How to Set Up Abandoned Cart Recovery on Shopify

Shopify has built-in abandoned checkout recovery. Within 15 minutes, you can have emails automatically sending to customers who leave items in their cart. This guide walks through setup, optimization, and advanced options.

What Shopify Offers Natively

Shopify includes basic abandoned checkout recovery on all plans:

Features:

• Automatic emails to customers who abandon checkout
• Customizable email template
• Basic tracking (emails sent, recovered checkouts)
• One email only (not a sequence)

Limitations:

• Only triggers for checkout abandonment (not cart abandonment)
• Customer must have entered email
• Single email (not multiple follow-ups)
• Limited customization
• Basic analytics

For many stores, the built-in option is enough. For others, third-party apps provide more features.

Setting Up Native Shopify Recovery

Step 1: Enable Abandoned Checkout Emails

1. Go to Settings in Shopify admin
2. Click Checkout
3. Scroll to Abandoned checkouts section
4. Check Automatically send abandoned checkout emails
5. Choose when to send:

• 1 hour after abandonment (recommended for most stores)
• 6 hours after abandonment
• 10 hours after abandonment
• 24 hours after abandonment

Recommendation: Start with 1 hour. Customers are still in shopping mode. Longer delays work for high-consideration purchases.

Step 2: Customize Your Email

1. Click Customize email in the abandoned checkout settings
2. Edit the template:

• Subject line
• Email body
• Call-to-action button text
• Branding elements

Default template includes:

• Customer name
• Items in cart (with images)
• Link back to checkout
• Your store logo

Step 3: Test the Email

1. Add items to your own cart
2. Start checkout with your email
3. Abandon (do not complete)
4. Wait for email (or send test manually)
5. Click through to verify checkout link works

Step 4: Monitor Results

View recovery performance at:

Orders > Abandoned checkouts

See:

• Total abandoned checkouts
• Recovery email status (sent, recovered, not sent)
• Value of recovered orders

Optimizing the Default Email

The default Shopify email is functional but generic. Improvements:

Subject Line

Default: "Complete your purchase"

Better options:

• "You left something behind at [Store Name]"
• "Still thinking about [Product Name]?"
• "Your cart is waiting for you"
• "Did something go wrong at checkout?"

A/B test subject lines if using a third-party app (Shopify native does not support A/B testing).

Email Body

Default approach: Generic reminder with cart contents.

Better approach: Address likely objection + urgency.

Example structure: ` Hi [Name],

You left some items in your cart at [Store Name].

[PRODUCT IMAGES AND DETAILS]

If something went wrong during checkout, we're here to help. Just reply to this email.

If you're still deciding, no pressure. Your cart will be waiting.

[COMPLETE YOUR ORDER BUTTON]

Questions? We're here: [support email] `

Key elements:

• Acknowledge they may have had a problem
• No aggressive urgency on first email
• Clear call to action
• Easy way to get help

Call-to-Action Button

Default: "Complete your order"

Alternatives:

• "Return to your cart"
• "Finish checkout"
• "Get your [Product Category]"
• "Claim your items"

Button text should be action-oriented and specific.

When Shopify Recovery Is Not Enough

Consider third-party apps when you need:

Multiple emails: Shopify sends one email. Best practice is 3-email sequence.

Cart abandonment (not just checkout): Shopify only triggers when customer enters email at checkout. Apps can capture earlier.

SMS recovery: Shopify native is email only.

Advanced personalization: Dynamic content based on cart value, customer history, or products.

Better analytics: Detailed reporting on open rates, click rates, revenue attributed.

A/B testing: Test subject lines, send times, content.

Third-Party App Options

Klaviyo (Most Popular)

Best for: Stores wanting integrated email marketing and abandoned cart.

Features:

• Multi-email flows
• Cart and checkout abandonment
• SMS included
• Advanced segmentation
• Revenue attribution

Pricing: Free up to 250 contacts, then based on list size.

Setup time: 1-2 hours for basic flow.

Omnisend

Best for: All-in-one marketing automation.

Features:

• Email and SMS in one platform
• Pre-built abandoned cart workflows
• Easy visual builder
• Good analytics

Pricing: Free up to 250 contacts with limited features.

Shopify Email

Best for: Simple needs, keeping everything in Shopify.

Features:

• Basic abandoned cart automation
• Template library
• Simple analytics

Pricing: First 10,000 emails/month free, then $1/1,000 emails.

Privy

Best for: Pop-ups plus email plus SMS.

Features:

• Exit-intent popups to capture email
• Abandoned cart emails
• SMS recovery
• Good for smaller stores

Pricing: Free plan available, paid from $15/month.

Building a 3-Email Recovery Sequence

Best practice is multiple emails at different intervals:

Email 1: 1 Hour After (Reminder)

Goal: Catch customers who got distracted.

Tone: Helpful, not pushy.

Content:

• Reminder of what they left
• Cart contents with images
• Simple "complete checkout" CTA
• Offer help if something went wrong

No discount in Email 1. Many customers just forgot. Do not train them to expect discounts.

Email 2: 24 Hours After (Social Proof)

Goal: Address hesitation with reassurance.

Tone: Building trust.

