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Email Customers Link to their Abandoned Checkout Manually on Shopify

Last updated: September 01, 2024
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

Every now and then, while shopping online, customers may get distracted and forget to complete their checkout after adding items to their cart. When they provide their contact information but don’t finish the order, their cart becomes an abandoned checkout.

Therefore, if you're using Shopify POS or a third-party sales channel, you must have the customer's email address before they abandon the checkout to send them a recovery notification. However, if you do have their email, you can manually or automatically send them a link to their abandoned checkout. This simple action can help increase your orders and maximize revenue.

Here are some simple steps that I have prepared for you on how to email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout. Scroll down for more details.

Tip: You can keep customers from abandoning their carts by using discount codes, exit offers, and security badges.

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How to email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout manually

By manually sending a customer a link to their abandoned cart, they’ll be reminded of the items they left behind. This may encourage them to complete their purchase. 

  • Step 1: Log into your Shopify store’s dashboard using your store credentials
  • Step 2: On the left sidebar, click on the “Orders” tab and then hit “Abandoned Checkouts.”
email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout
  • Step 3: From Abandoned checkouts, select the number of checkout you want to recover. 
Email Customers Link to their Abandoned Checkout Manually on Shopify
  • Step 4: After selecting exactly the number of checkouts, click “Send a cart recovery email.”
Email Customers Link to their Abandoned Checkout Manually on Shopify

Tip: You can copy-paste the cart recovery link into an email if you want to send a completely customized email yourself.

  • Step 5: (Optional) Enter a custom message and click the box beside each email address you want to send a copy to.
  • Step 6: After finishing these steps above, click on the button “Review email.”
  • Step 7:  If you have already reviewed your email, then click “Send notification.” In case you want to make any changes, click “Back.”

The Recovery status on the Abandoned checkout page will only turn into recovered if the customer completes their order using that link.

How to email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout automatically

If you manage a large number of abandoned checkouts, automatically sending recovery emails can be a lifesaver. Each email includes a link to the customer’s abandoned cart, helping them complete their checkout if they choose to do so.

However, there are a few important points to note. First, if a customer abandons multiple checkouts in a row, they will receive only one email. Second, an email will not be sent if:

  • A customer successfully places an order after abandoning multiple checkouts but before the recovery email is sent.
  • An error occurs during the payment process.
  • Your store’s activity does not include the order’s delivery directly to the customer’s address.
  • You offer the option to enter a phone number instead of an email address at checkout, and the customer provides a phone number.
  • None of the items in the cart are available, such as when they are sold out or out of stock.
  • The customer doesn’t reach the shipping page to add shipping costs, or your store offers free shipping.

Follow the steps below to email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout automatically:

  • Step 1: In your Shopify admin, go to the Settings section, then click “Checkout.”
  • Step 2: In the “Abandoned Checkout” section, select “Automatically send abandoned checkout emails.”
  • Step 3: Below Send after, pick the number of hours that Shopify should wait before delivering the abandoned checkout email:

For the next step, you have to choose who you want to send the email to their abandoned checkout to under the section named “Send to.” Here, you have two options:

  • Anyone who abandons the checkout
  • Email subscribers who abandon the checkout

Here, I choose the first one so that no one will miss their checkout.

  • Step 4: Choose the number of hours in the “Send after” section before sending the abandoned checkout email. 
  • Step 5: To complete the process, click on “Save” to save all the changes that you’ve made. 

You can examine each abandoned order email’s status by proceeding to Orders and then tapping on Abandoned checkouts. Under the Email status column, you can notice the status of each recovery email. Likewise, under Recovery status, you can see the status of the abandoned checkout.

After the delivery of an email, the checkout will show as recovered as long as the shopper taps on the recovery link and finishes the checkout. If a customer completes their order by going back to your online store instead of using the checkout recovery link, then it will not show as recovered. Remember that offering them a discount is an outstanding tactic to persuade customers to complete their orders at checkout.

Important Note: Automatic recovery emails are only sent if the abandoned checkout has a total value greater than $0.

How to email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout using the Shopify App

In addition to the useful ways mentioned above, some of Shopify apps can help you figure out how to set up abandoned checkout recovery emails.

Avada Email Marketing

  • Rating: 4.9/5
  • Total reviews: 1,850 

Avada Email Marketing is the best way for merchants to convert visitors/leads and build strong customer relationships. This allows you to follow up and convert your customers via omnichannel, including email marketing, SMS, push notifications, smart mail, automation, newsletter, sales popup forms, segment audience, and even WhatsApp. 

Key Features: 

  • Automation Workflows (Abandoned cart, Abandoned checkout, Welcome subscribers)
  • Newsletter campaigns (newsletter pop-up, customer email, email promo)
  • Capturing leads via Popup & Forms (popup window, discount pop-up, coupon popup)
  • Various email marketing templates: recart templates, fire push template, shipment
  • Personalization (Segment contacts, Product recommendation, order creation sms)

Pricing: 

  • Free plan
  • Pro plan: $16 per month
  • Advanced plan: $47 per month

SmartMail Email Marketing SMS

  • Ratings: 4.8/5
  • Total reviews: 590

SmartrMail offers a powerful email and SMS marketing solution designed for Shopify users. With AI-powered newsletters and a wide range of pre-built email automation, SmartrMail helps you connect with your customers effortlessly. Whether it's sending abandoned cart reminders, welcome emails, or back-in-stock notifications, SmartrMail provides everything you need to create high-converting email campaigns.

