Platform History

How We Got Here.

From a 200-line PHP script in 2020 to the platform you're using today — every step of the journey, documented.

2026202520242023202220212020
2026
Current
August 12, 20262.14.0

Whizzly V2.14.0: The Enterprise & Customisation Release

  • Team Roster & Staff Calendar Add-on: Manage multiple professionals, assign custom shifts, configure individual service mappings, and automatically route booking alerts directly to their personal WhatsApp numbers.
  • Adaptive Grouped Sidebar Navigation: Organise dashboard routes into Core, Growth & Promo, and Management categories for streamlined scanning.
  • Dashboard Storefront Onboarding Checklist: Guided, dynamic onboarding progress tracking (creating a shop, listing items, connecting card readers) to guide fresh merchants.
  • Collapsible Developer Settings & Accordion: Group webhooks and API keys under a collapsible accordion card, decluttering the dashboard settings view.
  • Checkout Cash-on-Delivery PIN Verification: Automatically send a verification PIN code via WhatsApp to confirm delivery bookings, protecting merchants against fake orders.
  • Variant-Level Stock Quantities: Configure inventory and stock limits on individual item sizes and colors, a non-negotiable for growing retail brands.
  • Dine-In Table QR Ordering: Route table numbers (?table=X) automatically to kitchen prep queues for seamless cafe and restaurant operations.
  • Outbound Custom Webhook Dispatcher: Post real-time JSON payloads to custom external URLs upon order creation or booking status changes.
  • Whizzly API for Inventory: Expose a read/write API key for enterprise merchants to update stock levels from external ERP/inventory systems.
  • Google Maps Distance Fee Calculator: Calculate delivery fees dynamically at checkout based on precise customer mileage.
  • Gemini AI Storefront Upsells: Smart AI storefront assistant suggests items (e.g., 'Add Fries') based on cart contents, boosting average order value.
  • In-Store Pickup Slot Selectors: Allow shoppers to select specific pickup hours at checkout.
  • Customer Segments WhatsApp Broadcaster: Design and dispatch marketing blasts directly to targeted customer sub-lists in the dashboard.
  • WhatsApp Loyalty Progress Pings: Automatically alert buyers on WhatsApp when they accumulate points or earn stamps.
  • Low Stock Notification Triggers: Dispatch alert messages to merchants when item stock counts drop below a custom threshold.
  • Stripe & WhatsApp Webhook Deduplicator: Protect endpoints from double processing via database execution locks to prevent duplicate orders.
  • Order Notification Toggle Wiring: Link dashboard settings checkboxes directly to WhatsApp message dispatches for complete merchant control.
  • Quota Expiration Upgrade Modals: Trigger modal alerts and prompts when merchants reach 85% of their plan's messaging limits.
  • Storefront Regional Pricing Formatter: Ensure proper formatting for $, €, and £ based on currency selections.
  • Funnel Conversion Chart Filters: Select custom date intervals on the conversion funnel dashboard to refine marketing insights.
  • Skeleton UI Dashboard Screens: Drastically improve page transition UX by replacing loader spinners with modern blocks.
  • Modularize Dashboard Layout: Break up the monolithic 1000+ line layout component to improve page load speed and maintainability.
  • Firestore OTP Records TTL Policy: Automate database cleanup of expired authentication OTP credentials for improved security.
July 8, 20262.6.0

Whizzly Credits Referrals & Shop Cover Settings

  • Whizzly Credits Referral Loop: Share your unique referral link to give 10.00 GBP off and get 10.00 GBP in Whizzly Credits automatically applied to Stripe subscription invoices.
  • Anti-Fraud Credit Limits: Automatically cap automated billing credits to 10 successful referrals (100.00 GBP), with unlimited referral logs and manual withdrawal audits past the cap.
  • Manual Cover Photo Removal: Easily delete uploaded cover background images from the Shop Settings dashboard.
  • Lossless Storefront Headers: Bypasses Next.js image optimisation for storefront cover photos, preventing blurriness and ensuring sharp high-resolution displays.
June 23, 20262.5.0

AI Menu Smart Update & Storefront SEO Controls

  • AI Menu Photo Importer (Smart Update): Upload an image of any physical menu and let AI parse, categorise, and cross-reference Firestore, adding only new items without duplicates.
  • Storefront SEO Controls: New dashboard panel to configure custom Page Title Tags, Meta Description Tags, and search keywords for optimal Google indexing.
  • Production WhatsApp Notification Suite: Fully integrated Meta-approved templates (whizzly_session_auth, retail_order_confirmation, restaurant_order_confirma, booking_confirmation) for zero-latency login codes and customer alerts.
June 19, 20262.4.0

