badge is now a blue checkmark and is optional. See official business account.
Does it work with Instagram and Messenger too?
Yes. The same workflows run on Instagram, Messenger, web chat, email and marketplace chats. See omnichannel customer service.
Connect your store to WhatsApp today
Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed. Connect your number and your store, paste the recipe, and send your first order update to your own phone.
On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.