Key Features:

  • Comprehensive email automation includes welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, back-in-stock alerts, thank you emails, cross-sell and upsell emails, and review requests.
  • Leverage advanced AI to create personalized and engaging newsletters.
  • Access over 100 pre-made templates for newsletters, popups, and email series.
  • Combine the power of email and SMS marketing for a unified communication strategy.
  • Enjoy a hassle-free setup with one-click automations, 1-to-1 training, and 24/5 chat and phone support. 
  • Migration from other platforms like MailChimp, Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Shopify email is also available.

Pricing

  • Free plan 
  • Essentials plan: $14 per month 
  • Pro plan: $99 per month

Cartly Abandoned Cart Recovery

  • Ratings: 4.8/5
  • Total reviews: 1,153 

Care Cart is a simple and reliable solution designed to recover lost revenue by targeting abandoned carts, initiated checkouts, and incomplete orders through automated email marketing and web push notifications. This powerful system helps you re-engage customers, boosting sales and improving customer relationships.

Key Features:

  • Track and target all abandoned carts, send recovery emails to bring customers back
  • Email pop-ups for subscriptions to capture visitor information
  • Deliver special discount codes, including BFCM deals, and engage customers with the Spin-to-Win wheel to encourage purchases.
  • Strengthen customer loyalty by sending thank-you emails after orders and win-back emails to entice previous customers to return.
  • Boost sales and maintain strong customer relationships with automated email campaigns tailored to your business needs.

Pricing:

  • Basic plan: $0 per month
  • Pro plan: $14.99 per month
  • Annual plan: $79 per year

Related article: 

So, How To Make An Impressive Abandoned Cart Email

Creating abandoned cart emails is simple, but crafting effective ones requires attention to several key elements.

Reminder of Abandoned Items

When customers leave items in their cart, a timely reminder can prompt them to complete their purchase. Sending a reminder email a few hours after the abandoned checkout keeps your products in front of customers, making it easy for them to return and finalize their orders.

Compelling Copy

In addition to reminding customers of what they’ve left behind, great copy is essential in an abandoned cart email. Think of it as a premium marketing opportunity—your copy should be as captivating as any other marketing material. 

A well-crafted message with a sense of urgency like “Limited edition—Selling out fast,” can drive customers to act quickly, leveraging the power of scarcity to boost sales.

Advanced Tips

  • Offer a Discount: Depending on the cart value, you can provide discounts like 10%, 20%, or even 50% to entice customers to complete their purchase.
  • HTML for Visual Appeal: While optional, incorporating HTML can enhance your email’s visual appeal with stunning themes and product photography. Great visuals can draw customers back to your site, but if this feels burdensome, focus on crafting excellent copy instead.
  • Reserve Cart Items: Creating a sense of scarcity is crucial for encouraging customers to complete their orders. Reserving the items in their cart for a limited time can increase urgency and prompt a purchase.

The Final Email

A well-rounded abandoned cart email incorporates many of the elements mentioned above. For instance, a thoughtful shop might start by offering a 10% discount code. Next, they could inform the customer that their cart will be reserved for a week, providing a direct link to their abandoned cart. 

Additionally, the email might include a phone number and email address for customer support, showing genuine care by asking about the reasons for the incomplete checkout. 

In Conclusion

Briefly, a checkout recovery email is necessary for you to convert more orders and maximize the revenue. In the instructions above, I have added some important tips that you can use as well as some illustration pictures for you to easily imagine how to do. I hope my writing has somehow cleared up your confusion regarding how to email a customer a link to their abandoned checkout.

FAQs

Shopify makes reconnecting with customers who leave items in their carts is simple. You can set up automatic abandoned checkout emails that will be triggered after a specific time, customizable to fit your brand’s voice.  Alternatively, for a personal touch, you can manually send an email directly from the abandoned checkout page, including a link back to their cart.

Yes, abandoned checkout emails absolutely work! They're a powerful tool to re-engage potential customers and recover lost sales. Studies show that nearly half of abandoned checkout emails are opened, and almost a third of those lead to a recovered sale. By sending a timely reminder and perhaps even a small incentive, you can gently nudge customers back to their carts and complete their purchase.

There are two primary ways to send an email for an abandoned cart in Shopify, however I will mention that the method is automatic abandoned checkout emails.
  • Step 1: Enable the feature: Navigate to your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout, and find the "Abandoned checkouts" section. Enable the "Send abandoned checkout emails" option.
  • Step 2: Customize the email: Shopify provides a default template that you can customize. Personalize the subject line, body content, and include a clear call to action with a link back to the abandoned cart.
  • Step 3: Set the timing: You can choose when to send the email (e.g., 1 hour, 6 hours, or 24 hours after abandonment). You can also create multiple emails with different timings and content for a more effective recovery sequence.

People abandon checkouts on Shopify for several reasons, often due to unexpected costs or issues during checkout. High shipping fees, taxes, or hidden charges can surprise customers, causing them to rethink their purchase. Additionally, mandatory account creation, lengthy forms, and slow delivery times can discourage shoppers. Moreover, some customers may just browse or compare prices with plans to return later, but they might get distracted or forget. 


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.

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