WooCommerce WhatsApp Order Notifications Setup

Customers should never have to wonder whether their order went through. A well-timed WhatsApp message can confirm the purchase, share the next step, and give the buyer an easy way to ask a question. This guide shows you how to set up WooCommerce WhatsApp order notifications with SharkSMS: the exact plugin, the real merge tags, and the order statuses worth messaging. Every setting and tag below was checked against the shipping plugin, so the templates work when you paste them in.

What are WooCommerce WhatsApp order notifications?

WooCommerce WhatsApp order notifications are messages sent automatically when an order reaches a meaningful point in its journey: received, processing, completed, refunded, and so on. They are operational updates, not a marketing channel. Because WhatsApp is a conversational app, a customer can reply to an order message and reach a real person, which is why so many small stores prefer it for post-purchase communication over email that sits unread.

SharkSMS supports this through a downloadable WooCommerce plugin for WordPress. The plugin hooks into your store's order status changes and sends each update through your SharkSMS account, either as an SMS or from a linked WhatsApp account. You choose the channel, the statuses, and the wording.

Person working on a laptop while holding a smartphone, checking an order update — Photo by RDNE Stock project. Pexels.

Why WhatsApp works for order updates

Open rates for transactional messages are high across channels, but WhatsApp adds two things email cannot: near-instant read behaviour and a natural reply path. When a shopper can answer "Where is my parcel?" in the same thread that told them it shipped, you cut support tickets and build trust. SharkSMS keeps SMS and linked WhatsApp messaging in one dashboard, so you can run order notifications, contacts, templates, and schedules from a single place. See the full platform features for how messaging, automation, and the API fit together, and use cases for how stores combine order alerts with webhook replies.

Ready to try it? Create a SharkSMS account and link a WhatsApp number before you install the plugin.

Smartphone in hand showing a messaging conversation — Photo by Kindel Media. Pexels.

Before you start: what you need

A working WordPress site with WooCommerce installed and orders flowing.
A SharkSMS account with a linked WhatsApp account (you will need its WhatsApp Account ID).
An API key from your SharkSMS dashboard with the correct permissions (covered below).
A short list of the order statuses you actually want to message on.

WooCommerce moves every order through a defined set of statuses (pending, on-hold, processing, completed, cancelled, refunded, failed). It helps to review the official WooCommerce order statuses reference so you know exactly what each one means before you decide which ones trigger a customer message.

How to set up WooCommerce WhatsApp order notifications

Here is the concrete, supported path from a blank store to a tested WhatsApp order notification.

Download the plugin. Sign in to your SharkSMS dashboard and download the WooCommerce plugin (a standard WordPress plugin .zip). This is generated for your installation.
Install it in WordPress. Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, choose the .zip, install, and activate. A new settings page appears under Settings.
Create an API key. In SharkSMS, open Dashboard > Tools and create an API key. Grant it the send_sms and wa_send permissions. The plugin will not send WhatsApp messages without wa_send, so double-check both are enabled.
Paste the API key into the plugin's API Key field on the main settings tab.
Set Sending Service to WhatsApp. The Sending Service dropdown offers SMS or WhatsApp. Choose WhatsApp.
Enter the WhatsApp Account ID. Fill the WhatsApp Account ID field with the ID of the linked WhatsApp account you want to send from. (The Device Unique ID, Gateway Unique ID, and SIM Slot fields are for the SMS service only and can be left blank.)
Set a default country. This is used to normalise mobile numbers when a customer's country is missing at checkout.
Choose customer statuses. On the Customer Settings tab, tick the order statuses that should notify the buyer, then edit the message for each one.
Choose admin statuses (optional). On the Admin Settings tab, add one or more mobile numbers and pick which statuses alert you or your team about new orders.
Send a test order. Place a real test order and move it through each status you enabled. Confirm the message arrives, the details are correct, and a reply reaches someone.

Support agent wearing a headset ready to answer customer replies — Photo by cottonbro studio. Pexels.

The real merge tags (verified)

The plugin replaces bracketed merge tags with live order data at send time. Use the exact tags below. Invented placeholders such as [Name] or [Tracking Link] will be sent to the customer as literal text, so copy these carefully.

