AI Marketing
Unified Messaging for Shopify
A public Shopify app that brings a proprietary messaging API into the ecosystem, opening a new customer acquisition channel for merchants.
- Munich, Germany
- 2025
Outcomes
- 3 (WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram)
- Channels in one inbox
- Removed — inbox sits in the Shopify admin
- Context switching
- Handled by pre-approved templates
- WhatsApp's 24-hour window
The Vision & Challenge
A B2B software provider had a powerful unified messaging API, allowing businesses to manage conversations across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Telegram. Their primary market, however, was disconnected from one of the largest potential user bases- e-commerce merchants. These merchants needed to speak with customers on various platforms but were reluctant to adopt tools that pulled them away from their central workspace, the Shopify dashboard.
The core friction was context switching. To answer a customer query, a store owner would have to leave the Shopify admin, find the right conversation in a separate application, and then toggle back to view order details. This workflow was inefficient and created opportunities for delayed responses or lost sales. The client’s technology solved the messaging part of the problem, but it did not solve the workflow part.
Our task was to bridge this gap by embedding the client’s service directly into the merchant's environment. We were responsible for the design and development of a public Shopify application from the ground up. The work involved navigating two complex API ecosystems, handling secure authentication for thousands of potential users, and building an interface that felt native to the platform it served.
The challenge
- Securely authenticating merchants and synchronizing data between the client's existing platform and Shopify's API required a carefully designed architecture.
- Adhering to the distinct and stringent communication policies of multiple platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger within a single interface.
- Developing a user experience that felt native to the Shopify environment, while meeting the platform's strict requirements for a public app store listing.
How we solved it
- We utilized Shopify's OAuth protocol for secure authentication and built a Laravel-based service to act as a durable bridge between the two platforms.
- A dedicated template management system was developed, allowing merchants to create and deploy pre-approved WhatsApp messages to navigate platform-specific rules.
- The user interface was built with React and Shopify's own Polaris design system to ensure a consistent look and feel, supported by a containerized architecture for reliable performance.
Technologies used
Front-end
- JavaScript
- ReactJS
- HTML5
- CSS3
Back-end
- PHP
- Laravel
DevOps
- Linux
- Docker
- Github CI
- Digital Ocean
Database
- MySQL
Unified Conversation Inbox
We routed all incoming messages from WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger into a single, clean inbox located directly within the Shopify admin. This gives merchants a central hub for all customer communication, positioned right next to their orders and customer data. By eliminating the need to switch between applications, merchants can respond faster and with more context, improving the quality of their support.
Compliant Message Templates
To operate within WhatsApp's business policies, particularly the 24-hour response window, we built a system for creating and managing pre-approved message templates. Merchants can use this feature to send approved notifications, like shipping confirmations or back-in-stock alerts, to customers even after the standard reply window has closed. This ensures merchants can maintain contact while staying fully compliant with platform rules.
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