Universal Storefront Embeddable Widgets

  • Embeddable Retail & Restaurant Storefronts: Customers can browse, select, and checkout directly from Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, or custom HTML sites.
  • Unified Widget Script Generator: Easily configure, preview, and generate copyable embed codes with customisable columns, brand colours, and themes.
  • Seamless Checkout Integration: Supports full shopping cart capability, delivery/collection details collection, and directs orders straight to the merchant's WhatsApp.
June 18, 20262.3.0

WhatsApp Login & Whizzly Olympics

  • WhatsApp Default Login: Merchants and customers can now log in instantly using their WhatsApp numbers.
  • Whizzly Olympics Leaderboard: A global leaderboard tracking the fastest storefront setup times. Race against the clock!
  • Automatic Subdomain Routing: Seamless development environments with custom .localhost testing.
June 12, 20262.2.0

Delivery Radius Checker Powerup

  • Storefront Postcode Checker: Let customers instantly verify if you deliver to them with a beautifully integrated header widget.
  • Mathematical Distance Validation: Uses precise algorithms to lock out checkouts outside your radius.
  • Dynamic Slider Configuration: Drag and drop to set your exact delivery zone limit directly from the dashboard.
June 2, 20262.1.0

Omnipotent AI Assistant & Customer Loyalty

  • Omnipotent AI Storefront Assistant: Powered by Whizzly AI, deploy an autonomous chatbot that handles support, inquiries, and bookings 24/7.
  • AI Product Builder: Instantly generate complete products, services, and menu dishes from simple text prompts directly in the dashboard.
  • Customer Loyalty Programme: Launch digital stamp cards and points systems to drive repeat purchases effortlessly.
  • Global Search Command Center: Press Cmd+K to instantly navigate orders, customers, and shop settings.
June 1, 20262.0.0

Whizzly V2: The Rebirth

  • Next.js 15 App Router Upgrade: The entire dashboard has been rebuilt from the ground up for blazing fast performance.
  • Mobile-First Dashboard: Manage catalog, order flow, analytics, and settings perfectly on any mobile device.
  • Real-time Order Sync: Orders instantly sync and alert the merchant without requiring manual page refreshes.
April 15, 20261.9.0

PayPal Integrations & Staff Sub-Accounts

  • Native PayPal Checkout: Customers can now breeze through checkout using their PayPal accounts.
  • Staff Accounts: Delegate access to employees without sharing your main password.
  • Fine-grained Permissions: Restrict staff from seeing financial data or deleting products.
February 18, 20261.8.5

Advanced Menu Importer & Order Analytics

  • AI Menu Scanner: Take a photo of any physical menu and let AI automatically categorise and digitise it.
  • Sales Velocity Charts: New graphical dashboard widgets to track peak ordering hours and trending products.
  • CSV Bulk Export: Download your complete order history and customer database for external accounting.
2025
Global Scale & Customisation
December 10, 20251.8.0

Booking Slots & Takeaway Store Types

  • Service Booking Engine: Define slot durations, buffer times, and availability schedules for PTs and salons.
  • Takeaway Ordering: Custom workflow for food businesses including delivery zones, allergy notes, and time-slots.
  • Store Type Wizard: A brand new onboarding flow to tailor the dashboard to your specific industry.
August 22, 20251.7.5

Global CDN & Image Optimisation

  • Automatic WebP Conversion: Product images are now aggressively optimised without quality loss.
  • Edge Caching: Storefronts are now cached at the edge, reducing TTFB by 300%.
  • Skeleton Loaders: Smooth UI transitions while fetching large catalogs.
April 18, 20251.7.2

Holiday Rush: Notice Banners & Custom Checkout Fields

  • Urgency Notice Banners: Pin alerts to the top of your shop for cut-off dates or holiday delays.
  • Custom Checkout Notes: Let customers write gift messages or special delivery instructions.
  • Gift Wrapping Add-on: Automatically upsell gift wrapping at the cart stage.
January 15, 20251.7.0

Custom Domains & SEO Optimisation

  • Custom Domain Mapping: Connect yourstore.com to replace the default subdomain.
  • Free SSL Certificates: Automatic secure HTTPS provisioning for all custom domains.
  • SEO Metadata Tags: Add custom descriptions and social sharing preview images.
2024
Design & Checkout Experience
October 22, 20241.6.0

Advanced Storefront Designer

  • Theme Engine V2: Switch between strict Light Mode, Dark Mode, or Auto-sync.
  • Corner Styling: Choose between sharp, rounded, or pill-shaped UI components.
  • Accent Colours: Match your brand precisely with HSL colour pickers for buttons and links.
September 8, 20241.5.5

