CodeAtoZ – Cloud Messaging for WooCommerce

Description

CodeAtoZ – Cloud Messaging for WooCommerce connects your WooCommerce store directly to Meta’s WhatsApp Business Cloud API. Send order confirmations, processing updates, shipping notifications, and delivery alerts to your customers on the world’s most popular messaging app — without paying any third-party BSP middleman.

You pay Meta’s per-conversation pricing directly. No markup, no monthly platform fees, no vendor lock-in. Meta gives every business 1,000 free service conversations per month, which covers most small stores entirely.

Why use WhatsApp for order notifications?

• 98% open rates — compared to ~20% for email. Customers read WhatsApp messages within minutes.
• No SMS costs — WhatsApp Cloud API is dramatically cheaper than SMS gateways in most countries.
• Two-way conversation — customers can reply with questions, change requests, or feedback.
• Mobile-first — works perfectly on every smartphone, no app installation needed by the customer.
• Trusted channel — customers already use WhatsApp daily, no learning curve.

Features (Free version)

Order Status Notifications

Send a WhatsApp message automatically on every WooCommerce order status change:

• Order confirmed (pending payment)
• Order processing (payment received)
• Order on-hold (manual review)
• Order shipped (with tracking link)
• Order delivered
• Order completed
• Order cancelled
• Order refunded
• Order failed

Each event has its own message template with full variable substitution — order number, customer name, total amount, shipping address, tracking URL, and more.

GDPR-Compliant Opt-In

• Customizable consent checkbox at checkout (classic and Blocks Checkout supported)
• Configure the checkbox wording, default state, and required/optional behavior
• Records opt-in consent with timestamp and IP address (legal compliance)
• Integrates with the WordPress Personal Data Exporter and Eraser tools
• Compatible with Cookie/GDPR consent banner plugins

STOP-Keyword Auto-Unsubscribe

• Customers can reply “STOP”, “UNSUBSCRIBE”, “QUIT” or “END” to any message to opt out
• Automatic recognition — no manual subscriber management needed
• Confirmation message sent back to the customer
• Opt-out preserved across orders — you never need to remember it manually
• Easy admin re-opt-in tool for accidental unsubscribes

Staff Notifications (Single Phone)

• Alert your phone via WhatsApp the moment a new order arrives
• Alert on failed payments and refund requests
• Configurable per-event triggers
• (Multi-staff notification lists are available in the Pro version)

Click-to-Chat & Share Buttons

• WhatsApp “Chat with us” button for product pages and shop sidebar
• WhatsApp share button so customers can share products with friends
• Configurable phone number, pre-filled message, and button position

Built-in Message Log

• Every outgoing and incoming WhatsApp message is logged with status (Sent → Delivered → Read → Failed)
• Click any log entry to see the full payload, error code, and Meta message ID
• Filter by status, phone, date range, or specific order
• Configurable retention (default 90 days) to keep the database lean

In-Plugin Setup Guide

• 6-step walkthrough takes new merchants from “just installed” to “first message sent”
• Click-to-copy webhook URL and verify token
• Live FAQ covering Cloud API pricing tiers, template rejection causes, message delivery troubleshooting
• Accessible both as a top-level menu item and inside Settings

Technical Excellence

• Direct Meta Graph API integration (no proxy, no third-party server in the middle)
• Encrypted access-token storage (OpenSSL AES-256-CBC)
• HMAC-verified webhook for delivery and read receipts
• Action Scheduler queue with WP-Cron fallback (reliable delivery even under load)
• HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage) compatible
• Blocks Checkout compatible
• Translation-ready with .pot file and 9 sample .po translations included
• Modern WordPress admin UI with charts (Chart.js bundled locally — no CDN loads)
• All code escapes output, sanitizes input, verifies nonces, checks capabilities

Who is this for?

• Online stores that want to stop losing customers to email-overload — WhatsApp gets read, email doesn’t.
• Stores in WhatsApp-heavy markets (India, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, etc.) where customers prefer WhatsApp over SMS.
• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that want a personal, mobile-first customer experience.
• B2B / wholesale stores that need fast confirmation and shipping updates to business buyers.
• High-ticket stores where lost orders are expensive and proactive communication directly affects conversion.
• Cash-on-Delivery (COD) markets where confirmation messaging dramatically reduces fake orders (basic version free; OTP verification in Pro).

