Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery: Emails, Timing and What to Fix First

Shopify can email shoppers who start checkout and leave without paying, and the built-in abandoned checkout email takes a few minutes to turn on. Set it up, write a short reminder that sounds like your store, and then fix the product page and checkout issues that made people leave in the first place.

Here is where the settings live, what to write, and when to send it.

Abandoned cart vs. abandoned checkout

Shopify tracks an abandoned checkout when a shopper reaches checkout, enters an email or phone number, and leaves before paying. That is the group the built-in recovery email reaches, because Shopify has a way to contact them.

Someone who only adds a product to the cart and leaves, without entering contact details, can't be emailed unless they are already a subscriber who agreed to receive marketing. You can see your abandoned checkouts under Orders → Abandoned checkouts, where each one shows the products, the customer and whether a recovery email was sent.

How to turn on abandoned checkout emails

Shopify has moved this setting over time, so it may be in one of two places depending on your store:

- Marketing → Automations: look for the abandoned checkout automation, open it, and turn it on. Here you can set the delay and edit the email. - Settings → Checkout: on some stores the Abandoned checkout emails section still lives here, with options for who receives it and how long to wait.

The email's wording is edited in Settings → Notifications → Customer notifications → Abandoned checkout on stores that use the notification template. You can also send a recovery email by hand: open a checkout in Orders → Abandoned checkouts and choose to send a cart recovery email.

When to send it

There's no single correct delay. A reminder that arrives a few minutes after someone left can feel pushy; one that arrives days later reaches someone who already bought elsewhere or forgot. Many stores pick something in the range of a few hours to a day after the checkout was abandoned.

Pick a delay, leave it for a few weeks, and compare recovered orders before changing it. If your automation allows a second message, a short follow-up about a day later is common; stop at two or three.

What to write in the email

Keep it short and specific. The shopper already knows the product; you are reminding them and removing the reason they hesitated.

- Subject: plain and clear. "You left something in your cart" or "Still thinking about the linen shirt?" - The product: the default template shows the items and a button back to the checkout. Keep that button prominent. - One reassurance: shipping time, return policy, or how to contact you. Only what is true for your store. - A discount, if you choose: it can help, but if every abandoned cart gets one, some shoppers learn to wait for it. Many stores leave the first email without a discount.

Before: "Complete your purchase now! Don't miss out! Limited time!" After: "Your cart is saved. The linen shirt ships in 2 business days, and returns are free for 30 days. Questions about sizing? Just reply to this email."

Fix the product page before you chase the cart

Recovery emails bring some people back but don't fix why they left. Common reasons:

1. Unexpected costs at checkout, like shipping or taxes they didn't see earlier. 2. Missing information: no sizes, materials or dimensions in the description. 3. Weak images: one photo, or none, so the shopper can't judge the product. 4. Doubt about delivery or returns because it isn't stated near the Add to cart button. 5. Something looks broken: a $0 price, a sold-out default variant, or two versions of the same product.

Fixing these on your most-visited products first means fewer carts to recover.

EcomBoost AI finds the catalog problems that cost sales, including products priced at $0, sold-out products still listed, duplicates and products with missing descriptions or images, and fixes many of them in one click. It also rewrites product descriptions from your own catalog and saves them to Shopify, and sends out-of-stock alerts. You can [check your store free](/free-store-check).

Frequently asked questions

### Does Shopify have built-in abandoned cart emails?

Yes. Shopify includes an abandoned checkout email that you can turn on in the admin, usually under Marketing → Automations or Settings → Checkout. It goes to shoppers who entered their contact details in checkout and left before paying.

### Why didn't a customer get my abandoned checkout email?

Usually because they never entered an email in checkout, the automation is turned off, or it's set to send only to subscribers who accepted marketing. Check the checkout in Orders → Abandoned checkouts to see whether an email was sent.

### Should I offer a discount in abandoned cart emails?

It's optional. A discount can bring some buyers back, but offering one every time can train shoppers to abandon on purpose. Many stores send a plain reminder first and test a discount only in a later message.