Stripe Checkout & Apple Pay

  • 1-Click Apple/Google Pay: Customers can checkout instantly without typing card details.
  • Klarna & Clearpay Support: Enable Buy Now, Pay Later options for larger ticket items.
  • Automatic Receipts: Customers receive beautiful PDF receipts instantly upon payment.
May 20, 20241.5.0

The Product Variants Update

  • Multi-dimensional Variants: Add size (S/M/L) and colour variations to a single product.
  • Variant Pricing: Charge different prices for different options (e.g. +£5 for Large).
  • Stock Tracking per Variant: Prevent overselling specific sizes or colours.
January 14, 20241.4.5

Live Social Proof Widget

  • Recent Order Popups: Show subtle 'Someone in London just bought...' notifications.
  • Low Stock Warnings: Display 'Only 2 left!' badges when inventory drops below 5.
  • Conversion Tracking: Measure the impact of social proof on your checkout rate.
2023
Marketing & Growth Tools
November 12, 20231.4.0

WhatsApp Marketing Campaigns

  • Mass Broadcasting: Send promotional messages to all past customers in one click.
  • Audience Segmentation: Filter customers by total spend or last order date.
  • Analytics Dashboard: Track open rates and click-through rates for your campaigns.
July 2, 20231.3.5

Catalog Importer Tool

  • Shopify & Etsy Sync: Import your entire product catalog directly from major platforms.
  • CSV Bulk Upload: Map columns from your spreadsheet to instantly create hundreds of items.
  • Image Bulk Uploading: Drag and drop folders of images to automatically attach to products.
March 10, 20231.3.0

Inventory Management & Low Stock Alerts

  • Absolute Stock Tracking: Enter quantities and let the system automatically deplete them.
  • Out of Stock States: Items automatically fade out and prevent adding to cart when empty.
  • Low Stock Email Alerts: Get notified immediately when a hot item needs restocking.
2022
Utility & Inventory Foundations
November 10, 20221.2.0

B2B Wholesale Portals

  • Password Protected Stores: Hide your catalog from the public and only allow approved buyers.
  • Minimum Order Values: Enforce cart minimums before allowing checkout.
  • Bulk Pricing Tiers: Automatically apply discounts for large quantity orders.
September 5, 20221.1.5

Manual Payment Instructions

  • Bank Transfer Details: Display sort code and account number automatically at checkout.
  • Cash on Delivery Support: Add explicit COD instructions for local delivery drivers.
  • Payment Status Toggling: Manually mark offline orders as 'Paid' in the dashboard.
2021
The Laravel Transition
March 15, 20211.1.0

Laravel & PHP Core Framework

  • Laravel Framework Transition: Rebuilt the raw PHP script into a structured Laravel web application.
  • MySQL Relational Database: Moved catalog listings from static configurations to dynamic relational schemas.
  • Admin Panel v1.0: Built the first merchant database portal to add, edit, and manage products without code editing.
2020
Where it all started
November 1, 20201.0.0

Whizzly 1.0 Launch

  • Digital Storefronts: Create a beautiful mobile catalog for your products.
  • WhatsApp Cart Integration: Customers compile their orders and send them directly to your chat.
  • Simple Setup: Go live in under 5 minutes without writing a single line of code.
May 10, 20200.1.0

The 200-Line PHP Prototype

  • Raw PHP Script: Single-file index.php prototype serving dynamically rendered item grids.
  • Instant WhatsApp Redirect: Initial checkout proof-of-concept compiling orders and directing buyers to WhatsApp API.
  • Merchant Validation: Proved that boutique sellers wanted simple visual catalogs connected straight to direct chat.
What's Coming

Product Roadmap.

A look at what we're designing next to keep Whizzly ahead of the curve.

Up Next

AI & Voice Commerce

Let customers place orders by voice note. AI handles the rest.

  • Voice Note Orders — shoppers dictate requirements via audio; AI parses them into structured line items automatically.
  • AI Shop Assistant trained on your products — handles queries, recommends items, and builds carts natively in WhatsApp.
Priority Queue
Planned

Localisation & Scan-to-Shop

Reach more customers, in more places, in more languages.

  • Multi-currency storefront with automated geo-located delivery rate calculations.
  • Scan-to-Shop QR flyer generator for restaurants and retail — opens a pre-filtered digital menu.
  • One-tap WhatsApp Cart Sharing so customers can send a pre-loaded checkout bag to friends.
  • Native iOS & Android merchant app for managing orders and bookings on the go.
  • Direct integration with Deliveroo, UberEats, and Just Eat for takeaway order aggregation.
Priority Queue
Considering

Enterprise Extensions

For merchants running bigger operations and teams.

  • Drag-and-drop Landing Page Builder for promotional banners and seasonal sale layouts.
  • Multi-tenant White-label Platform: Allow agencies and resellers to manage multiple merchant storefronts from a single master account with custom branding per client.
Priority Queue