Approximately 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout is completed. That is not a typo — seven out of every ten customers who add items to their cart leave without buying. For most Shopify stores, this represents thousands of pounds in recoverable revenue every month.

Abandoned checkout emails are the most effective tool for recovering this lost revenue. They work because the customer has already demonstrated purchase intent — they found your product, added it to their cart, and started the checkout process. Something stopped them, and a well-crafted email can address that something and bring them back.

This guide covers both Shopify's built-in recovery emails and how to build a more sophisticated multi-email flow using Klaviyo. We also explore the strategy behind timing, messaging, and incentives that maximise recovery rates without training customers to abandon carts deliberately.

Why abandoned checkout emails matter

The numbers behind cart abandonment are striking. The average cart abandonment rate across ecommerce sits at around 69-70%, according to the Baymard Institute's aggregated research. But the recovery potential is equally impressive — abandoned cart emails have an average open rate of 40-45% and a click-through rate of 10-15%, making them one of the highest-performing email types in ecommerce.

Common reasons for cart abandonment

  • Unexpected shipping costs — the number one reason, cited by over 48% of abandoners
  • Required account creation — forcing customers to create an account adds friction
  • Complex checkout process — too many steps or form fields
  • Security concerns — not trusting the site with payment information
  • Just browsing — using the cart as a wishlist or comparison tool
  • Price comparison — checking your prices against other stores
  • Technical issues — errors, slow loading, or payment failures

Your recovery emails need to address these concerns directly. A generic "you forgot something" email is better than nothing, but a strategically crafted sequence that tackles specific objections will recover significantly more revenue. For more on reducing abandonment at the checkout stage, see our Shopify checkout customisation guide.

Cart abandonment statistics showing recovery email performance
Abandoned checkout emails consistently outperform other email types on open rates and click-through rates because the recipient has already demonstrated purchase intent.

Setting up Shopify's native recovery emails

Shopify includes a built-in abandoned checkout recovery email. It is limited to a single email but it is free, requires no apps, and can be set up in minutes.

Step-by-step setup

  1. Go to Settings > Checkout in your Shopify admin
  2. Scroll to the Abandoned checkouts section
  3. Check Automatically send abandoned checkout emails
  4. Choose when to send the email: 1 hour, 6 hours, 10 hours, or 24 hours after abandonment
  5. Optionally customise the email template under Settings > Notifications > Abandoned checkout
  6. Click Save

Customising the email template

Shopify's default recovery email is functional but generic. You can customise it by going to Settings > Notifications and editing the HTML template. Add your brand colours, logo, and messaging. Include the abandoned products with images and prices. Add your contact information and trust signals like free returns or secure checkout badges.

Limitations of Shopify's built-in emails

Shopify's native abandoned checkout email has several significant limitations that make it inadequate for stores serious about revenue recovery.

  • Single email only. You can only send one email per abandoned checkout. Best practice is a sequence of 2-4 emails, each with different messaging and timing.
  • Limited customisation. The email template offers basic HTML editing but lacks the design flexibility and dynamic content capabilities of dedicated email platforms.
  • No segmentation. Every abandoner receives the same email regardless of their cart value, customer status, or abandonment reason.
  • No A/B testing. You cannot test different subject lines, send times, or content variations to optimise performance.
  • Limited analytics. Shopify provides basic recovery tracking but not the detailed engagement metrics needed to optimise your flow.

For these reasons, most growing Shopify stores graduate to a dedicated email marketing platform like Klaviyo for their abandoned checkout flows.

Shopify abandoned checkout settings in the admin
Shopify's native recovery email is a good starting point but lacks the multi-email sequences and segmentation that maximise revenue recovery.

Building an advanced flow in Klaviyo

Klaviyo is the gold standard for Shopify email marketing, and its abandoned checkout flow is one of the platform's most powerful features. Here is how to set up a high-performing recovery sequence.

Prerequisites

  1. Install and configure the Klaviyo Shopify integration
  2. Disable Shopify's native abandoned checkout email to avoid duplicate sends
  3. Ensure your Shopify checkout is collecting email addresses as early as possible in the process

Creating the flow

  1. In Klaviyo, go to Flows and click Create Flow
  2. Select the Abandoned Cart template or start from scratch
  3. Set the trigger to Started Checkout (this captures more abandoners than the Checkout Started metric)
  4. Add a flow filter: Has not Placed Order since starting this flow — this ensures the flow stops when someone completes their purchase
  5. Build your email sequence (detailed below)

Email 1: The gentle reminder

Send 1-4 hours after abandonment. Keep the tone helpful, not pushy. The customer may have been interrupted or experienced a technical issue. Simply remind them that their cart is waiting.

Key elements

  • Clear subject line: "You left something behind" or "Your cart is waiting"
  • Product images and names from the abandoned cart
  • Prices clearly displayed
  • A prominent "Return to cart" button
  • Your customer service contact details in case they had an issue
  • No discount — save incentives for later emails

Email 2: Address objections

Send 24 hours after abandonment. This email should tackle the most common reasons people do not complete their purchase. Address shipping concerns, highlight your returns policy, and include social proof.

Key elements

  • Subject line addressing a concern: "Questions about your order?" or "Free returns on everything"
  • Shipping information and delivery timeline
  • Returns policy summary
  • Customer reviews or ratings for the abandoned products
  • Trust badges: secure checkout, payment options, SSL
  • The abandoned products with a return-to-cart link
Abandoned checkout email sequence in Klaviyo flow builder
A three-email abandoned checkout sequence in Klaviyo lets you vary the messaging and gradually increase urgency.

