Grow your ecommerce store · Email marketing · 3 min read
The 5 Best Abandoned Cart Emails for Your Shopify Store
Short answer
The five abandoned cart emails worth building are the simple reminder, the objection handler, the social proof email, the last-chance incentive and the browse-abandonment follow-up. Send the first within an hour or so, space the rest over a few days, and save discounts for the final email.
Shoppers abandon carts for all kinds of reasons: unexpected shipping costs, comparing prices, a distraction, a payment hiccup, or simply not being ready. A good abandoned cart sequence addresses those reasons one at a time. These five email types, used together or in combination, cover most situations.
Shopify includes an abandoned checkout automation natively, and email platforms like Klaviyo and Omnisend offer more advanced flows. For setup steps, see how to send abandoned cart emails in Shopify.
1. The simple reminder
When: within about an hour of abandonment
Goal: remind people who were simply interrupted
What to include:
- A clear image of the product(s) left behind
- Product name, variant and price
- One prominent button back to the checkout
- A friendly, short message
Subject line ideas:
- "You left something in your cart"
- "Still thinking it over?"
- "Your [product name] is waiting"
Keep it short. Many shoppers just need a nudge and a one-click way back.
2. The objection handler
When: about a day later
Goal: answer the questions that stop people from buying
What to include:
- Shipping costs and delivery times
- Return and exchange policy
- Size or fit guidance
- Payment options, including installment payments if offered
- A way to reply with questions
Subject line ideas:
- "Questions about your order? We've got answers"
- "Free returns, fast shipping and more"
This email works especially well for apparel, higher-priced items and new brands that need to earn trust.
3. The social proof email
When: one to two days after the second email, or combined with it
Goal: reassure the shopper that others love the product
What to include:
- A few short reviews about the specific product
- Star rating and review count
- Customer photos if you have them
- Any honest credibility signals, such as press mentions
Subject line ideas:
- "Here's what customers say about [product]"
- "Rated [X] stars by real buyers" (only with real numbers)
4. The last-chance incentive
When: two to four days after abandonment
Goal: convert price-sensitive shoppers
What to include:
- A modest, time-limited incentive: free shipping, a small discount or a gift
- A clear expiry
- The product images again
Subject line ideas:
- "Free shipping on your cart, today only"
- "A little something to help you decide"
Use incentives carefully. If every abandoned cart gets a discount, some shoppers will learn to abandon on purpose. Consider limiting incentives to first-time customers or higher cart values.
5. The browse abandonment follow-up
When: a few hours to a day after someone views products without adding to cart (requires an email platform that tracks browsing for identified visitors)
Goal: catch interest earlier in the journey
What to include:
- The product they viewed
- Related products or bestsellers
- A soft call to action
This email has lower conversion rates than cart emails but reaches far more people.
Best practices for all five
- Personalize with the customer's name and exact cart contents.
- Make the button obvious and link straight to the checkout with items restored.
- Design for mobile first. Most emails are opened on phones.
- Exclude buyers from the flow once they purchase.
- Watch frequency. Customers in multiple flows can get overwhelmed. Most email tools offer smart sending limits.
- Test. Subject lines, timing and incentive type are easy to A/B test.
Measure the right things
Track recovered revenue, conversion rate per email, click rate and unsubscribe rate. If the third email drives unsubscribes but few sales, adjust or remove it.
Go further
Writing great subject lines and offers is a skill. See mastering abandoned cart emails for copy tips and the ultimate guide to email marketing for Shopify for the rest of your email program.
Frequently asked questions
How many abandoned cart emails should I send?
Two or three is a common sequence for checkout abandonment. More can work for high-priced items, but watch unsubscribe rates.
When should the first abandoned cart email go out?
Many stores send it within about an hour of abandonment while the purchase is still on the shopper's mind. Test timing for your audience.
Should abandoned cart emails include a discount?
Not in the first email. Starting with a plain reminder protects margin; test a modest incentive in a later email.
Sources and further reading
Platform features, prices and policies change. Check the official help pages linked above before you act on a detail that matters to your store.