Merge tag	What it inserts
`[shop_name]`	Your store name
`[shop_email]`	Store admin email
`[shop_url]`	Store website URL
`[order_id]`	The order number
`[order_status]`	Current order status
`[order_currency]`	Order currency
`[order_amount]`	Order total
`[order_product]`	Product names in the order
`[order_product_with_qty]`	Products with quantities
`[billing_first_name]`	Customer first name
`[billing_last_name]`	Customer last name
`[billing_phone]`	Customer phone
`[billing_email]`	Customer email
`[payment_method]`	Chosen payment method
`[billing_address]`	Billing address line
`[billing_city]`	Billing city
`[billing_state]`	Billing state or region
`[billing_postcode]`	Billing postcode
`[billing_country]`	Billing country
`[billing_company]`	Billing company

Two extra notes from the plugin behaviour. For customer messages on pending, on-hold, or processing orders, a [bank_details] tag expands to your configured bank transfer information, which is useful for stores that accept direct bank payment. And if your checkout has custom billing fields, the plugin exposes each one as its own [field_name] tag. There is no built-in tracking-link tag, so add courier tracking URLs as plain text or through a custom field.

Order status message templates

Each of these uses only real tags, so you can paste them straight into the matching status field. Keep them short and factual. WhatsApp order messages read best when they state the store, the order, the status, and one next action.

Order received (pending)

Hi [billing_first_name], [shop_name] received your order [order_id]. We will message you again when it moves to the next stage. Reply here if you have any questions.

Processing

[shop_name]: good news, order [order_id] is now [order_status]. We are preparing [order_product] and will let you know when it ships.

Completed

Hi [billing_first_name], your [shop_name] order [order_id] is [order_status]. Total paid: [order_currency] [order_amount] via [payment_method]. Thank you, and reply here if anything is wrong.

Refunded or cancelled

[shop_name]: order [order_id] is now [order_status]. If you expected a different outcome, reply to this message and a member of our team will help.

For the admin alert on new orders, the plugin's default template is a good starting point: [shop_name]: You have a new order with order ID [order_id] and order amount [order_currency] [order_amount]. The order is now [order_status].

Keep transactional and promotional messages separate

An order update should stay focused on the order. Mixing a discount code into a shipping confirmation erodes trust and can breach messaging rules. WhatsApp's own Business Messaging Policy draws a firm line between service messages the customer expects and marketing they must opt in to. If you want to send offers later, collect consent separately and keep it documented, in line with privacy regimes such as the GDPR. Treat the order thread as a service channel first.

Parcel carefully packed in a box with protective wood wool, ready to ship — Photo by Kindel Media. Pexels.

Testing, deliverability, and troubleshooting

Most setup problems come down to a handful of causes. Work through them in order before assuming the plugin is at fault.

No message at all: check the API key has both send_sms and wa_send permissions, and that Sending Service is set to WhatsApp with a valid WhatsApp Account ID.
Message shows literal tags: you used an invented tag. Replace it with one from the verified table above.
Wrong or missing phone number: confirm the customer entered a mobile at checkout and that your default country is set, so short local numbers normalise to an international format.
Message on the wrong status: revisit the Customer Settings tab and untick statuses you do not want to message on. You rarely need all seven.
No reply reaching you: the sending WhatsApp account must be monitored. Pair it with webhooks so inbound replies flow into your own systems.

Always run test orders through every enabled status before you switch notifications on for live customers. It is the single most effective way to catch a broken tag or a status you did not mean to message on.

Online-store owner using a phone to photograph a product for the shop — Photo by Polina Tankilevitch. Pexels.

Why use SharkSMS for order notifications?

SharkSMS combines SMS and linked WhatsApp messaging with contacts, templates, schedules, a REST API, webhooks, and this WooCommerce plugin. That means a small store can send order updates on the channel each customer expects while keeping every conversation in one dashboard. If you later want to trigger messages from other events, the same account exposes a full messaging API and webhooks, so order notifications are just the first automation you build, not the last.

WooCommerce WhatsApp order notifications FAQ

What should a WhatsApp order notification include?

Your store name ([shop_name]), the order reference ([order_id]), the current status ([order_status]), and one clear next action. Avoid sending unnecessary personal or payment data.

Can I send both WhatsApp and SMS from the same plugin?

Each plugin configuration sends through a single selected service, either SMS or WhatsApp, not both for the same order. The SharkSMS platform supports both channels, so you can pick the one your customers expect, but do not expect one plugin setup to dual-send automatically.

Which order statuses can trigger a message?

Pending, on-hold, processing, completed, cancelled, refunded, and failed. You choose which ones notify the customer and which ones alert your admin, independently.

Do I need a specific API key permission?

Yes. The API key must include send_sms and wa_send. Without wa_send, WhatsApp messages will not go out.

What should I test before going live?

Place test orders for each status you enabled, verify the customer details and any links, and confirm someone is watching the WhatsApp account to answer replies.

Turn order updates into conversations customers trust. Create a SharkSMS account, link a WhatsApp number, and connect your WooCommerce store today.

WooCommerce WhatsApp Order Notifications: Setup and Templates