A WhatsApp order store keeps the conversation on WhatsApp and moves the order onto a checkout.
Buyers like WhatsApp because a person answers. Sellers lose hours on it because every order is assembled by hand: which item, which size, total, address, payment proof.
Split the two jobs. Let WhatsApp do the talking and let the store do the ordering.
Taking orders in chat vs through a store
| Question | Order typed in WhatsApp | Order placed on your store |
|---|---|---|
| Which product | 'The blue one from Tuesday's post' | The exact product and variant, with SKU |
| Total | You calculate it, delivery included | Calculated by the cart, coupons included |
| Address | Copied from a message into a courier form | Entered by the buyer, saved on the order |
| Payment proof | Screenshot in the chat | Gateway-confirmed, or COD under your rules |
| Order history | Scroll back through the chat | Every past order in one list, by buyer |
| When you are busy | Buyers wait | Buyers check out on their own |
Set up WhatsApp to send orders to your store
- Use the WhatsApp Business app on the number buyers already message
- Write a greeting message that includes your store link
- Save quick replies for 'price', 'COD?', 'delivery time' that end with a link
- Add your number (with +91) in the store's branding settings
- Turn on the floating chat button if you want it on every page
- Make WhatsApp status posts link to products, not just photos
What you get
A chat button that names the product
Buyers tap 'Enquire on WhatsApp' on a product and the chat opens with its name, SKU and link already typed — never a price.
Read more: A chat button that names the productSend a list, not ten photos
Pick products for one buyer and send one share link; they open it and add everything to the cart in a tap.
Read more: Send a list, not ten photos'Where is my order?' answered for you
Buyers get email updates as their order is confirmed, shipped and delivered, and can track it on your store with the order number and phone. Automatic WhatsApp updates are being built.
Read more: 'Where is my order?' answered for youCOD rules that hold
Chat buyers love COD. Limit it by order value or pincode, or ask for a small advance online.
Read more: COD rules that holdThe cards above are live illustrations of the product with sample data, not a real store.
How to run WhatsApp orders through a store
Put your catalogue on the store
Every product you discuss on WhatsApp needs a page with its own link — that link replaces the photo you used to forward.
Add your WhatsApp number
In the store admin, add your number with +91 in branding settings. Product pages now show the WhatsApp enquiry button.
Update your WhatsApp Business profile
Put the store link in your business profile and in the greeting message new chats receive.
Rewrite your quick replies
Change 'price is ₹X, send address' to 'here it is, pick your size and check out: <product link>'.
Send share links for big asks
When a buyer wants to see options, build a share link with the five products you would have photographed.
Stop confirming orders in chat
When an order lands in your admin, it already has the items, address and payment. Reply only if something needs clarifying.
Use status for launches
Post new arrivals to WhatsApp status with product links, so viewers can buy before they even message you.
Questions sellers ask
- Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?
- No. The enquiry and floating chat buttons use WhatsApp's free click-to-chat links, which work with any WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business number.
- Will Slaby send WhatsApp messages to my buyers?
- Once WhatsApp is set up on Slaby and you switch on order updates in Settings → Order alerts, buyers get a message when the order is confirmed, ships with a tracking link and is delivered, and can reply STOP. Order emails always go out, and you can message buyers yourself.
- Can buyers still order by chatting?
- Yes, nothing stops you. The difference is that you reply with a product link, and the buyer completes the order on the store instead of you writing it down.
- Does the WhatsApp button show my price?
- No. The message it pre-fills names the product, SKU and link, never a price, so a forwarded chat cannot spread a price you did not intend.
- What about buyers who only want COD?
- Offer COD on the store with the limits you choose. Turn on 'accept each COD order first' and new COD orders wait for you to accept them — call the buyer if unsure.
- Can I send one link with several products?
- Yes. Create a share link from the admin with the products and quantities you want, and send that one link.
- Should I keep my WhatsApp catalogue?
- You can, for browsing inside WhatsApp. Make sure each item there points to its store link so the order still lands on the store.
- What if a buyer cannot use the website?
- Stay on the chat while they place their first order — it takes a minute with the product link open. Most buyers check out on their own after that.