Content:

• Cart contents
• Customer reviews of products in cart
• Trust elements (money-back guarantee, easy returns)
• "Still available" messaging if applicable

Possibly add small incentive: Free shipping, small discount, or bonus item. Test whether incentives improve conversion enough to justify margin.

Email 3: 72 Hours After (Final Reminder)

Goal: Last chance recovery.

Tone: Creating gentle urgency.

Content:

• Final reminder
• Stronger incentive if using
• Limited time framing
• Alternative products if items sold out

Example: "Your cart expires soon. We've saved your items, but we can't hold them forever. Here's 10% off to help you decide: [CODE]"

SMS Recovery Setup

SMS has higher open rates (98%) than email (20-30%). Adding SMS to recovery can boost results significantly.

When to Use SMS

• Customer has opted in to SMS marketing
• Cart value is significant (worth the SMS cost)
• You have a time-sensitive offer

SMS Timing

• Send 1 SMS only (do not spam)
• Time it differently than email (e.g., 4 hours after if Email 1 goes at 1 hour)
• Keep it short (160 characters ideal)

SMS Content Example

"Hey [Name], you left items at [Store]. Complete your order: [LINK]. Reply STOP to opt out."

SMS Apps

• Klaviyo (email + SMS)
• Postscript (SMS focused)
• Attentive (SMS focused, larger stores)
• SMSBump/Yotpo (integrated SMS)

Tracking Recovery Performance

Key Metrics

Recovery rate: Abandoned checkouts recovered / Total abandoned checkouts Benchmark: 5-15%

Email open rate: Opens / Emails sent Benchmark: 40-50% for abandoned cart emails

Click-through rate: Clicks / Emails opened Benchmark: 10-20%

Revenue recovered: Sum of order values from recovery emails Track month-over-month

Attribution

Some platforms count any purchase after email as "recovered," even if customer would have bought anyway. Look for:

• Purchases that clicked through recovery email specifically
• Time to conversion after email
• Whether customer had purchased before email send

Conservative attribution is more accurate than generous attribution.

Advanced Recovery Tactics

Segment by Cart Value

High-value carts ($200+):

• Faster recovery (30 minutes to 1 hour)
• More aggressive sequence (4 emails)
• Higher incentive if using
• Consider phone call for very high values

Low-value carts (under $50):

• Standard timing (1 hour)
• Shorter sequence (2 emails)
• Minimal or no incentive

Segment by Customer Type

First-time customers:

• Focus on trust building
• Include reviews and guarantees
• May need stronger incentive

Returning customers:

• Shorter, more direct emails
• Reference past purchases
• Less trust-building needed

Segment by Products

Different products have different abandonment reasons:

Apparel:

• Sizing concerns
• Include size guide link
• Mention easy returns

Electronics:

• Comparison shopping
• Include key specs/reviews
• Mention price match if applicable

Consumables:

• Less consideration needed
• More direct urgency
• Subscription offer

Exit-Intent Before Abandonment

Capture customers before they leave:

Exit-intent popup:

• Triggers when cursor moves to close tab
• Offers to save cart or send reminder
• Captures email if not already captured

Setup: Apps like Privy, Justuno, or OptinMonster offer exit-intent functionality.

Common Recovery Mistakes

Mistake 1: No Recovery at All

30% of Shopify stores have not enabled abandoned checkout emails. Free money left on the table.

Mistake 2: Wrong Timing

Sending too late (24 hours) for impulse purchases or too early (immediately) feels aggressive.

Fix: Start with 1 hour, adjust based on your product consideration cycle.

Mistake 3: Always Offering Discounts

Training customers to abandon for discounts.

Fix: Reserve discounts for email 2 or 3. Test whether discounts actually improve recovery enough to justify cost.

Mistake 4: Generic Content

Cookie-cutter emails that do not feel personal.

Fix: Include specific products, customer name, and address likely objections.

Mistake 5: No Testing

Assuming first setup is optimal.

Fix: A/B test subject lines, timing, and incentives. Small improvements compound.

Quick Start Checklist

Minimum viable setup (15 minutes):

• [ ] Enable Shopify abandoned checkout emails
• [ ] Set timing to 1 hour
• [ ] Customize subject line
• [ ] Add your logo and branding
• [ ] Test the flow yourself

Better setup (1-2 hours):

• [ ] Install Klaviyo or similar app
• [ ] Create 3-email sequence
• [ ] Customize each email
• [ ] Set up basic segmentation
• [ ] Test full flow

Advanced setup (4+ hours):

• [ ] Add SMS recovery
• [ ] Segment by cart value
• [ ] Segment by customer type
• [ ] Set up exit-intent popup
• [ ] Create A/B tests
• [ ] Build reporting dashboard

The Bottom Line

Abandoned cart recovery is one of the highest-ROI activities in e-commerce:

1. Start with Shopify native (free, 15 minutes to set up)
2. Optimize subject lines and timing (easy wins)
3. Upgrade to multi-email sequence (significant improvement)
4. Add SMS for high-value carts (additional channel)
5. Segment and personalize (advanced optimization)

Even basic recovery captures 5-15% of abandoned carts. For a store with $100K monthly revenue and 70% abandonment, that is $5,000-15,000 in recovered revenue per month.

Set it up today. Optimize over time.