Skip to main content
Retention Steward

Resource guide

Abandoned-cart email management

Abandoned cart emails remind someone about items they left in a cart. This explainer covers what to check and what to ask. It does not add new scope: cart work is not an extra included flow.

First, how this relates to our scope

This page is a buyer explainer, not an additional service. An abandoned cart series is not an extra included flow. The offer includes one automation improvement, with the project limits agreed in writing. Further automation work is separately scoped.

If you choose an existing cart series as that single improvement project, it can be considered. Any other cart work, such as building a new cart series alongside a welcome project, would need a separate conversation about fit and a separate written scope agreement. Nothing beyond the included project is promised.

How cart reminders generally work

When a shopper who can be identified starts checkout and leaves, the email platform connected to your store may be able to send a reminder. What is possible depends on your platform, its settings and the data it receives from Shopify.

Because these emails mention specific items and prices, accuracy matters more than clever copy.

What to check

Whoever manages these emails should be able to explain each of these checks clearly.

  • Only people who gave permission for marketing email receive marketing content.
  • Suppressed contacts are excluded.
  • People who complete their purchase stop receiving reminders.
  • Product names, images and prices shown match the store.
  • Subject line and preview text are accurate and not misleading.
  • Links return to the right place, and the email reads well on mobile and desktop.

A note on discounts

Automatically offering a discount to everyone who leaves a cart can teach regular customers to wait. Whether to include one is your decision. If an offer is used, its terms should be stated plainly and checked before approval.

Approval and honest numbers

Any change should be approved by you in writing, against the exact final version, before it is switched on. Reported cart revenue follows the email tool’s own attribution rules. Some of those shoppers would likely have returned anyway, so treat the figures as a guide rather than proof.