Take over your WooCommerce chats — right from WhatsApp.
Your AI handles the routine on your store. The moment a shopper needs a real person, Storebird pings you on WhatsApp — and you reply straight from there. What you type in WhatsApp appears live in the chat on your site. No other WooCommerce AI does this.
Every message here is real: the WhatsApp panel is the exact copy Storebird sends, and the site chat replays a real conversation on our WooCommerce store — the AI's own answer, then the owner's reply landing from WhatsApp.
You can't sit by the live chat all day
Most shopper questions the AI can answer on its own. But a few need a real person — a bulk quote, a tricky return, a nervous first-time buyer. Miss that moment and the shopper waits, or leaves. Watching a dashboard all day is not the answer. Getting a nudge on WhatsApp — where your phone already is — and replying in ten seconds, is.
Without it
A shopper asks for a human → nobody is watching the dashboard → they wait, get a canned "we'll email you," or close the tab and buy elsewhere.
With Storebird
Your WhatsApp buzzes → you tap "1" and answer from wherever you are → the reply lands in their chat in seconds → one tap hands it back to the AI.
How does WhatsApp handoff work?
Four steps — the same ones you can watch in the demo above. The AI handles the chat, WhatsApp pings you when it needs you, you reply from WhatsApp, and you hand it back with one tap.
Your AI handles the chat on your store
Storebird answers shopper questions in the chat widget on your WooCommerce site — product advice, order status, policies — 24/7, in any language.
A shopper needs a human — Storebird pings your WhatsApp
The moment someone asks to speak to a person (or you turn on the "new chat" alert), Storebird messages you on WhatsApp with who is waiting and their last message.
Reply from WhatsApp — it lands in the live site chat
Send "1" to take over, then just type. What you write in WhatsApp appears in real time in the shopper's chat on your site. They never leave your website; you never leave WhatsApp.
Hand it back to the AI with one tap
Send "/done" (or "/back") and the AI picks the conversation right back up. If you go quiet, Storebird hands it back automatically after about 15 minutes.
The customer never leaves your website, and you never leave WhatsApp.
Does the AI chat with customers on WhatsApp?
No — and we would rather be straight about it. The AI talks to shoppers in the chat on your website. WhatsApp is where you step in. That is the honest, and genuinely useful, version of "WhatsApp for WooCommerce."
Your pocket control room. Storebird messages you on WhatsApp when a shopper on your site needs a human, you take over and reply from the WhatsApp thread, and it lands in their chat on your website. One tap hands it back to the AI.
The message you actually get
"🙋 Jane on Wren & Co. would like to talk to a human. Their last message: “Can I get a bulk price on 50 units?” — Send 1 to take over, 2 to be reminded in 5 min, 3 to let the AI keep handling it."
It is not a customer-facing WhatsApp bot. Shoppers do not message your WhatsApp number, and the AI does not answer people inside WhatsApp. The conversation lives on your website; WhatsApp is your side of it — the alert, and the place you take over from. If you want an AI that sells on your site and lets you jump in from your phone, this is exactly that. If you wanted a bot that replies to customers on WhatsApp, that is a different product.
What makes the handoff feel effortless
Every one of these is how Storebird actually works under the hood — not a marketing promise.
An instant ping — not another dashboard to watch
Two alerts, and only two: a new chat starts, or a shopper asks for a human. No order spam, no cart notifications. You get the message where you already look all day — WhatsApp.
Your reply lands live in the site chat
Type in WhatsApp and it appears in real time in the shopper's chat on your website, as you. No copy-paste, no logging into a dashboard, no keeping the customer waiting.
One tap back to the AI
Send "/done" to finish and hand the conversation back to the AI, or "/back" to let it continue. Forget to close it? The bridge quietly hands back to the AI after ~15 minutes idle.
No WhatsApp Business API to set up
Storebird runs the official Meta WhatsApp Business number for you. You do not register a number, get anything approved, or install another app — you verify your own everyday WhatsApp with a code and you are done.
Built for multiple stores
Each website gets its own verified number, so a portfolio of shops routes cleanly. Handling several chats at once? Swipe-to-reply or start with the chat's #tag to answer the right person.
Photos come through both ways
A shopper who attaches a photo? It relays into your WhatsApp. Need to send an image or a PDF back? It flows straight into the site chat. The handoff carries more than plain text.
Live on your store in three steps
- 1
Connect WooCommerce
Install the free plugin and connect — a 5-minute, click-through setup. Your keys stay on your store.
- 2
Add & verify your WhatsApp number
In Settings → WhatsApp, add your everyday number and enter the code we send. No Business API, no new app.
- 3
Turn on your alerts
Flip on "new chat" and "human handoff." Done — the next shopper who needs you pings your WhatsApp.
The questions store owners ask first
Do I need a WhatsApp Business account?
No. Storebird runs the official Meta number for you — you just verify your own WhatsApp with a code.
Will it spam me?
Only two alerts exist: a new chat, or a shopper asking for a human. No order or cart noise.
