To collect WhatsApp opt-ins on Shopify, ask in the places customers already give you their number: the checkout checkbox, a sign-up popup, the chat itself, the order confirmation page, and a QR code on packaging. Every ask should name your store, say the messages come on WhatsApp, say what they'll get, and say how to stop. Then record when and where they agreed.
That's the whole method. The rest of this post is the detail: where each opt-in point works best, what to write, and the mistakes that quietly wreck a WhatsApp list.
What counts as a WhatsApp opt-in?
A WhatsApp opt-in is a customer's clear agreement to receive messages from your business on WhatsApp. Meta's opt-in guidance is short and worth reading in full. Two things are required: you have to state that the person is opting in to receive messages from your business, and you have to state your business name. You also need their phone number, and you have to follow local law (GDPR in Europe, for example, which I cover in WhatsApp marketing and GDPR).
Meta also recommends, but doesn't require, a few things I'd treat as rules anyway:
Say what kinds of messages they'll get (order updates, offers, restock alerts).
Get separate opt-ins per category where you can.
Explain why the messages are worth getting.
Make opting out easy, and honour it.
Why bother with the recommended bits? Because WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy lets customers block and report you, and that feedback can limit how many messages you're allowed to send. A vague opt-in gets you a list full of people who are surprised to hear from you. Surprised people block.
Opt-in vs the 24-hour window: don't mix them up
The mistake I see most often is treating "they messaged us" as "they opted in."
When a customer sends you a WhatsApp message, Meta opens a 24-hour customer service window: a period in which you can reply freely to that person. That's for answering their question. It isn't permission to add them to your Friday promo broadcast. If you want that, ask them inside the conversation (more on the wording below). The 24-hour window guide explains the mechanics in detail.
6 places to collect WhatsApp opt-ins on Shopify
Here's where I'd ask, roughly in order of how much permission each one tends to collect for a typical small store.
This is the one most stores should set up first, because every buyer passes through it.
As of November 2026, Shopify's checkout settings have a Marketing opt-in section with separate SMS and WhatsApp options. According to the Shopify Help Center, you go to Settings > Checkout, make sure the phone number field is shown (optional or required), and set WhatsApp to Checkout only. If you run both SMS and WhatsApp opt-ins, you can choose which regions see the WhatsApp checkbox and which see the SMS one, using Shopify's recommended regions or your own picks. That's handy if you sell in India and the Gulf (WhatsApp country) and also in the US, where WhatsApp doesn't deliver marketing templates at all.
Two notes from Shopify's docs that matter in practice:
The customer's preference is only saved when they actually submit the checkout. Someone who ticks the box and abandons isn't subscribed.
The phone field must be visible for any of this to work. If your checkout hides it, nobody can opt in.
Leave the box unticked. A pre-ticked box inflates your list with people who never chose it.
2. Sign-up popups and forms
A popup works for first-time visitors who aren't ready to buy. The trick is being honest about the trade: here's what you'll send, here's what you get for it.
Get restock alerts and early access on WhatsApp from Noor Skincare. About 2 messages a month, never more than one a week. Reply STOP anytime.
[Phone number] [Join on WhatsApp]
On mobile, keep it to one field and a big button, and don't fire it before someone has scrolled. If your form tool only supports email and SMS, don't relabel the SMS field as WhatsApp. Use a form that names WhatsApp explicitly, because the channel is part of what they're agreeing to.
3. Inside a WhatsApp conversation
People who message you are your warmest audience. Answer their question first. Then ask, once, with a clear choice.
Glad that sorted the sizing! One quick thing: would you like Bloom & Co to send you new-drop alerts and occasional offers here on WhatsApp? Usually 2 to 3 a month. You can stop anytime by replying STOP.
[Yes, send me drops] [No thanks]
Quick reply buttons make this a one-tap decision, and the button tap is an easy thing to record. A WhatsApp chat button on your store is what starts most of these conversations; WhatFlow's theme-matched chat buttons are free forever, so this opt-in point costs you nothing to open.
4. The order confirmation and thank-you page
Right after purchase is when people most want updates. Ask for delivery updates first, offers second, as two separate choices if you can. That matches Meta's per-category recommendation and gives you a cleaner list.
Want your delivery updates on WhatsApp? Tap below and we'll message you from Kaya Home when your order ships and when it's out for delivery.
If you want marketing permission too, make it a second, separate checkbox or button. Don't bundle "shipping updates and promotions" into one tick.
5. QR codes on packaging, inserts and in-store
A QR code on the box reaches people at the moment they're using your product. Point it at a wa.me link with pre-filled text, so the customer's first message tells you exactly what they signed up for:
Hi Noor Skincare, I'd like refill reminders on WhatsApp.
