Connect Salla to WhatsApp Business: Order Alerts & Cart Recovery 2026
A practical guide to connecting a Salla store to WhatsApp Business: install the Watily app, link your number officially, enable order alerts and a cart sequence, then test.
In this article
- Key takeaways
- What you need before connecting Salla to WhatsApp Business
- How to connect Salla to WhatsApp Business with the Watily app
- Enabling order-status alerts
- Abandoned-cart sequence: timing and coupon logic
- E-invoices on WhatsApp (ZATCA)
- Review requests and loyalty after purchase
- Testing the connection before launch
- Troubleshooting common issues
- How Watily helps
- Frequently Asked Questions
To connect Salla to WhatsApp Business, install the Watily app from the Salla App Store, open it inside your store dashboard with no new account, and link your business WhatsApp number through an official Meta WhatsApp account (API) or by scanning a QR code. You then enable order confirmation, abandoned-cart recovery, cancellation notices and review requests, which go out automatically with every new order.
Key takeaways
- Installed inside Salla: the Watily dashboard opens embedded in your store dashboard with automatic sign-in, and subscription and billing run through Salla.
- The official API connection suits active stores best: Meta-approved templates, a stable number and a clear message log.
- Ready messages: order confirmation with the customer's name and order number, a cart reminder with a checkout link, a cancellation notice and a post-delivery review request, within 6 editable templates.
- After purchase: automatic loyalty points on every order, an Apple and Google Wallet loyalty card, and occasion coupons created as real Salla coupons.
- Test before launch with a test order, and review Salla's default notifications so customers do not get the same message twice.
What you need before connecting Salla to WhatsApp Business
- Full access to your Salla dashboard to install apps and approve their permissions.
- A dedicated business mobile number that can receive a verification code by SMS or call. If the number is currently used in the WhatsApp app on your phone, ask support about migration options before the official connection.
- A Meta Business account if you choose the official connection; you can create it during setup.
- A payment method in Meta's billing for the official connection, because Meta charges delivered messages by category.
- Customer consent for marketing messages such as offers and campaigns, with a clear checkbox in the store. Details are in our guide to PDPL and WhatsApp marketing.
Official API or QR connection?
The Watily app on Salla supports both. The difference affects message reliability:
| Criterion | Official Meta WhatsApp account (API) | QR code connection |
|---|---|---|
| How it connects | A Meta Business account and a number verified by code | Scanning the code from WhatsApp on your phone |
| Templates | Reviewed and approved by Meta before sending | Messages from your number without template review |
| Phone dependency | Does not rely on your phone staying online | Affected if the phone disconnects or logs out |
| Meta charges | By delivered message category | Not charged by Meta under this model |
| Best for | Active stores, campaigns and seasons | A quick start with limited volume |
Under Meta's rate card effective 1 July 2026 in Saudi Arabia, a utility message (such as an order confirmation) costs SAR 0.0401 and a marketing message SAR 0.1877 per delivered message. Estimate your monthly cost with the WhatsApp API cost calculator.
How to connect Salla to WhatsApp Business with the Watily app
- Open the Salla App Store: from your store dashboard go to the App Store, or open apps.salla.sa, and search for "Watily".
- Install the app: press install on the app page, choose a plan, review the permissions it requests (orders, customers and coupons) and approve them. The subscription is billed through Salla with no separate card.
- Open Watily inside Salla: from your installed apps, open Watily; its dashboard appears embedded in your store dashboard, with no login or password.
- Connect a WhatsApp number: in the WhatsApp connection section choose the official Meta account, sign in with the Facebook account linked to your business, pick or create the business account, add the display name and number, and enter the verification code. Or scan the QR code for the quick option.
- Review the ready templates: edit the six templates in your store's voice and your customers' language, keeping variables such as customer name and order number intact.
- Turn on the messages you need: order confirmation, abandoned-cart recovery, cancellation notice and review request.
- Place a test order with your own number and check every message arrives with the correct name, number and links.
Enabling order-status alerts
Order confirmation
The key message. It arrives right after purchase with the customer's name and order number, answering "did my order go through?" early. Keep it short: thanks, order number, next steps and a contact number.
Confirming cash-on-delivery orders
If you accept cash on delivery, use the confirmation message to cut doorstep refusals: state the final amount including VAT and shipping, and ask the customer to reply to confirm before you ship. Replies land in your WhatsApp chats, and the AI smart reply can answer common questions and hand over to a staff member when needed; it is included in the Growth plan on Salla.
Cancellation notice
Cancelled orders trigger a clear message. Word it kindly and explain refunds and how to reorder.
Shipping updates
Salla sends shipping and tracking notifications through its own channels based on your store settings. Review them after installing so customers do not get duplicates on two channels.
Abandoned-cart sequence: timing and coupon logic
The app sends an abandoned-cart reminder with a checkout link. Bring customers back while the decision is fresh, without teaching them that abandoning a cart earns a discount. A suggested sequence if you want more than one message, to adjust to your category and margin:
| Message | Suggested timing | Content | Coupon |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Within roughly the first hour | A friendly reminder with the product name and checkout link | No coupon |
| Second | After about a day | Address the hesitation: shipping, returns, or payment and installment options | Usually no coupon |
| Third (optional) | After two to three days | A time-limited offer on the same cart | Single-use coupon, above a minimum cart value, with a near expiry |
- Create the coupon in Salla with clear limits (minimum cart, one use per customer, expiry date), then add its code to the message.