What if I miss the ping?
The AI keeps handling the chat, and if you take over then go quiet, it hands back automatically after ~15 min.
Does my customer see WhatsApp?
No. They stay in the chat on your site; your WhatsApp reply simply appears there as you.
Not a WhatsApp button. A WhatsApp takeover.
A click-to-chat plugin sends the customer off your site into an empty WhatsApp window. Storebird keeps them on your store and brings only the chats that need you into your pocket — with context.
The same live-Woo brain store owners already trust
The AI that handles the chat before it ever reaches your WhatsApp is the same WooCommerce brain running in Storebird today — on real stores, at real catalog scale. Reviews are public on WordPress.org.
"Het is niet zomaar een chatbot, maar een goed getrainde assistent die écht meedenkt en actief helpt bij het oplossen van klantvragen. En dat binnen een webshop met meer dan 15.000 artikelen — dat is echt indrukwekkend."
Handles the routine, hands you the rest"Storebird synced my entire product catalog (1,200+ products) within minutes. 'Where is my order?' emails dropped by around 70%."
One brain, every channel
See the AI that handles the chat before it reaches your WhatsApp — and the same live-Woo brain on email and order questions.
Included on Pro and higher
New-chat WhatsApp alerts come with every paid plan. The full human-handoff — taking over and replying from WhatsApp — is on Pro. Your 14-day Pro trial is the door to it, no credit card to start.
WooCommerce WhatsApp handoff — FAQ
How does Storebird's WhatsApp feature work?
Your AI handles the chat on your WooCommerce site. When a shopper needs a real person, Storebird pings you on WhatsApp with the conversation. You send "1" to take over and just type — your reply appears live in the chat on your site. Send "/done" to hand it back to the AI. WhatsApp is your control channel; the customer stays on your website the whole time.
Does the AI answer customers on WhatsApp?
No — and this is the honest part. The AI chats with shoppers on your website. WhatsApp is where YOU step in and take over. It is not a customer-facing WhatsApp bot, and shoppers do not message your WhatsApp number. Think of WhatsApp as your pocket control room for the chats already happening on your store.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API or a separate number?
No. Storebird operates the official Meta WhatsApp Business number for you, so there is nothing to register or get approved. You simply add your own everyday WhatsApp number in settings and confirm the verification code we send. That is the entire setup on the WhatsApp side.
How do I connect WhatsApp to my WooCommerce store?
Install the free Storebird plugin and connect WooCommerce, then in Settings → WhatsApp add your phone number and enter the verification code we send. Turn on the "new chat" and "human handoff" alerts, and the next chat pings your WhatsApp. It takes a couple of minutes.
Can I reply to my site's live chat from WhatsApp?
Yes — that is the whole point. Once you take over, everything you type in WhatsApp is delivered in real time into the shopper's chat on your website, sent as you. There is no separate app and no dashboard to open; you answer from the WhatsApp thread you are already in.
What happens when a customer asks for a human?
Storebird sends you a WhatsApp message with the shopper's name, their last message, and quick options: "1" to take over, "2" to be reminded in 5 minutes, or "3" to let the AI keep handling it. Tap "1" and you are chatting with the customer straight from WhatsApp.
Can I hand the conversation back to the AI?
Yes. Send "/done" to finish and return the chat to the AI, or "/back" to let it carry on. If the conversation goes quiet on your end, Storebird automatically hands it back to the AI after about 15 minutes so no shopper is ever left hanging.
Does it work with multiple stores or several chats at once?
Yes. Each website connects its own verified number, so a portfolio of stores stays cleanly separated. When several shoppers are waiting, reply to the exact person by swiping to reply on their message, or by starting your message with their #tag.
Is my WooCommerce and customer data safe?
Your store keys stay on your WooCommerce and your product and order data is read live from your store when needed — it is not copied into WhatsApp. WhatsApp only carries the handoff conversation itself (the shopper's message and your reply) over Meta's official WhatsApp Business API.
How is this different from a WhatsApp click-to-chat button or plugin?
A click-to-chat plugin opens an empty WhatsApp window and makes the customer start over with no context, off your website. Storebird keeps the shopper in the chat on your site, lets your AI handle the routine, and brings only the conversations that need you into your WhatsApp — with the full context — so you can take over and hand back seamlessly.
What does it cost and which plan includes it?
New-chat WhatsApp alerts are included on every paid plan. The full human-handoff — taking over and replying from WhatsApp — is on the Pro plan (and higher). Your 14-day Pro trial is the way in: connect your store and the next handoff pings your phone.
Which messages trigger a WhatsApp notification?
Exactly two, both of which you control with a toggle: "New chat started" (a visitor sends their first message) and "Human handoff requested" (a shopper asks for a person, or the AI decides it needs you). There are no order, cart or marketing notifications — WhatsApp stays a signal, not noise.
Give every shopper a human when they need one — without being chained to your desk
Connect WooCommerce, verify your WhatsApp, and take over your next chat from your phone. The only WooCommerce AI you can run from WhatsApp.