Zipchat’s AI agent can act on a shopper’s request now, not just answer it from your knowledge base. A custom skill gives the agent a sandboxed computer, internet access, and a recipe for what to do, and merchants have already built more than 500 of them on the platform.
This is the written companion to Zipchat’s custom AI skills webinar, hosted by Alessandro Valenti (Head of Success), with Ruslan Leteyski (CEO and co-founder) running two live builds and answering questions on the call. The recording sits above. Below is the full breakdown: what a skill is, how it runs, the two demos, and the questions answered live.
What a custom skill actually is
Zipchat’s AI agent already answers shoppers from your knowledge base. A custom skill goes further: it gives the agent a sandboxed computer, internet access, and a recipe, so it can take an action instead of only answering a question.
Every merchant runs support differently. One brand cancels an order through Shopify alone. Another has to check a fulfillment center, then Shopify, then a payment processor before doing anything. Rather than ship one fixed “cancel order” feature, Zipchat lets each merchant build the exact skill their own process needs, using AI to write it.
How a skill runs, step by step
A shopper sends a message. Zipchat decides a custom skill applies, reads its recipe, and spins up a small, temporary computer to carry it out.
- The agent reads the skill’s instructions.
- It opens an ephemeral computer built just for this one action.
- It talks to the internet: calling APIs, downloading files, or checking a status page, whatever the skill calls for.
- It loops on the result if it needs to, anywhere from one second to a couple of minutes.
- Once it has an answer, the computer is deleted.
- It replies to the shopper with the outcome.
That loop runs the same way whether the skill cancels an order, looks up a discount code, or files a review on Judge.me. Nothing persists between requests, so every action starts clean.
What a skill can do in practice
- Read and write through your Shopify admin, or anything else built on the Shopify API
- Call any third-party API with documentation, from Klaviyo and Judge.me to a fulfillment center or an ERP system
- Coordinate several systems in one flow, the way a human agent checks a warehouse, then Shopify, then a payment processor before canceling an order
- Download and process a file, such as a CSV a system hands back
- Read a codebase, the way Zipchat’s own in-app agent reads app code
- Write a small program on the fly for a calculation, in the rare cases that need one
- Open a status page and report back what it finds (a full browser is not supported yet)
Ruslan’s practical examples from the session: letting a shopper change or cancel an order, looking up a discount code in Klaviyo when someone says they never got theirs, tracking an order through a third-party logistics provider instead of Shopify, and checking real inventory in an ERP system by store location.
Build one with AI, not code
Nobody at Zipchat writes these by hand, and merchants are not expected to either. Every skill on the platform so far, all 500 plus of them, was built using AI. There are two ways to do it today, and a third on the way.
| Path | Best for | How it works |
|---|
| Shopify Sidekick | Shopify stores | Ask Sidekick to draft the skill, then copy the result into Zipchat’s skill editor |
| Claude Code | Any platform, including WooCommerce and custom sites | Install the Zipchat plugin, describe the skill in plain language, and Claude writes and creates it directly |
| Zipchat’s own agent (coming soon) | Any store | Ask the in-app Zipchat agent to build it for you, no external tool required |
ChatGPT is not supported yet. Zipchat is prioritizing its own in-app agent for this instead.
Demo: a Shopify skill built with Sidekick
Ruslan built a skill that lets a shopper change their shipping address, as long as the order has not shipped.
- Open Sidekick from anywhere in the Shopify admin and describe the skill in plain language.
- Sidekick drafts the skill’s name, its protected variables (API keys and similar), and its instructions.
- Paste each piece into Zipchat, under AI training, then Prompt and skills, then Add your own.
- Zipchat already holds your own Shopify API key, so actions the skill takes show up in your Shopify admin as done by Zipchat, with no separate custom app to build.
- Test it in Zipchat’s test chat before it goes live.
The first test worked: Zipchat asked for the order number and the new address, then updated it. When a skill does not behave as expected, the fix is the same either way. Open the debug output in test chat, copy it, and paste it back to Sidekick or Claude with what went wrong. Both read the reasoning and the commands that ran, find the cause, and suggest an instruction change to paste back in. There is no limit on how many custom skills a store can run.
