#What is Shopify's WhatsApp marketing consent field?
Shopify has long tracked email and SMS consent. In its 2026-07 API version it added WhatsApp. According to the Shopify developer changelog (checked 26 Oct 2026), consent can be managed through both the Customer Account and Admin APIs. The value is read from the CustomerPhoneNumber object, in a field called whatsAppMarketingConsent.
The same changelog names the mutation that changes it, customerWhatsAppMarketingConsentUpdate. Per Shopify's reference page, it lets an app subscribe or unsubscribe a customer, specify the opt-in level and record when and where consent was collected.
You do not need to use any of that as a store owner. What matters is that Shopify now has one official place where a customer's WhatsApp marketing choice lives. Apps that respect it, as Chirpoo does, stay in step with what the customer told your store. Developer-depth detail belongs in the API docs. This post covers what it means for you.
#What does Shopify require before marketing on WhatsApp?
Opt-in. Shopify's own WhatsApp marketing requirements page says it plainly.
You can send WhatsApp marketing messages only to customers who have explicitly opted in.
That page describes Shopify Messaging. The same rule is good practice anywhere. It matches the way WhatsApp works: a customer who did not ask for promotions will block you or report you, which hurts your quality rating with Meta. Our post on messaging limits and quality rating explains why that matters.
Shopify also lets you collect consent at checkout. Its checkout form options page (checked 26 Oct 2026) says you can allow customers to opt in to WhatsApp marketing with their phone number.
Order updates are different. They follow an order the customer placed. Marketing needs a clear yes. Our order updates post covers the first, and this post covers the second.
#How does Chirpoo sync consent with Shopify?
Chirpoo keeps a consent status on every contact, with one contact per phone number. It syncs marketing consent with Shopify in both directions.
- Shopify to Chirpoo. A customer ticks the WhatsApp opt-in at checkout. Their Chirpoo contact shows marketing opt-in. Broadcasts and Shopify marketing flows can now reach them.
- Chirpoo to Shopify. A customer replies STOP in the inbox. Chirpoo ends marketing to them and the change goes back to the Shopify customer record, so the next tool reading the store sees it too.
The point of a two-way sync is that nobody has to remember to update two systems. A person unsubscribed in one place is unsubscribed everywhere. Shopify's changelog says the consent applies to the customer's default phone number, and Chirpoo keeps one contact per phone number, so the same number is checked wherever it appears.
Nobody on your team edits consent by hand. Outside Shopify, the only other way in is the customer sending START, so if someone asks for offers in chat, ask them to send START. See contact tags and segments for how tags and consent fit together.
#How does STOP work?
A customer can end marketing in several ways, and Chirpoo treats each as opt-out: they send STOP, they send "band karo", or they use Meta's own opt-out. Chirpoo ends marketing sends to that contact straight away.
What STOP does not do is block everything. A customer who stops promotions still expects their order updates and their delivery tracking. Those are utility messages about an order they placed. The inbox keeps working as well. If they message you, you can answer within the 24-hour window.
Include a short opt-out line in marketing templates, such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe". Our post on STOP and opt-out in India covers the wording and the rules.
#Why do cart reminders need consent?
A cart reminder is not an update on something the customer bought. It nudges them to buy. That is promotion, and in the WhatsApp Business Platform, promotion is a marketing message.
Meta charges more for marketing, ₹0.8631 in India from 1 Oct 2026 against ₹0.115 for utility (Meta pricing, checked 17 Oct 2026). It also expects opt-in.
So Chirpoo sends cart reminders, two steps by default, only to contacts who have opted in. The consent field is the gate. Without it, nothing goes out. That protects both your quality rating and your customer's trust.
A simple way to grow the opted-in list: switch on the checkout WhatsApp opt-in in Shopify, add a line on your thank-you page, and ask customers who want offers in chat to send START. Read the abandoned cart guide for the full flow.
Set it up in this order:
- Turn on the WhatsApp marketing opt-in at checkout in Shopify.
- Connect the store to Chirpoo, so existing and new consent flow in.
- Check a few contacts to see their consent status.
- Only then switch on cart reminders and broadcasts.
For the full picture of what a store can send, see the WhatsApp for Shopify guide. If you are weighing other apps on how they handle consent and billing, the ranked list is a starting point.
Start free for 14 days and check how consent shows on your own contacts before you send a single promotion.
Frequently asked questions about Chirpoo and this topic
Is the whatsAppMarketingConsent field live for every store?
Shopify's changelog says the field arrived in API version 2026-07. It sits on the customer's phone number. Whether your checkout shows the opt-in depends on your region and settings, so check the checkout form options in your Shopify admin.
Can I message customers who never opted in?
Not with marketing. Order updates about an order they placed are a different category. For promotions, cart reminders and broadcasts, Chirpoo sends only to contacts who opted in, and it blocks marketing sends that lack consent.
What if a customer opts out in Shopify?
Chirpoo syncs consent both ways. When Shopify shows the customer as unsubscribed, marketing stops for that contact. When the customer replies STOP in WhatsApp, Chirpoo ends marketing sends and records it back to the store.
Does STOP also stop my order updates?
No. STOP ends marketing. Order confirmations and shipping updates are about a purchase the customer made, so they continue. The customer can also still message you and get a reply in the 24-hour window.