How to Set Up Abandoned Cart Recovery in Shopify: A Beginner’s Guide
Why Abandoned Cart Recovery Matters for Your Shopify Store
Every day, customers add products to their cart and leave without completing their purchase. Studies consistently show that cart abandonment rates are high across e-commerce, especially for newer stores. The good news: Shopify includes a free abandoned cart recovery feature that sends automatic reminder emails to customers who didn’t finish checking out.
For print-on-demand sellers and other Shopify merchants, recovering even a small percentage of abandoned carts can significantly boost revenue. If you have 100 visitors and 5 abandon their carts, recovering even one sale pays for your efforts.
Understanding Shopify’s Abandoned Cart Recovery Feature
Shopify automatically sends abandoned cart emails on your behalf when a customer leaves their cart without completing payment. These emails remind them what they left behind and give them a reason to return and finish their purchase.
Important: Shopify handles this automatically for stores with the Shopify Email app (which is free and included with most plans). You don’t need to install anything extra—the system is already working for you. However, you can customize when and how these emails are sent through your Shopify Admin.
How to Access Abandoned Cart Email Settings
Follow these steps to view and customize your abandoned cart recovery emails:
- Log in to your Shopify Admin.
- Navigate to Apps in the left sidebar.
- Look for and click on Shopify Email. (If you don’t see it, search for “Email” in the apps section.)
- You’ll see a list of automated emails, including “Abandoned checkout” emails.
- Click on the abandoned checkout email to view its settings.
Once you’re in the email editor, you can see the default template Shopify provides. This is where you customize the message, timing, and who receives the email.
Key Settings to Configure
1. Email Delay and Timing
By default, Shopify sends an abandoned cart email 24 hours after a customer leaves their cart. You can adjust this timing based on your business needs:
- Send sooner (12-18 hours): Good if your customers tend to browse impulsively and might return quickly.
- Send later (36-48 hours): Useful if your store sells high-ticket items where customers need more thinking time.
The 24-hour default works well for most stores, including print-on-demand businesses. Test different timings and monitor your email open and click rates to find what works for you.
2. Enable or Disable the Email
In the email settings, you’ll see a toggle or checkbox to enable/disable the abandoned checkout email. Make sure this is turned on. If it’s already on, you’re good—Shopify is already recovering carts for you.
3. Customize the Email Content
The email template includes fields you should personalize:
- Subject line: Use something clear like “You left something behind” or “Complete your order and save.” A strong subject line increases open rates.
- Sender name: Use your store name so customers recognize who’s emailing them.
- Email body: Keep it short (2-3 sentences). Remind them what’s in their cart, mention free shipping if you offer it, or highlight a small discount.
- Call-to-action button: Make the “Complete purchase” button prominent and use action-oriented text.
4. Preview Your Email
Before publishing changes, use the preview feature to see how your email looks on mobile and desktop. Many customers check email on phones, so mobile readability is critical.
Who Receives These Emails?
Shopify sends abandoned cart emails to customers who:
- Added items to their cart and reached the checkout page.
- Did NOT complete the purchase within the time window you set.
- Have a valid email address on file.
Customers who never reach checkout (just browse products) won’t receive these emails—only those who actually commit to starting a purchase.
Best Practices for Abandoned Cart Recovery
Offer an incentive: Consider offering a small discount (5-10%) in your recovery email. A modest incentive often tips undecided customers toward completing their purchase.
Keep it simple: Don’t overcomplicate the email. Remind them what’s waiting, make the link easy to click, and move them toward checkout quickly.
Test your checkout: Sometimes carts are abandoned due to checkout issues (unclear shipping costs, payment errors, or a confusing form). Regularly test your checkout on mobile and desktop to ensure it’s smooth.
Monitor analytics: In Shopify Admin, you can track how many abandoned carts you have and how many are recovered. Check Reports > Abandoned checkouts to understand your performance.
Respect email frequency: Shopify only sends one automated abandoned cart email per cart. You don’t need to worry about spamming customers with multiple reminders from the automatic system.
Advanced: Using Third-Party Apps for Multi-Email Sequences
If you want to send multiple follow-up emails (e.g., a second email 48 hours later if they still haven’t purchased), Shopify’s built-in feature sends only one. Many Shopify apps in the App Store offer multi-email abandonment sequences. However, for beginners, start with Shopify’s free built-in feature and upgrade to a third-party app only if you want more advanced automation.
When you’re ready to scale your store’s design and functionality, explore Shopify themes from ViThemes that are built to convert visitors into customers, including recovery-friendly checkout flows.
Related Guides
- How to Set Up Multi-Currency on Shopify: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to Set Up Shopify Discount Codes and Coupons: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to Add Google Analytics to Your Shopify Store: A Beginner’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pay extra for abandoned cart emails?
No. Shopify Email (which handles abandoned cart recovery) is included free with all Shopify plans. You don’t pay per email sent.
What if a customer unsubscribes from emails?
Shopify respects customer email preferences. If someone unsubscribes from marketing emails, they won’t receive abandoned cart reminders. This is both legally required and good practice.
Can I send multiple abandoned cart emails?
Shopify’s built-in feature sends one email at your chosen delay. To send multiple follow-ups (like a second email 48 hours later), you’d need a third-party automation app.
How do I know if my abandoned cart emails are working?
Go to Reports in your Shopify Admin and look for Abandoned checkouts. This shows how many carts were abandoned and the recovery rate. Compare this over time to see if your efforts are improving performance.
Setting up abandoned cart recovery is one of the quickest wins for new Shopify stores. Turn it on, customize the message, and let Shopify automatically recover lost sales while you focus on growing your business.
