WhatsApp AI for Shopify: Your Store AI on the World's Biggest Messenger

Answer WhatsApp messages automatically with your Shopify store's on-brand AI. Connected through the WhatsApp Cloud API, your number stays yours, replies stay grounded in your store.

•Published August 28, 2026

Meet customers where they already message

In many markets, WhatsApp is the default way customers talk to businesses. Flyweight brings your store's on-brand AI to WhatsApp, so it can answer customer questions automatically, grounded in the same Knowledge Graph that powers your storefront chat.

Beta: WhatsApp is rolling out now. Apply in the Flyweight app under Setup → Channels → Apply to join the Beta.

What you need

A Meta Business Manager with your business details filled in.
A phone number that is not already on WhatsApp. It can't already be used with the regular WhatsApp app, WhatsApp Business, or another platform, so most brands set up a dedicated number for their AI.

We cover the full setup, including how to get a number, in the channels setup guide.

Connected through the Cloud API, the right way

Flyweight connects WhatsApp through Meta's Cloud API, using the Facebook for Business connector. That matters for a few reasons:

Your WhatsApp Business Account stays yours. It lives in your Business Manager and is owned by your business. If you ever switch tools, you're not stuck behind a middleman controlling your number.
Customer-initiated conversations keep things simple. When a customer messages you first, Meta opens a 24-hour service window and your AI replies inside it, with no template approval needed.
The same AI, the same voice. No second bot to train. No duplicate knowledge base to maintain.

A note on Meta's pricing

Meta is in the middle of a pricing change for WhatsApp. Today, service replies inside the 24-hour window are not charged. From 1 October 2026, Meta starts charging per message for service messages sent inside that window, based on its usual market rates. Proactive marketing campaigns work differently again, with approved templates and per-message billing, and those are on our roadmap rather than available today. Always check Meta's pricing page for your markets. The setup guide breaks down the model in plain English.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my existing phone number?

Only if it is not already registered with WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business or another platform. Most brands use a dedicated number for their AI to avoid conflicts.

Does Flyweight own my WhatsApp number?

No. Your WhatsApp Business Account stays in your own Business Manager. You grant Flyweight access through the Cloud API connector, and you can revoke it whenever you want.

Can the AI send marketing campaigns on WhatsApp?

Not today. Right now the AI replies to customers who message you first. Proactive WhatsApp marketing uses approved templates billed by Meta and is on our roadmap.

WhatsApp is one of the Flyweight channels. The same AI also powers your AI chatbot for Shopify, Instagram, Messenger and Ticket AI.