How to Set Up a Shopify Chatbot (Step-by-Step)

If you’re searching for a clear, beginner-friendly guide on how to set up a Shopify chatbot, the good news is that the process is simple, and the impact on your store can be large. A Shopify chatbot helps you answer customer questions instantly, reduce abandoned carts, and automate repetitive conversations without hiring extra support staff. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to install, set up, customise, and launch a chatbot on your Shopify store using a step-by-step approach.

This how-to guide will walk you through the full setup process so you can go live confidently, even if you’re not technical.

What Does a Shopify Chatbot Actually Do?

Before setting it up, it helps to understand what a chatbot brings to your store.
A Shopify chatbot can:

• answer common product questions

• guide shoppers during size or variant selection

• show delivery timelines automatically

• check stock availability

• reduce “Where is my order?” messages

• help customers complete checkout

• manage conversations from IG/WhatsApp via automation

• respond instantly 24/7

To see how automation fits across channels, read Shopify AI chatbot solutions.

10 steps to Set Up a Shopify Chatbot

Step 1: Choose the Right Shopify Chatbot for Your Store

The first step is selecting a chatbot that:

• integrates natively with Shopify

• can read product data, variants, and availability

• answers customer questions instantly

• supports automation for FAQs and tracking

• works with Instagram and WhatsApp

AeroChat is one option to consider. It is chat infrastructure that runs your customer service and sales workflows, and it is Built for Shopify, covering both support and sales conversations. You describe what should happen in your own words, and it runs it, connected to your store.

If you’re deciding between multiple tools, check our Shopify AI chatbot comparison.

Step 2: Install the Chatbot App on Shopify

Once you choose your chatbot, installing it takes less than a minute.

How to install your Shopify chatbot:

1. Open Shopify Admin

2. Go to “Apps”

3. Click “Shopify App Store”

4. Search for AeroChat.ai 

5. Click “Add App”

6. Approve permissions

7. Wait for installation to complete

The app will now appear inside your Shopify dashboard.

If you need additional help with installation steps, see
Shopify customer support automation for setup tips.

Step 3: Connect Your Product Catalog

A powerful chatbot understands your store’s:

• product titles

• variants

• sizes

• colours

• inventory

• delivery rules

• return and exchange policies

• pricing

• shipping availability

This allows it to give accurate, real-time answers, as a sales assistant would.

How to sync your catalog

Most Shopify chatbots sync automatically. For AeroChat, the sync happens instantly once the app is installed.

Step 4: Set Up Automated Responses for Common Questions

This is where your chatbot becomes valuable.

Start by enabling automated replies for questions customers ask repeatedly:

• “How long is delivery?”

• “Do you ship to my country?”

• “What size should I choose?”

• “Is this item available?”

• “What is your return policy?”

• “Do you offer cash on delivery?”

• “How does the material feel?”

The goal is to eliminate manual typing and reduce your daily support workload.

For inspiration on building structured FAQs, check Reduce repetitive customer questions on Shopify.

Step 5: Enable Order Tracking Automation

One of the biggest reasons visitors contact support is order tracking.

Setting up automated order updates helps customers:

• check their delivery status instantly

• view tracking links

• see expected arrival dates

• understand dispatch timelines

AeroChat lets customers check order status directly in the chat. It verifies the customer’s email or phone first, with no account login needed.

This dramatically reduces support ticket volume.

See automation examples in Shopify customer support automation.

Step 6: Customise the Chat Widget to Match Your Brand

Your chat widget should look like part of your store, not a generic add-on.

Customise:

• chat bubble colour

• widget shape

• brand logo

• greeting message

• welcome prompts

• font style

• placement on desktop or mobile

A conversational assistant must feel like an extension of your brand’s tone and style. If you sell across countries, check that it replies in your customer’s language.

Step 7: Connect Instagram and WhatsApp (Optional but Recommended)

If you get messages on:

• Instagram DM

• WhatsApp

• Messenger

…connecting them to your chatbot gives you one unified inbox.

This helps your team:

• reply faster

• avoid switching apps

• prevent missed messages

• manage every channel in one dashboard

To centralise channels effectively, read Shopify omnichannel chat management.

Step 8: Describe Workflows Based on Customer Intent

Answering questions is the start. The next step is guiding customers and taking actions for them.

With AeroChat you describe each workflow in your own words, with no flow builder to draw. For example: “When a shopper asks which size to buy, ask their usual size and height, check stock for that variant, and suggest the closest fit.” Set up workflows for:

• size recommendations

• restock notifications

• product comparisons

• upsells / cross-sells

• shipping explanations

• material breakdowns

• checkout assistance

These workflows turn chat into a sales assistant as well as a support widget. Set limits for anything with a cost, such as the largest discount it can offer, and when it should hand over to your team.

See examples of sales-focused automation in Shopify product questions and FAQ guide.

Step 9: Test the Chatbot Before Going Live

Before enabling the chatbot for all customers, test:

• response accuracy

• speed

• product recommendations

• variant guidance

• delivery messages

• return/exchange answers

• tracking responses

• brand tone

The goal is to ensure the chatbot feels human, helpful, and trustworthy.

Step 10: Publish the Chatbot on Your Store

Once everything works correctly:

• enable the chat widget on product pages

• enable it on the homepage

• enable it during checkout (optional)

• activate automation flows

• set fallback responses for complex questions

Your Shopify chatbot is now live.

After launch, read through conversations every week. Look at the most common questions, any answers that missed, and the conversations handed to your team, then update your policies, product information and workflows. Use the chat to collect contact details from interested shoppers too, so you can follow up later.

Why Set Up a Shopify Chatbot? (Benefits)

A chatbot improves:

1. Conversion Rate

Instant answers mean fewer shoppers leaving due to uncertainty.

2. Customer Satisfaction

Customers receive fast, accurate help 24/7.

3. Support Capacity

You reduce the number of repetitive questions your team receives.

4. Efficiency

Your team focuses on high-value conversations only.

5. Revenue

When questions are answered instantly, customers complete checkout more confidently.

Takeaway

Setting up a Shopify chatbot is one of the highest-impact upgrades you can make to your store. It reduces support pressure, improves conversions, and helps shoppers complete purchases faster.

By choosing the right tool, syncing your catalog, enabling automation, and describing your workflows, your chatbot becomes an extension of your sales and support team, available every hour of the day.

For a quicker walkthrough, see how to set up your Shopify AI chatbot. Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed. Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store and follow the steps above. Not on Shopify? Sign up here.