When that message lands in your inbox, reply with a confirmation that restates the deal (what they'll get, how often, how to stop). That reply is your opt-in record. The full build, including URL encoding, is in the guide to WhatsApp links and QR codes.
6. Click-to-WhatsApp ads
Ads that open a WhatsApp chat bring in new people, and they start conversations, not opt-ins. Treat them like any inbound chat: help, then ask. The Click-to-WhatsApp ads guide covers what to do with those chats.
WhatsApp opt-in wording you can copy
Good opt-in copy answers four questions in one or two sentences: who, where, what, and how to stop. Here are versions for different spots.
Checkout checkbox (marketing):
Send me offers and new arrivals from Bloom & Co on WhatsApp. Unsubscribe anytime.
Checkout or thank-you page (utility only):
Send my order and delivery updates on WhatsApp.
Popup with an incentive:
Join Kaya Home on WhatsApp for 10% off your first order, plus launch alerts. Up to 4 messages a month. Reply STOP to leave.
Back-in-stock button on a product page:
Message me on WhatsApp when the Linen Throw in Sage is back. One message, then we'll ask if you want more.
Confirmation reply after a QR or link opt-in:
You're in! Noor Skincare will message you here when it's time to restock (roughly every 6 weeks) and when we launch something new. Reply STOP anytime and we'll remove you.
Notice what's missing: no "you agree to receive communications from our partners," no tiny grey text. If the promise is clear, the people who say yes actually want the messages.
Record every opt-in
If a customer ever asks "why are you messaging me?", you should be able to answer in ten seconds. For each subscriber, keep:
Phone number (international format)
Date and time they opted in
Where (checkout, popup, chat, QR, ad)
What they agreed to (order updates, marketing, a single restock alert)
The exact wording they saw, or a version label for it
Shopify stores the checkout consent on the customer record. For chat and QR opt-ins, the conversation itself is the evidence, which is one reason a shared inbox beats staff phones. WhatFlow's team inbox keeps those threads in one place with no seat fees, on Meta's official WhatsApp Cloud API, so the record doesn't walk out the door with an employee, whether your team is two people or forty. Native Shopify segment sync in WhatFlow is coming soon; until then, make sure the list you broadcast to is built from the same consent you collected.
And opt-outs need the same care. A STOP has to stick across every tool that can message the customer. The opt-out process guide walks through it.
Mistakes that shrink your list (or get you blocked)
Importing old phone numbers. A number from a 2023 COD order isn't a marketing opt-in.
Bundling. "Order updates and offers" in one checkbox. Split them.
Hiding the frequency. People tolerate a lot if they knew it was coming.
Asking before helping in chat. It reads as a sales tactic, because it is one.
Never sending. A list that hears nothing for four months forgets who you are. Plan a sensible cadence before you start collecting.
Once the list is growing, measure it properly. The guide to WhatsApp opt-in rate shows how to calculate it per source so you know which of these six points is actually working for your store.
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Templates, COD confirmation, Shopify Flow automations and a shared team inbox with no seat fees. Every feature is included on every plan, including Free.
If you only do one thing, turn on the WhatsApp checkbox at checkout, unticked, with clear wording. If you do two, add a chat button and ask happy chatters for permission after you've solved their problem. Those two cover buyers and browsers, and both produce opt-ins you can stand behind. WhatFlow's Free plan includes templates, broadcasts, the inbox and the chat button, so you can run the whole loop before paying anything; current allowances are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need opt-in to send WhatsApp marketing messages from my Shopify store?
Yes. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy requires opt-in before a business sends messages, and Meta's opt-in guidance says the customer must be told your business name and that they're agreeing to receive messages from you.
Can I add a WhatsApp marketing checkbox to Shopify checkout?
Yes. As of November 2026, Shopify's checkout settings include a WhatsApp option in the Marketing opt-in section that you can set to Checkout only, and you can pick the regions where it shows instead of the SMS checkbox.
Does a customer messaging my store on WhatsApp count as marketing opt-in?
No. A customer message opens a 24-hour customer service window for replies, but it isn't permission to send them promotions later. Ask them explicitly, and record the answer.
Should the WhatsApp opt-in checkbox be pre-ticked?
No. Leave it unticked. A pre-ticked box produces a bigger list of people who never really chose it, and those are the people who block you.
What should a WhatsApp opt-in message say?
Name your store, say the messages arrive on WhatsApp, say what kind of messages they'll get and roughly how often, and tell them how to stop.