Pro version

A Pro add-on plugin is available on codeatoz.com that unlocks advanced commerce automation modules:

• Abandoned Cart Recovery — automatic follow-up sequences for incomplete checkouts (configurable delay + max messages + multi-step cadence)
• COD Verification with OTP — verify Cash-on-Delivery orders before fulfillment (massive fake-order reduction)
• Back-in-Stock Alerts — “Notify Me” widget on out-of-stock products, auto-message when restocked
• Review Collector — request product reviews a configurable number of days after delivery
• Payment Reminders — automated reminders for pending bank-transfer / unpaid orders, with auto-cancel option
• Address Confirmation — interactive button confirmation for high-value or risky orders
• WhatsApp Returns Flow — full conversational return request, photo upload, refund/exchange selection
• Catalog Sync — push your WooCommerce product catalog to WhatsApp Business Catalog
• WhatsApp OTP Login — passwordless customer login with phone + WhatsApp one-time code
• Unlimited staff phones (free is limited to 1)
• Multi-language template auto-detection for non-English markets
• Quiet Hours engine — respect customer timezones, avoid 3 AM notifications
• Analytics dashboard — charts, per-module breakdown, delivery rates, revenue recovered
• Inline-send architecture — sub-second message delivery using fastcgi_finish_request
• Premium template library + priority email support

The Pro version is a separate, standalone plugin — not a paid feature unlock of this free plugin. If you only ever use the free version, every free feature listed above will keep working forever with no nag screens or time limits.

External Services

This plugin connects to and uses the following external services to deliver its core functionality. By installing and using this plugin you acknowledge that data is transmitted to these services.

WhatsApp Business Cloud API (Meta Platforms, Inc.)

• What it is used for: Sending WhatsApp messages (order notifications, opt-in confirmations, transactional alerts), receiving delivery and read receipts via webhook, fetching the merchant’s approved message-template list.
• What data is sent: Recipient phone number (only for customers who have opted in), message template name, template variables (e.g. customer first name, order ID, order total, shipment tracking URL), and the merchant’s access token for authentication.
• When data is sent: Whenever a WooCommerce order changes status, when a customer opts in or out, when the merchant clicks “Refresh templates”, and when the merchant triggers a test message.
• Service endpoint: https://graph.facebook.com (Meta Graph API, v21.0)
• Provider: Meta Platforms, Inc.
• Terms of Service: https://developers.facebook.com/terms
• Privacy Policy: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-policy

This plugin does not connect to any other external service. All other functionality (message queue, log, settings, subscriber list, dashboard) runs entirely on your own WordPress install. No telemetry, no analytics, no tracking pixels.

Privacy & Data Handling

This plugin stores the following customer data locally in your WordPress database:

• Phone numbers — in the subscribers table and the message log. Only for customers who explicitly opt in at checkout.
• Message content and delivery status — in the message log table. Retained for the duration set in Settings → Advanced → Log Retention (default 90 days, configurable from 7–365 days).
• Meta API credentials — access token, phone number ID, business account ID. Stored encrypted (OpenSSL AES-256-CBC) in the wp_options table.
• Opt-in consent records — timestamp + IP address of the consent event, stored alongside customer phone number for legal compliance.

Data export & erasure

Customers can request their personal data via the standard WordPress Personal Data Export / Erasure tools (Tools → Export Personal Data / Erase Personal Data). This plugin registers the appropriate WordPress GDPR hooks to include WhatsApp messaging data in exports and to erase it on request.

Customers can also send the keyword “STOP”, “UNSUBSCRIBE”, “QUIT” or “END” to your WhatsApp Business number to opt out immediately — no email or admin intervention needed.

Data sent to Meta

Meta receives the phone number and message content of every outbound notification. Meta’s WhatsApp Business privacy policy governs how they handle that data (link above). The plugin does not send any other customer data (name, address, email, purchase history) to Meta unless you explicitly include those values in your message template variables.