Create WhatsApp marketing automations in Shopify Messaging

On 28 October, Shopify added WhatsApp to Shopify Messaging automations. Merchants can now send automated, well-timed WhatsApp messages to customers, starting from ready-made templates or by adding WhatsApp to automations they already run. For fashion, streetwear and sportswear brands, where a large share of browsing never turns into a purchase, it is a new way to follow up with people who showed clear interest.

What it is

Shopify Messaging is the part of the Shopify admin where you manage automated customer communications. The update adds WhatsApp as a messaging option inside it. Shopify describes the aim as helping you automatically engage your customers with well-timed WhatsApp messages.

There are pre-built templates for three situations:

• Abandoned browse, for shoppers who looked at products and left.
• Abandoned cart, for shoppers who added items to their basket and stopped.
• Abandoned checkout, for shoppers who reached checkout but did not complete the purchase.

You can also add WhatsApp messaging to your own automations rather than relying only on the templates.

How it works and how to access it

You set this up in the Shopify admin under Messaging, then Automations. From there you can pick one of the three templates or build WhatsApp into an automation you already have. Shopify has also published a Help Center article on WhatsApp marketing automations, which is the place to go for the detailed setup steps.

Limits and caveats

The changelog entry is short, and it does not say which plans, countries or regions the feature is available in, or whether there are usage limits or costs. It also does not cover customer consent requirements. Those are the questions to settle before you switch anything on, and the Help Center article is the first place to check. Treat the templates as a starting point: the entry does not describe how much you can edit their wording, timing or targeting.

What it means for merchants

Abandoned cart and checkout emails are standard for most Shopify stores. WhatsApp adds a second route to the same shopper. If your customers already use WhatsApp, a short, well-timed message may reach people who never open the email. The abandoned browse template matters most for brands with large, visual catalogues, because many visitors look at several products without ever adding one to the cart.

The risk is tone. A message on a personal messaging app feels more direct than an email, so frequency and wording matter. Messages that arrive at the wrong moment or too often can damage the relationship you have built with a customer. You should also make sure your privacy and consent wording supports contacting people this way.

What it means for agencies and partners

This is a retention and lifecycle opportunity, and a prompt to review existing automation flows. Agencies should look at where email-only abandonment flows could be joined by a WhatsApp step, and agree sensible rules with the merchant on timing, frequency and which customers are included. They should also check that opt-in capture at checkout and on forms matches how the brand wants to use the channel, and that reporting can separate the results of each channel so the extra messages can be judged on what they add.

How we would approach it

1. Read Shopify's Help Center article and confirm the feature is available for your store and market, and what it costs.
2. Check how customer consent for WhatsApp is captured today, and fix any gaps first.
3. Start with one template, most likely abandoned checkout, because those shoppers are closest to buying.
4. Keep the message short, on brand and clearly useful, and avoid repeating what the email already says.
5. Compare recovered orders and opt-outs against your email flow for a few weeks before adding abandoned cart and abandoned browse.

The short version

Shopify Messaging can now send automated WhatsApp messages for abandoned browse, cart and checkout, and you can add WhatsApp to your own automations from Messaging, then Automations. Availability, plans and limits are not stated in the announcement, so check the Help Center before planning around it. Start small, protect customer trust, and measure what the channel adds beyond email.

ETTA provides fractional ecommerce leadership for fashion, streetwear and sportswear brands. If you want a senior view on how this affects your store, get in touch.