If you’ve been looking for a seamless way to grow your WhatsApp subscriber list, Shopify’s latest checkout enhancement is a game‑changer. The new "Collect WhatsApp marketing consent at checkout" option lets merchants capture explicit opt‑ins the moment a customer completes a purchase, opening a direct channel for promotions, order updates, and personalized outreach.
What’s New? Collecting WhatsApp Consent at Checkout
Shopify has added a toggle in the Checkout settings that, when enabled, displays a checkbox for customers to agree to receive marketing messages via WhatsApp. The consent is stored alongside the order, and merchants can export or sync the data with their WhatsApp Business API or third‑party marketing tools. This eliminates the need for separate landing pages or post‑purchase emails to ask for consent.
Who Needs to Pay Attention?
• Merchants: Anyone using Shopify Payments or a custom checkout flow can turn the feature on with a single click. It’s especially valuable for brands that already use WhatsApp for customer service or promotions.
• Developers & Theme Builders: While the consent UI is native to Shopify, developers may need to adjust custom checkout extensions, Liquid snippets, or apps that interact with order metadata to ensure the new consent field is correctly read and passed downstream.
How to Enable the Consent Toggle in Checkout Settings
The setting is stored in the store’s checkout configuration and does not require any code changes to appear for shoppers. However, you may want to style the label or add a brief tooltip—both are possible with a few lines of Liquid.
Technical Checklist for Developers
a. Expose the consent flag in the order payload
When an order is created, Shopify adds a boolean field checkout_attributes.whatsapp_marketing_consent (or similar) to the webhook payload. Make sure any order‑processing webhook, API integration, or custom app reads this flag.
{
"id": 123456789,
"checkout_attributes": {
"whatsapp_marketing_consent": true
}
}
b. Update Liquid themes (if you render order details)
If you have a custom "Thank you" page that displays order metadata, you can surface the consent status:
liquid
{% if order.checkout_attributes.whatsapp_marketing_consent %}
<p>✅ You’ve opted in to receive WhatsApp updates.</p>
{% endif %}
c. Sync with WhatsApp Business API
Most merchants use a middleware (e.g., Zapier, Integromat, or a custom Node.js service) to push new opt‑ins to WhatsApp. The new consent field means you can trigger the API call only when whatsapp_marketing_consent is true, keeping your contact list clean and compliant.
js
if (order.checkout_attributes.whatsapp_marketing_consent) {
await whatsappClient.addContact({
phone: order.phone,
name: order.customer.first_name,
opt_in_source: 'checkout'
});
}
Best Practices for Using WhatsApp Opt‑Ins
Next Steps & Resources
Ready to turn every purchase into a direct conversation? Activate WhatsApp consent now, update your integrations, and start nurturing leads where they’re already chatting. If you need help customizing your checkout or syncing contacts, reach out to a Shopify Expert or drop a comment below!
