Shopify × WhatsApp
Cross-sell on WhatsApp, straight from Shopify.
Shopify's segment of past buyers event starts a Nonito flow that sends the customer a WhatsApp message, in English or Arabic, and attributes every order that follows. WhatsApp is where customers in Egypt and the Gulf already read their messages, and it carries buttons, images and replies.
What the flow uses from Shopify.
Nonito receives orders, abandoned checkouts, customers, products and collections from Shopify. For this flow it listens for one event and uses a handful of fields from it. Discount codes are created in your Shopify store, one per customer, with the expiry you set.
| From Shopify | What it is for |
|---|---|
Segment of past buyersShopify orders | Built from Shopify order history: who bought what, and how long ago. |
| Purchase history | What each person has bought. Without it there is nothing to recommend from. |
| Email address | This flow carries images and several products, which is an email job. |
| Catalogue tags | How your products relate to each other. A well-tagged small catalogue beats a messy large one. |
| Stock levels | So you do not recommend something nobody can buy. Optional. |
| Browsing behaviour | Sharpens the pick where you have it. Optional. |
The flow, as it sits in the builder.
Take a segment, work out what each person should buy next from what they already bought, and send it.
WhatsApp version, one product only
Hi Nour Most people who bought the Classic Tote come back for the Leather Card Holder. yourstore.com/holder
A WhatsApp template to copy.
Use them as they are or rewrite them in your voice. The variables in braces are filled from Shopify at send time.
WhatsApp version, one product onlyEnglish
Hi {{first_name}}
Most people who bought the {{product_name}} come back for the {{recommended_product}}.
{{product_link}}Only use this for a single obvious pairing. Anything needing comparison belongs in email.
Every message in this flow, with the reasoning behind each one: Cross-sell & Recommendations in the flow library →
How to set up cross-sell on WhatsApp from Shopify
Connect your Shopify store
Sign up, enter your store domain and approve access in Shopify. Orders, checkouts, customers and products start flowing in, and nothing is exported by hand.
Connect WhatsApp
Bring your WhatsApp Business number or set one up through Nonito. Templates are written in English and Arabic and submitted to Meta for you.
Then build the flow
- Open Cross-sell & Recommendations in the flow library and choose Segment of past buyers from Shopify as the trigger.
- Swap the message node for WhatsApp and paste one of the templates on this page.
- Map the variables in braces to the Shopify fields they name.
- Send a test to your own number and check every variable fills.
- Turn it on. Every order that follows a message is attributed back to this flow in the dashboard, so you can see what it earned.
Where this goes wrong
- Recommendations are only as good as your tagging. If products are not related to each other in the catalogue, the picks will look random.
- A segment that never refreshes turns into a static list, and the same people get the same email repeatedly.
- This is the newest flow here. There is no production data behind it yet, and the page says so.
Meta charges per delivered template message, and the rate depends on the country. WhatsApp API pricing by country →
Questions Shopify teams ask about this.
Can Nonito run cross-sell on WhatsApp from Shopify?
Yes. Shopify's segment of past buyers event starts the flow, and Nonito sends the WhatsApp message with the customer's details filled in from Shopify. It runs on its own once switched on.
Which Shopify event starts it?
Segment of past buyers. Built from Shopify order history: who bought what, and how long ago.
Do I need a WhatsApp Business API account first?
No. You can bring an existing WhatsApp Business number, or Nonito sets up the API connection and submits your templates to Meta for approval during onboarding. Approval is usually the only thing you wait on.
Can the messages go out in Arabic?
Yes. A Language node sends Arabic speakers the Arabic template and everyone else the English one, using the language on the Shopify customer record.
Why email rather than WhatsApp?
Merchandising needs room: several products, images, a bit of story. WhatsApp carries the transactional moments; email carries the longer sell.
How good are the recommendations on a small catalogue?
They lean on tags and collections, so a small well-tagged catalogue often performs better than a large messy one. The tagging is the work.
Related
Cross-sell from Odoo
The same flow, started by Odoo instead of Shopify.
Odoo version →Cross-sell on Email
The same Shopify event, sent as Email.
Shopify Email →Order confirmation on WhatsApp
A WhatsApp message the moment an order is placed, asking the customer to confirm it before you pack anything.
See the flow →Put cross-sell on WhatsApp live.
Start on the free plan and connect Shopify, or book a call and we will set the first flow up with you.