How to send abandoned cart emails that bring shoppers back
Send a short reminder within a few hours that shows what they left and links straight back to their saved checkout, then one follow-up about a day later that answers a likely doubt (delivery, returns, sizing). Stop the moment they order, and only email people who gave you their address and are allowed to receive it.
Why it matters
Many online shoppers add items and leave without paying. Some were just browsing, but many were interrupted, unsure about delivery costs, or comparing. A reminder with a direct link back to the filled cart removes the effort of starting again.
Abandoned checkout emails are among the most reliable automated emails an online shop can run, because they reach people at the moment of highest intent with something they already chose.
They work best when they help rather than pressure: answering the questions that stopped the purchase, not just shouting about a discount.
How to do it by hand
Check what your shop platform already does
Shopify and WooCommerce (with an extension) can send abandoned checkout emails with a recovery link. Turn it on and replace the default text with your own.
Get the timing right
Send the first email around one to four hours after they leave, while it's still fresh. A second email around 24 hours later. A third is optional and should be the last.
Show the cart and link straight back
Include the product name, image and price, and a button that opens their saved checkout, not your home page.
Answer the likely doubts
Delivery cost and time, returns, sizing, payment options, and how to ask a question. These are the usual reasons people hesitate at checkout.
Be careful with discounts
If every abandoned cart gets a code, some shoppers learn to abandon on purpose. Try the reminder without a discount first; add a small incentive only in the last email, if at all.
Respect consent and stop on purchase
Rules on emailing people who started a checkout differ by country; in the EU and UK you generally need consent or a clear legal basis, so many shops add a marketing checkbox at checkout. Always stop the emails once they order.
How to do it in Wirk
- Integrations → Shopify (Install on Shopify) or WooCommerce: connect your shop. Check it under Integrations → Stores.
- Under Starter journeys for your store, tick Abandoned checkout → Create 1 draft.
- Open it in Campaigns → Journeys and edit the 1-hour email (with the link back to the cart) and the 1-day reminder.
- Click Publish → Send for approval. Placing an order ends the journey for that shopper.
Prefer WhatsApp too? The Abandoned cart rescue recipe (Automate → Recipes) sends a WhatsApp after an hour, an email after four and a coupon after a day; create the coupon in your shop first.
Example output
Example for a sample business
Two abandoned checkout emails
Ember & Oak, a small online shop selling handmade candles in Toronto
A shopper left a gift set in their checkout on a Sunday evening.
Subject: Your candle gift set is still here Hi Jordan, You left the Cedar & Smoke gift set (three 8 oz candles, $54) in your checkout. We've saved it for you. [Return to your checkout] Every candle is poured by hand in our Toronto studio in small batches, using soy wax and cotton wicks, so stock can run low before the holidays. Questions about scents or delivery? Just reply to this email and Maya will get back to you. Ember & Oak
Subject: Quick answers before you decide Hi Jordan, In case these help with the Cedar & Smoke gift set: Delivery: free on orders over $50 in Canada, usually 2–4 working days. Gift wrapping: free, with a handwritten note if you add one at checkout. Returns: unused candles can be returned within 30 days. [Complete your order] If it's not quite right, reply and tell us who it's for. We're happy to suggest something. Maya, Ember & Oak
Written by our team for a sample business, not generated by Wirk
Template to copy
First abandoned cart email
Subject: Your [product] is still here Hi [first name], You left [product, short detail, price] in your checkout. We've saved it for you. [Button: Return to your checkout] [One line on what makes it good: how it's made, why people love it.] Questions about [delivery / sizing / returns]? Just reply to this email. [Business name]
Common mistakes
Linking to the home page
Making people find the product and fill the cart again loses many of them. Always link to their saved checkout.
A discount in every first email
It cuts your margin on people who would have bought anyway and teaches shoppers to wait. Lead with help, not codes.
Not stopping after purchase
Getting 'you forgot something!' after you've paid feels sloppy. Make sure an order ends the sequence.
Too many reminders
Five emails in three days turns a helpful nudge into pressure. Two, maybe three, is enough.
Questions and answers
When should I send an abandoned cart email?
The first within a few hours (often around one hour), the second about a day later. If you send a third, make it the last and space it a couple of days after the second.
Should abandoned cart emails include a discount?
Not usually the first one. Many shoppers just needed a reminder or an answer. If you test an incentive, keep it small and put it in the last email.
Is it legal to send abandoned cart emails?
It depends on where you and your customers are. In the EU and UK you generally need marketing consent or a clear legal basis, so many shops add a checkbox at checkout. Check the rules for your markets.
Can I send abandoned cart reminders on WhatsApp?
Yes, if the shopper gave their number and agreed to receive messages there, using an approved template on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Email is the safer default.