How to set up an abandoned cart email Shopify successfully

Summer Nguyen | 09-15-2025

Most e-commerce store owners face the problem of abandoned cart orders. In most cases, potential customers begin filling out their checkout form, only to abandon it and never return.

Site owners have to fix this problem if they don’t want to lose sales. And, the most effective approach for solving this issue is to set up an abandoned cart email in Shopify that encourages customers to come back and finalize their purchases.

In this blog, we will give you a comprehensive guide on how to set up an abandoned cart email in Shopify successfully. Let’s dive into the article now!

Table of Contents

What is a Shopify abandoned cart email?

A Shopify abandoned cart email is a type of automated email that Shopify store owners can send to customers who have placed items in their cart but haven’t finalized their purchase. These emails remind and encourage customers to return to the website and complete their abandoned cart transactions.

What is a Shopify abandoned cart email?

The primary purpose is to recover potentially lost sales by re-engaging customers who showed initial interest but didn’t complete the purchase.

According to a study by Baymard Institute, abandoned cart recovery emails achieve:

  • 45% open rate
  • 23% click-through rate

These emails often include product details, images, and incentives like discounts or free shipping.

Shopify allows store owners to customize content and timing, making them a powerful tool to increase conversion rates and boost revenue.

Why do you need to set up an abandoned cart email in Shopify?

Why do you need abandoned cart emails?

  • Recover Lost Sales: Bring back customers who left at checkout.
  • Increase Conversion Rates: Persuasive, well-timed emails lead to higher purchases.
  • Customer Retention: Shows customers you value their shopping experience.
  • Customization & Personalization: Add product details, images, and incentives.
  • Automated Follow-Up: Shopify handles the process once set up.
  • Data Insights: Track abandoned products and optimize strategy.
  • Competitive Advantage: Most top e-commerce stores use recovery emails.

In short, abandoned cart emails are essential for maximizing revenue and reducing cart abandonment.

12 Steps to set up abandoned cart email in Shopify

Setting up abandoned cart recovery in Shopify is straightforward. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Log in to Your Shopify Admin

Open your browser, go to Shopify, and log in.

Step 2: Access the Shopify Admin Dashboard

Once logged in, you’ll land on the admin dashboard.

Step 3: Navigate to Settings

Click Settings at the bottom-left of your admin panel.

Step 3

Step 4: Choose Notifications

In the Settings menu, select Notifications.

Step 5: Set Up Your Abandoned Checkout Email

  • Scroll down to Abandoned Checkouts.
  • Click to configure your recovery email.

Step 5: Set Up Your Abandoned Checkout Email

  • Scroll down to the Abandoned Checkouts section.
  • Click on Abandoned Checkouts to configure your email.

Step 5

Step 6: Customize Email Content

  • Customize the subject, sender name, and email body.
  • Use placeholders (like customer’s name or cart details) to personalize the email.

Step 7: Enable the Abandoned Checkout Email

Toggle the Enabled option to activate the abandoned cart recovery email.

Step 8: Schedule Email Timing

Choose when the email will be sent after cart abandonment. Shopify provides options like 1 hour, 6 hours, or 24 hours.

Step 9: Customize Additional Notifications (Optional)

In the Notifications settings, you can also edit other email templates such as order confirmations, shipping updates, and customer interactions.

Step 10: Preview and Test the Email

  • Use the Preview option to see how the email looks.
  • Send a test email to your own inbox to verify the design and functionality.

Step 10

Step 11: Save Your Settings

Click Save to apply your abandoned cart email setup.

Step 12: Monitor and Analyze Results

  • Track performance with Shopify’s analytics tools.
  • Review metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and recovered carts.
  • Adjust your strategy and content for better results.

By following these 12 steps, you can successfully set up and configure abandoned cart emails in your Shopify store to recover potentially lost sales and enhance your e-commerce business’s success.

Tips for successfully setting up abandoned cart email in Shopify

Setting up abandoned cart email functionality in Shopify is just the beginning. To ensure the success of your abandoned cart email campaign, consider the following tips:

Tips for successfully setting up abandoned cart email in Shopify

  • Timing is Crucial: Choose the right timing for your abandoned cart emails. Test different time intervals (e.g., 1 hour, 6 hours, 24 hours) to find what works best for your audience.
  • Personalization: Customize your emails with the customer’s name, abandoned cart items, and any other relevant information. Personalized emails are more engaging.
  • Compelling Subject Lines: Craft attention-grabbing subject lines that encourage customers to open your email.
  • Clear Call to Action (CTA): Make the purpose of the email clear and include a prominent CTA button that directs customers back to their cart.
  • Incentives and Discounts: Consider offering incentives or discounts in your abandoned cart emails.
  • Engaging Content: Use high-quality images of the abandoned items and concise product descriptions.
  • Social Proof: Include reviews or testimonials to build trust.
  • Mobile Optimization: Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly.
  • A/B Testing: Test different templates, subject lines, and incentives.
  • Segmentation: Send different follow-up emails to first-time visitors and returning customers.
  • Monitor and Analyze: Track open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
  • Follow Up with a Series: Send multiple reminders instead of just one.
  • Customer Support: Include clear contact information.
  • Optimize Your Checkout Process: Reduce friction in the checkout flow.
  • Compliance with Anti-Spam Regulations: Always provide an easy way to unsubscribe.

