Amazon Aggressively Courts Off-Platform Traffic, Turns WhatsApp into New Shopping Entry Point

[Ebrun Original] September 8 - Amazon has recently upgraded its shopping service on WhatsApp, allowing users to check for discounts, request product recommendations or search for items directly within conversations, before being redirected to the Amazon app or official website to complete purchases, according to reports.

The AI-powered service works by having the shopping assistant ask follow-up questions about specific use cases when users inquire about a category of goods, then provide options tailored to those scenarios. For example, when a user looks for insect repellent spray, the system will first distinguish between household and personal protection needs, then further ask if they require pet-safe formulas, discounted options or other alternative products.

Based on currently public entry points, the service is primarily connected to Amazon's UK site, and the WhatsApp account is only accessible to users with UK phone numbers. The account does not yet integrate human customer service, and users can enter "STOP" at any time to stop receiving messages. Amazon stated that conversation content will not be retained after the session ends, nor will it be used for subsequent personalized interactions.

On its own, this move looks more like Amazon extending its AI shopping assistant to instant messaging tools. When viewed alongside several partnerships rolled out this year, however, it becomes clear that Amazon has been ramping up efforts to roll out shopping entry points across off-platform channels.

In March this year, Meta integrated Amazon into its Facebook Affiliate Partnerships program in the U.S. Creators can tag Amazon products directly in Reels and image content, with users directed to the Amazon app or mobile website to place orders after clicking the product tags, while creators earn commissions on eligible transactions. Meta also announced at the time that it would test a similar affiliate marketing experience on Instagram, starting first with Amazon products for the U.S. market as well.

Instagram has also opened up its Reels product link feature to creators. Eligible creators can add up to 30 products to a single Reel using their own affiliate links. Product links that were previously typically placed in profile bios, comment sections or direct messages can now be embedded directly into video content, making conversion more seamless.

In addition, Pinterest launched an Amazon influencer store integration feature in June this year. Creators only need to link their Amazon Storefront once, and the system will automatically attach affiliate information when they tag eligible Amazon products in Pins going forward. Creators' Amazon stores can also be displayed directly on their Pinterest profile pages.

At the end of August, Amazon officially joined the YouTube Shopping affiliate marketing program. Eligible U.S. creators can tag Amazon products in short-form videos, long-form videos and live streams. Viewers no longer need to search for links in video descriptions — they can click on product tags to be taken directly to Amazon to complete purchases, while creators receive corresponding commissions.

Prior to these moves, Amazon had also attempted to build content ecosystems within its own shopping app. Launched in 2022, Inspire featured a TikTok-style feed of short videos and images that allowed users to shop while browsing content, but the feature was shut down in February 2025.

This year's series of initiatives make it clear that Amazon is looking to directly leverage the content, user bases and creator networks of established social platforms to boost on-site traffic and merchandise sales. The addition of WhatsApp, meanwhile, extends these off-platform entry points from public content further into private conversations, while integrating AI recommendation capabilities.

It is understood that multiple features are still limited to markets such as the U.S. and UK, or to select eligible creators and users. As such, for sellers, whether the increase in these partnerships will definitely bring more new traffic and new orders remains to be seen.

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