A WhatsApp catalog turns a conversation into a shop counter. Instead of typing product names and prices every time someone asks "what do you have?", you send product cards with a photo, name and price, and the customer orders in the same chat.
This guide walks through getting product data ready, connecting it to your WhatsApp number, and making sure an order agreed in chat is actually recorded.
What a catalog does in a WhatsApp conversation
- Shows products as cards with an image, name and price, instead of a wall of text.
- Lets your team or an AI assistant send exactly the product a customer asked about.
- Keeps prices consistent, because everyone sends from the same source instead of memory.
- Gives the AI real data to answer "is it available in blue?" or "what is the price of the large one?".
Step 1: Get your product data ready
At minimum each product needs a clear name, a price and a good photo. Add categories (so you can send "all shoes" rather than one item), variants such as sizes and colours, and paid extras where they apply.
A common problem with synced catalogs is that each size or colour is stored as a separate product, so one shirt appears fifteen times. Merge those into one product with variants before customers see it.
Step 2: Bring the products in
- From your store: Xenwap syncs products from Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento, so you are not typing the catalog twice.
- From a spreadsheet: import a file of products if you do not run an online store.
- By hand: fine for a small menu or a shop with a few dozen items.
Step 3: Use it in conversations
Once the catalog is in, your team can send a product card from the inbox, and the AI assistant can answer from the same data. When a customer asks "do you have this in stock?", the answer comes from the catalog rather than a guess.
Step 4: Record the order, not just the chat
The step most businesses skip is capturing the order properly. A "yes, send it" in a chat is not an order record. Log the order with its items, total, delivery address and payment method, so it shows up in reports and can be confirmed, dispatched and tracked. For restaurants and shops with delivery, the WhatsApp ordering system adds branches, delivery zones and a live order board.
Step 5: Confirm cash-on-delivery orders
If you ship cash on delivery, ask the customer to confirm before dispatch. It is the cheapest way to cut fake orders and returns. See how to stop fake COD orders.
Common mistakes
- Photos taken on a cluttered table. Customers judge the product by the card.
- Prices that are not updated when the store changes them. Sync, or check weekly.
- Sending the whole catalog to someone who asked about one product. Send what they asked for.
- No person watching the replies. A catalog card often gets a question back.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sync my Shopify products to WhatsApp?
Yes. Xenwap syncs products from Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento. Orders sync from Shopify and WooCommerce.
Do I need a website to have a WhatsApp catalog?
No. You can add products by hand or import them from a spreadsheet.
Can the chatbot answer questions about my products?
Yes. The AI assistant answers from your catalog, including prices and variants, and hands over to a person for anything it cannot answer.