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What is Commerce?

What is Commerce?​

Commerce turns your WhatsApp number into a small shop. Your products live in a catalog on Meta, and Waplify lets you put them inside a normal WhatsApp conversation - a single product, a short list you picked by hand, or your whole catalog.

Customers browse without leaving the chat. They add things to a cart and send it to you as an order. You see it in Waplify, keep them updated, and - where WhatsApp supports it - take the payment in the same conversation.

Nobody has to open a website, create an account, or download anything.

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Commerce is switched on per account by the Waplify team. It is not part of a plan you can upgrade to yourself, and it stays hidden in the menu until it is enabled. If you want it, contact support and ask for Commerce to be turned on.

What you can do with it​

What it means
Product catalogConnect the catalog you already keep on Meta. Waplify reads it - you keep managing products in Meta's Commerce Manager.
Product messagesSend one product, a hand-picked list, or a button that opens your full catalog.
Cart ordersA customer fills a cart in the chat and sends it. It arrives in Waplify as an order.
PaymentsSend an Order details message so the customer pays inside WhatsApp. The button they tap says Review and Pay. Availability depends on your country and your WhatsApp account.
Order updatesSend an Order status message when you confirm, ship, or cancel.
AutomationDo all of the above from a chatbot flow, so it runs without you.

Where to find it​

Once Commerce is enabled, Commerce appears in the left menu. Inside it you get:

  • Dashboard - orders and revenue at a glance
  • Products - what Waplify can see in your connected catalog
  • Orders - carts customers have sent you
  • Payments - payments captured through WhatsApp
  • Settings - connect your catalog and set up your order templates

What you need before you start​

  1. A connected WhatsApp number in Waplify. See Connect Your WhatsApp Number.
  2. A product catalog on Meta, in the same Business account as your WhatsApp number.
  3. Commerce enabled on your Waplify account by support.
  4. For taking payment in the chat, WhatsApp payments approved by Meta for your number. This is not available everywhere - see Payments & Order Status.

Where to go next​

Tips & best practices​

  • Get the catalog right first. Everything else reads from it. A product with no image or a vague title looks exactly as bad inside WhatsApp as it does anywhere else.
  • Start with one product message to yourself before you put it in a campaign. It is the fastest way to see what customers will actually see.
  • Keep prices and stock current in Meta. Waplify shows what your catalog says, so an out-of-date catalog sells out-of-date products.
  • Payments are not required. Plenty of businesses use Commerce just to show products and receive carts, then take payment however they already do.

Frequently asked questions​

Do I need a website or an online store?​

No. The catalog lives on Meta and the conversation happens in WhatsApp. If you already have a store, you can still keep it - the catalog can be fed from it.

Why can't I see Commerce in my menu?​

It is switched on per account by the Waplify team. If it is not enabled, the menu item is hidden entirely. Contact support to ask for it.

Do I manage products inside Waplify?​

No. Products are created and edited in Meta Commerce Manager. Waplify reads your catalog so it can show products in messages and match them to orders.

Can customers pay inside WhatsApp?​

Sometimes. It depends on the country and on Meta approving payments for your WhatsApp number. If it is not approved, you can still take orders and collect payment your usual way. See Payments & Order Status.

Does this work with campaigns and chatbots?​

Yes. Product messages can be sent from a campaign, from the inbox by hand, or from a flow.