Abandoned cart emails for WooCommerce and Shopify

Lots of shoppers add something to their cart and leave without buying. Some were only browsing. Others got distracted, wanted to compare prices, or hit a problem at checkout. An abandoned cart email is an automated reminder that brings some of them back.

For most online stores, it's one of the first automations worth setting up, after a welcome sequence.

Cart vs checkout: a useful distinction

These terms get used interchangeably, but they're different moments:

Abandoned cart. Someone added a product to their cart and left. If they're not logged in and haven't given you their email, you usually can't contact them.
Abandoned checkout. Someone started checkout and entered their email (or phone number), then didn't finish. This is the group you can most easily email.

Platforms like Klaviyo can also send browse abandonment emails to known subscribers who viewed a product without adding it to their cart. That's a softer touch and works best for people already on your list.

How it works on each platform

Shopify records abandoned checkouts in your admin and includes automated abandoned checkout emails. You can turn them on and edit the timing and content in your store's marketing automations, using Shopify Email or a connected app. Shopify's own help center has the current steps, since menu names change.

If you use Klaviyo or another email platform, it can run these flows instead, using richer data and more emails in the sequence. Use one tool for this, not both, or customers will get double reminders.

A simple three-email sequence

Email 1: A plain reminder (one to four hours after). "You left something in your cart." Show the product with its image and price, and a button that takes them straight back to their cart with items intact. No discount. Many people just got distracted.

Email 2: Answer their doubts (around 24 hours after). Address why people hesitate: shipping costs and times, returns policy, sizing, how the product is made. Add a few real reviews. Offer a way to ask a question.

Email 3: A final nudge (two to three days after, optional). A short last reminder. If you choose to offer an incentive, this is where it goes. Only mention low stock or a deadline if it's true.

Timing should match your products. An impulse purchase needs a quick reminder. A considered purchase, like furniture or a high-priced item, can wait longer between emails.

What to put in every email

The actual products, with images, names and prices, pulled in automatically.
A button that restores the cart. Test it. A link to your homepage loses most of the value.
Your contact details and a way to ask questions.
A clear from name customers recognize, usually your store name.
Your usual unsubscribe link and address. Abandoned cart emails are marketing emails, so the normal email rules apply.

Should you offer a discount?

Discounts recover more carts in the short term, but there are trade-offs:

Regular shoppers can learn to abandon carts on purpose to get a code.
You give away margin on sales that would have happened anyway.

Some ways to use them carefully:

Only include a discount in the last email, not the first.
Use unique, single-use codes that expire.
Offer free shipping rather than a percentage off, if shipping cost is a common reason people leave.
Exclude repeat customers who recently received a code.

Exit conditions and frequency

Stop the sequence when they buy. Every good tool does this, but test it. Thanking someone for their order and then reminding them about their cart looks careless.
Limit how often one person gets the sequence, for example once every couple of weeks, so a frequent browser isn't flooded.
Respect unsubscribes and consent. In the EU and UK, check whether you have the right basis to send these emails before turning them on. See GDPR basics.

Fix the cause, not just the symptom

Reminder emails recover a portion of abandoned carts. Fixing why people abandon recovers more. Look for:

Surprise costs at checkout. Show shipping costs and taxes as early as possible.
Forced account creation. Offer guest checkout.
A long or confusing checkout. Remove fields you don't need.
Missing payment options your customers expect.
Slow pages, especially on mobile.
Doubts about trustUnclear returns policy, no contact details, no reviews.

Our guides to the WooCommerce checkout experience and Shopify's cart and checkout cover the store side.

Measuring results

Your platform will report recovered revenue for the flow. Also check:

Click rate per email. If email 2 gets few clicks, rewrite it.
Unsubscribes and spam complaints. A spike means the timing or tone is off.
Recovered orders vs discount cost, if you include a code.

Give a change a few weeks before judging it. Small stores need time to collect enough data.

Frequently asked questions

Can I email someone who never gave me their address?

No. If you don't have their email address, you can't contact them. You can show reminder ads to past visitors instead, if you've set up ad tracking with proper consent. See tracking ad conversions.

Should I send SMS reminders too?

SMS can work, but it needs separate, explicit consent and has strict rules in the US and elsewhere. If you add it, use a platform that handles SMS consent properly.