- Avoid discounts on thin-margin products; free shipping or a small gift may work better.
- Remember that cart reminders are usually categorized as marketing by Meta, so send them to customers who opted in and let them stop.
For a broader peak-season plan, see our guide to preparing a Salla store for White Friday.
E-invoices on WhatsApp (ZATCA)
If you are VAT-registered, you must issue e-invoices that meet the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority's requirements, including a QR code, and integrate with the Fatoora platform in Phase 2 once your wave applies. First confirm which system issues your official invoice: Salla's invoicing services, an invoicing app from the App Store, or an external system.
The Watily app on Salla focuses on order messages, loyalty and coupons. Issuing Phase 2 invoices and sending them as PDFs on WhatsApp is available in Watily's ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing within Watily platform plans, usually activated within about 24 hours of submitting your CR and VAT number. Check with support on the best way to connect it to your store orders.
Review requests and loyalty after purchase
Review request
After delivery the customer is asked for a review. Allow time to try the product, and keep it to one question with a direct link. Genuine reviews build trust, and negative feedback reaches you early.
Loyalty and coupons
- Automatic points: every order earns points; you set the earn rate (points per SAR) and redemption rate (discount per point), and points are reversed automatically on cancellation.
- A wallet card: a branded digital loyalty card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, with no extra app for the customer.
- Tiers: up to 12 tiers, each with its own discount rate.
- Occasion coupons: birthday and occasion coupons are created as real Salla coupons, and usage is tracked the moment an order completes.
- Customer sync: every customer who registers in your store syncs to Watily with name, mobile, email and date of birth.
To go further, read how to grow repeat customers in a Salla store, and explore Watily digital loyalty cards.
Testing the connection before launch
- Place a test order paid online and check the confirmation arrives with the correct name and order number.
- Place a cash-on-delivery order and check the final amount is clear in the message.
- Add a product to the cart and leave, wait for the reminder, and tap its link to confirm it opens the cart.
- Cancel a test order and check the cancellation notice arrives and points are reversed.
- Add the loyalty card to your phone's wallet and check its balance updates after the order.
- Check the monthly usage counter in the app to see how many messages each order uses.
Troubleshooting common issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Meta rejects the template | Promotional content in a utility template, a variable at the start or end of the text, or unclear sample values | Separate offers from order messages, wrap variables in text, add realistic samples and resubmit |
| Message not delivered | Customer number missing the country code, no WhatsApp on the number, no payment method in Meta billing, or Meta's per-user marketing limits | Standardize numbers with 966, add the payment method, and target campaigns at engaged customers |
| Number not verified or code not received | Number registered in the WhatsApp app, cannot receive SMS, or display name does not match the business | Request the code by voice call, use a display name matching your brand, and contact support to migrate a number in use |
| Message arrives twice | Salla default notifications and Watily both enabled for the same event | Turn off one channel for that event |
| Messages stop mid-month | Your plan's campaign and alert limit has been reached | Check the monthly counter and upgrade before seasons |
| QR-linked messages stop | Phone offline or logged out of linked devices | Rescan the code, or move to the official API connection |
For clearer templates that pass review the first time, use the WhatsApp message template library.
How Watily helps
The Watily app for Salla turns every order into a WhatsApp message, loyalty points and a reason to come back, right inside the Salla dashboard:
- Automatic messages with every order: confirmation, abandoned cart, cancellation and review request, with six editable templates.
- Number connection via an official Meta account or QR, with a monthly usage counter.
- A smart reply that knows your products, loyalty points, coupons and hours, with a chosen persona and language, and hand-off to staff.
- A loyalty program with points, tiers and a wallet card, real occasion coupons inside Salla, and customer sync.
- A fully Arabic interface, subscription and billing through Salla, and your data kept if you uninstall and reinstall.
If you are comparing WhatsApp apps on Salla, see our comparison of WhatsApp apps for Salla stores.
Your Salla store is ready for smarter messaging: add Watily to your Salla store and switch on order messages and loyalty straight from your dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect my Salla store to WhatsApp Business?
Install the Watily app from the Salla App Store and approve its permissions, then open it inside your store dashboard and link your number through an official Meta WhatsApp account or a QR code. Automated order messages start with every new order once connected.
Do I need a separate Watily account?
No. Watily opens automatically inside your Salla dashboard with no login or password, and the subscription is paid through Salla with no separate invoices or cards.
What is the difference between the official API and the QR connection?
The official connection uses a Meta Business account and approved templates and does not rely on your phone staying online, and Meta charges its messages by category. The QR connection is quicker to start but is affected when the phone disconnects and suits limited volume.
When should I send the abandoned-cart message?
Send the first within roughly the first hour with no discount, and a second after about a day addressing common hesitations. Keep the coupon for an optional third message with clear limits so customers do not learn to abandon carts for a discount.
What happens to my data if I uninstall the app?
Your data stays saved, and if you reinstall the app it comes back as it was.