Demo: a non-Shopify skill built with Claude Code
For stores off Shopify, Claude Code does the same job without needing Zipchat’s interface open at all. Ruslan built a skill on a non-Shopify site that lets visitors book a call through Cal.com.
- Install the Zipchat plugin for Claude Code (two copy-paste commands from the skill template screen).
- Give Claude the third-party API key (Cal.com, in this case) and your own Zipchat API key, found under Zipchat account settings. The Zipchat key lets Claude act as you inside your account.
- Describe the skill in plain language. Claude finds the third-party API’s documentation, reads Zipchat’s skill format, and builds and creates the skill directly.
The first booking went through on the first try. Ruslan then added a second condition live: only offer a call when there is no strong wind in the forecast, checked against the Windy weather API, since he would rather be kitesurfing. That is a small example of a real pattern: a skill can check one system, branch on what it finds, and only then take the action, the same way a merchant might check inventory before promising a delivery date.
Where skills run, and who can use them
Every channel Zipchat supports, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and email (Gmail, Outlook, or a custom mail server), can use the same custom skills as the website chat bubble. Skills can also be turned on or off per channel, so a merchant could allow order cancellations by email but not by Instagram, for example.
What’s coming next
Two features are close but not live yet, both raised during the live Q&A.
A dedicated API for standalone agentic experiences, so an agency or in-house team can build something outside the chat bubble, such as a custom product comparison tool, while it still runs on the same prompts, skills, and monitoring as the rest of the account. Ruslan expects this within the next month or two.
Social media comment management for Instagram and Facebook, covering ads, posts, and stories: hiding or deleting comments, replying publicly or privately, and understanding video content before responding. It already works for a small set of customers and is waiting on Meta’s app review before a wider release, expected by November. Merchants who need it sooner can contact Zipchat support directly.
Who this is for
Custom skills are most valuable for merchants whose support process already depends on more than one system, whether that is a fulfillment center, an ERP, a loyalty platform, or a booking tool. Shopify stores get the most direct path today through Sidekick. WooCommerce and other platforms, including fully custom sites, get there through Claude Code and Zipchat’s API.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code to build a custom skill?
No. Every skill shown in the session was built with AI, using Shopify Sidekick or Claude Code. You describe what you want in plain language, then test it in Zipchat’s test chat before it goes live.
Does this only work on Shopify?
No. Shopify stores can build with Sidekick or Claude Code. WooCommerce and any other platform with an API can build with Claude Code, and Zipchat already has ready-made WooCommerce skill templates.
Can a skill talk to more than one system at once?
Yes. A skill can check one system, branch on the result, then act in another, the same way a support agent might check a fulfillment center, Shopify, and a payment system before canceling an order.
Can I control which channels a skill runs on?
Yes. Skills can be turned on or off per channel, so an order cancellation skill could run over email but not Instagram, for example.
Does Zipchat support ChatGPT for building skills?
Not yet. Skills are built with Shopify Sidekick or Claude Code today. Zipchat’s own in-app agent will be able to build skills directly in a future release.
What if a skill does not work the first time?
Open the debug output in test chat, copy it, and paste it into Sidekick or Claude with what went wrong. Both tools read the reasoning and commands behind the failure and suggest a fix to paste back into the skill.
Can shoppers use a skill to see internal data, like chat reports?
No. Custom skills are for actions Zipchat takes on behalf of a shopper, not internal reporting for the merchant. Reporting on chat activity is possible today through the backend API and Claude Code, with an in-app version planned.
Watch the recording and build your first skill
The full session is above, including two live builds and the debugging process behind each one. To try it yourself, open AI training, then Prompt and skills, and click Add your own. Shopify stores can also start straight from Sidekick.
If you want more time with the Zipchat team before Black Friday, join the live session on October 8 to see Zipchat handle Instagram and Facebook DMs, comments, and ad replies.
Written by Ruslan Leteyski, CEO and co-founder of Zipchat. Hosted with Alessandro Valenti, Head of Success. Published September 3, 2026.
