Quick answer: Shopify records an abandoned checkout when a shopper enters their email or contact details at checkout and leaves without paying. You can send an automatic recovery email from Settings, then Checkout, choosing who receives it and when it goes out. One email is a good start, but stores often recover more with a short sequence of two or three messages through an email app, a better-written template and fixes to whatever is making people leave, such as surprise shipping costs or forced account creation.
Every Shopify store sees shoppers who get as far as checkout and then disappear. Some were just checking the total. Others got distracted, hit a problem or wanted to compare prices. Because these shoppers have already chosen products and started paying, they are among the most valuable people to bring back.
This guide covers how Shopify handles abandoned checkouts, how to set up and improve recovery emails, and how to reduce abandonment at the source.
Abandoned carts vs abandoned checkouts
These terms are often used interchangeably, but in Shopify they mean different things.
- Abandoned cart: a shopper adds products to the cart and leaves without starting checkout. Shopify does not know who they are, so it cannot email them.
- Abandoned checkout: a shopper starts checkout, enters their email address (or phone number, depending on your settings) and leaves before completing payment. Shopify saves the checkout and can contact them.
Shopify’s built-in recovery only works for abandoned checkouts. To reach people who abandon earlier, you need an app that captures emails sooner, such as through an account login, a pop-up or Facebook Messenger. Our general guide to cart abandonment covers the wider causes and fixes.
Finding abandoned checkouts in Shopify
In the Shopify admin, go to Orders, then Abandoned checkouts. You will see each checkout with the customer’s details, the items, the value and whether a recovery email was sent. From any abandoned checkout you can also send the recovery link manually, which is handy for high-value carts where a personal email from the owner might work better than an automated one.
Setting up automatic recovery emails
- Go to Settings, then Checkout.
- Scroll to the Abandoned checkouts section.
- Tick the option to automatically send abandoned checkout emails.
- Choose who to send to: anyone who abandons checkout, or only customers who agreed to receive marketing emails.
- Choose when to send: Shopify offers several delays, from one hour up to a day after the checkout was abandoned. Shopify suggests a delay of around 10 hours as a starting point.
- Save.
Which recipients should you choose?
Sending to everyone recovers more checkouts, but think about your audience and the law. With GDPR applying from 25 May, stores selling to EU customers should review whether recovery emails count as marketing in their situation and what consent they have. Many stores are moving to opt-in checkboxes and making sure their privacy policy explains recovery emails clearly. Get advice if you are unsure.
Choosing the timing
An email sent within an hour reaches shoppers while the purchase is still on their mind, but it can feel pushy. A delay of several hours gives people time to come back on their own. Test both if you have enough volume. For impulse purchases, earlier often works better; for considered purchases, a longer gap can feel less intrusive.
Improving the recovery email
Shopify’s default template works, but it is generic. You can edit it under Settings, then Notifications, then Abandoned checkout. The template uses Liquid, so you can change text, layout and logic.
What a good recovery email includes
- A clear subject line. Something simple and friendly, such as “You left something in your basket” or “Still thinking it over?”.
- The products. Show images, names, options and prices so the shopper remembers exactly what they chose.
- A prominent button back to their checkout, with the items already filled in.
- Reassurance. Free returns, delivery times, secure payment and a way to ask questions.
- Your brand voice. Use the same tone and design as your store, not the default plain style.
- Contact details for anyone who had a problem at checkout.
Should you include a discount?
A discount can tip undecided shoppers, but offering one in the first email trains customers to abandon checkout on purpose. A common approach is no discount in the first email, and a modest incentive in a later email if they still have not bought. Use unique or expiring codes rather than one public code that will end up on coupon sites.
Adding a follow-up sequence
Shopify’s built-in feature sends one email per abandoned checkout. Email marketing apps from the Shopify App Store, such as Klaviyo, Mailchimp’s Shopify integration and other dedicated recovery apps, can send a sequence instead. A typical sequence looks like this:
- First email, a few hours after abandonment: a friendly reminder with the products and a link back.
- Second email, about a day later: answer common objections, add reviews or highlight returns policy.
- Third email, two or three days later: a final reminder, possibly with a small incentive.
These apps also let you personalise by cart value, product type or customer history, and track recovered revenue per email. If you use one, switch off Shopify’s built-in email to avoid sending duplicates. For more on sequencing emails, see our guide to drip campaigns.
Other channels
Some recovery apps add Facebook Messenger or SMS reminders, which can work well for audiences who rarely check email. They need explicit opt-in, so make sure the sign-up step is clear and that you follow the rules for each channel.
On Shopify Plus
Plus stores have more control over checkout through checkout.liquid customisation and Shopify Scripts, and can use Shopify Flow to automate tasks such as tagging high-value abandoned checkouts for follow-up. These tools help larger stores tailor recovery to customer segments.
Fix the reasons people abandon
Recovery emails rescue some sales, but reducing abandonment in the first place is worth more. Look for:
- Unexpected costs. Shipping and taxes revealed only at the last step are a leading cause. Show shipping costs or a free shipping threshold on product and cart pages.
- Forced account creation. In Settings, then Checkout, you can make customer accounts optional. Our article on guest checkout explains why this matters.
- Limited payment options. Offer the methods your customers expect, such as PayPal and major cards, and check that Apple Pay or other wallets are available where supported.
- Slow or confusing mobile experience. Test checkout on a phone, including discount code entry and address autocomplete.
- Trust concerns. Show clear contact details, returns information and secure payment notes.
- Delivery uncertainty. Give realistic delivery estimates before checkout.
Shopify’s checkout itself is fast and well tested, so most fixes happen on the product page, cart and store policies rather than in checkout.
Measuring recovery
Track:
- Abandoned checkout rate (checkouts started versus completed).
- Recovery rate (abandoned checkouts later completed).
- Revenue recovered by email.
- Unsubscribes and spam complaints from recovery emails.
Shopify’s Abandoned checkouts page shows recovery status for each checkout, and email apps report revenue per message. In Google Analytics, enhanced ecommerce funnels show where in checkout people drop off.
FAQ
Why are some abandoned checkouts not getting emails?
Check your recipient setting. If it is set to marketing subscribers only, shoppers who did not tick the marketing box will not receive one. Also check whether an app is handling recovery instead.
Can I send recovery emails for abandoned carts, not just checkouts?
Not with Shopify’s built-in feature, because the shopper has not given an email yet. Apps that identify shoppers earlier can do this.
How many recovery emails is too many?
Two or three over a few days is a common limit. More than that tends to annoy people and increase unsubscribes.
Turn near-misses into orders
Abandoned checkouts are customers who almost bought. A well-timed, helpful email and a smoother checkout bring many of them back. If you want help setting up recovery and reducing drop-off across your store, see how we help shops turn visitors into customers.