By implementing these tips, you can increase the effectiveness of your abandoned cart email strategy and recover more sales.

5 Shopify abandoned cart recovery apps for your Shopify store

Recovering abandoned shopping carts is a crucial aspect of e-commerce, and there are various Shopify apps designed to help you with this task. Here are five Shopify abandoned cart recovery apps that were popular at the time:

5 Shopify abandoned cart recovery apps for your Shopify store

Avada Email Marketing, SMS, Pop Up provides a comprehensive solution for businesses aiming to transform their website visitors and potential leads into loyal customers.

This platform allows you to engage and convert your customer base through multiple communication channels, such as email marketing, SMS, push notifications, and WhatsApp.

The primary functionalities encompass intelligent email campaigns, automated processes, mass emailing, newsletters, SMS marketing, sales popup forms, audience segmentation, in-depth analytics, campaign monitoring, interactive spin-to-win elements, and push notifications.

Key characteristics:

  • Automation Workflows
  • Newsletter campaigns
  • Capturing leads via Popup & Forms
  • Various email marketing templates
  • Personalization

Pricing: Free to install, $16/month for the Pro level, and $47/month for the Advanced level Rating: ⭐ 4.9 (based on 1,419 reviews)

2. PushOwl

Through PushOwl’s web push feature, you can effortlessly transform store visitors into subscribers in a single click, without personal details like email addresses or phone numbers.

Deliver web push notifications to your subscribers’ devices, promoting products and offers directly on their screens, effectively converting them into customers and boosting sales. Web push notifications serve as an ideal marketing avenue for swiftly engaging and marketing to unidentified online shoppers.

Leveraging PushOwl enables you to enhance sales by employing focused web push strategies and easily reclaiming abandoned shopping carts, ultimately driving more purchases.

Key characteristics:

  • Instantly collect subscribers
  • Craft a web push campaign in minutes
  • Recover abandoned carts
  • Understand customer behavior and personalize your marketing
  • Track your web push marketing performance

Pricing: Free to install, business plans starting from $19/month and $38/month Rating: ⭐ 5.0 (based on 2,759 reviews)

3. Sendvio: Email Marketing & SMS

Sendvio is an all-inclusive email and SMS marketing automation solution designed to cultivate customer loyalty and enhance customer retention.

With Sendvio, you can effortlessly integrate robust editors directly into your Shopify dashboard. This integration provides access to diverse template libraries for email campaigns, popup forms, and finely-tuned workflows.

These resources empower you to craft personalized email and SMS automation strategies that offer substantial value to your customers.

Key characteristics:

  • Workflow editor for email and SMS automation
  • Ready-made templates
  • Audience management toolset
  • Revenue reports
  • Multiple tools to improve and protect reputation

Pricing: Free to install, $11/month (Starter), $38/month (Growth), $98/month (Business) Rating: ⭐ 4.9 (based on 449 reviews)

4. Postscript SMS Marketing

Postscript is a versatile tool designed for developing and implementing SMS programs to boost revenue by actively engaging customers through text messages.

Postscript facilitates meaningful interactions and conversions throughout every phase of the customer journey. Whether you’re communicating individually or reaching a large audience, Postscript ensures that your text messages are personalized, conversational, and fully compliant with relevant regulations.

Leverage SMS Marketing to expand your subscriber list, craft effective messaging strategies, offer customer support, and drive sales. SMS Sales combines the expertise of trained sales associates with specialized SMS Sales software to interact with your subscribers, effectively converting more of them into satisfied customers.

Key characteristics:

  • Drive traffic and sales
  • Track revenue and ROI
  • Manage and respond to text conversations
  • Engage audiences
  • Ensure your messages arrive quickly

Pricing: Free to install, $100/month for the Growth level, and $500/month for the Professional level Rating: ⭐ 4.9 (based on 1,932 reviews)

5. Zalify Pixels, Popups & Emails

Zalify is a tool for seamlessly gathering precise customer data, enabling the creation of tailored campaigns and realizing a greater return on investment (ROI).

By harnessing Zalify’s capabilities, you can unlock your marketing potential. The tool aids in the collection of accurate customer data, which can be leveraged to create highly personalized popups and email campaigns that not only boost sales but also maximize ROI.

Zalify provides unparalleled insights into customer behaviors and interactions, equipping you with the knowledge needed to make well-informed marketing choices and drive sustainable growth.

Key characteristics:

  • Seamless browser and server-side pixel tracking
  • Integrated traffic, product, and sales data into a single report
  • Retrieve abandoned shopping carts and checkouts
  • Create personalized popups, forms, and email campaigns

Pricing: Free to install, $19/month (Basic), $49/month (Pro), $99/month (Premium) Rating: ⭐ 4.9 (based on 137 reviews)

The bottom line

In conclusion, mastering the art of setting up abandoned cart emails in Shopify is not just about recovering lost sales; it’s about building lasting connections with your customers. By creating a seamless, personalized, and timely recovery process, you not only entice shoppers to complete their purchases but also demonstrate your commitment to their needs.

Summer Nguyen

Summer Nguyen

Summer is the CMO and Digital Commerce Solution Expert with 10+ years of experience. She specializes in Magento, Shopify, ERP, CRM, AI, and Blockchain, delivering strategic solutions that transform businesses. With a deep understanding of digital commerce, she helps brands scale and stay ahead in a competitive market.