Email 3: Create urgency

Send 48-72 hours after abandonment. If the customer has not responded to the reminder or the objection-handling email, introduce urgency. This is where you might consider a small incentive if appropriate for your brand.

Key elements

  • Subject line creating urgency: "Your cart is expiring" or "Last chance: items going fast"
  • A genuine reason for urgency — limited stock, cart reservation expiring, or a time-limited offer
  • If using a discount, make it modest (5-10%) and time-limited
  • Final call-to-action with a strong return-to-cart button
  • Alternative: suggest similar products in case the original items are not quite right

Subject lines that get opened

Your subject line determines whether the email gets opened or ignored. Here are patterns that consistently perform well for abandoned checkout emails.

Effective subject line patterns

  • Direct reminders: "You left something in your bag" — simple and effective
  • Question-based: "Still thinking about it?" — conversational and non-pushy
  • Product-specific: "The [Product Name] is still waiting for you" — personalised and specific
  • Urgency-based: "Your cart expires in 24 hours" — use sparingly and honestly
  • Social proof: "This is our bestseller — and it is in your cart" — combines popularity with a reminder

A/B test your subject lines rigorously. Even small improvements in open rate compound into significant revenue over time. See our guide on Klaviyo A/B testing for methodology.

Optimal timing for each email

Timing is critical for recovery emails. Send too early and the customer may still be on your site. Send too late and they have already purchased elsewhere or lost interest entirely.

Recommended timing

  • Email 1: 1-4 hours after abandonment. Early enough that the purchase is still fresh in their mind, late enough that they have clearly left.
  • Email 2: 24 hours after abandonment. Gives the customer a full day to return on their own before the second touch.
  • Email 3: 48-72 hours after abandonment. Final attempt with increased urgency or a small incentive.

Test different timings with your specific audience. Some brands find that a 30-minute first email performs better than a 4-hour delay. Others find that spacing emails further apart reduces unsubscribes. Your data will tell you what works best for your customers.

Abandoned checkout email timing diagram showing optimal send windows
The timing of each email in your recovery sequence directly impacts open rates and overall recovery performance.

Personalising recovery emails

Generic recovery emails convert. Personalised recovery emails convert significantly better. Here is how to personalise your abandoned checkout flow beyond just including the customer's name.

Cart contents

Always include the specific products the customer abandoned, with images, names, and prices. This visual reminder is the most powerful element of any recovery email. In Klaviyo, use the dynamic cart content block to pull this data automatically.

Customer history

If the customer has purchased before, acknowledge it: "Welcome back, Sarah — your order is waiting." First-time visitors might need more trust signals, while returning customers might respond better to loyalty-based messaging.

Cart value segmentation

Consider different approaches based on cart value. High-value carts might warrant a personal email from your team or a phone call. Low-value carts might benefit more from a free shipping incentive that pushes them over a threshold.

Should you offer a discount?

This is the most debated question in cart recovery strategy. The short answer: it depends on your brand positioning and your margins.

Arguments for discounts

  • They work — discount-based recovery emails typically have higher conversion rates than non-discount emails
  • Recovering a discounted sale is better than losing the sale entirely
  • For first-time customers, a small discount can overcome the trust barrier

Arguments against discounts

  • Customers learn to abandon carts deliberately to trigger discounts
  • Discounting erodes perceived value and brand positioning
  • It reduces margins on sales that might have converted at full price
  • Once you start, it is hard to stop without losing recovery revenue

The balanced approach

If you offer a discount, make it the third email only, keep it modest (5-10% or free shipping), make it time-limited (expires in 24-48 hours), and only offer it to first-time customers. Returning customers who already trust your brand should receive urgency and social proof instead of discounts. For a deeper look at discount strategy, see our guide on setting up discount codes on Shopify.

A/B test results comparing discount vs non-discount recovery emails
Test whether discounts in recovery emails actually increase your total revenue after accounting for the margin impact on orders that would have converted at full price.

Measuring recovery performance

Track these metrics to understand how your abandoned checkout flow is performing and where to optimise.

  • Recovery rate. What percentage of abandoned checkouts result in a completed purchase after receiving your emails? Industry average is 5-10%; well-optimised flows hit 10-15%.
  • Revenue recovered. The total revenue generated by your recovery flow. This is the headline number that justifies investment in the flow.
  • Email-level metrics. Open rate, click rate, and conversion rate for each email in the sequence. This tells you which emails are working and which need improvement.
  • Unsubscribe rate. If your recovery emails generate high unsubscribes, your messaging or frequency needs adjustment.
  • Time to recovery. How long after abandonment does the average recovery purchase happen? This helps you optimise your email timing.

Advanced recovery strategies

SMS recovery

For customers who have opted into SMS, a text message reminder can be more immediate and attention-grabbing than email. Keep it short, include the product name, and provide a direct link to the checkout. See our guide on Klaviyo SMS setup for implementation details.

Browse abandonment

Do not stop at checkout abandonment. Browse abandonment flows target customers who viewed products but never added them to cart. These have lower conversion rates than checkout recovery but capture a much larger audience. Read our browse abandonment guide for setup instructions.

Retargeting ads

Combine email recovery with retargeting ads on social media and display networks. The customer sees your products in their email inbox, their social feeds, and on other websites — creating multiple touchpoints that reinforce the purchase intent.

The best abandoned checkout flow does not feel like a sales tactic. It feels like a helpful reminder from a store that cares about the customer's experience. Lead with service, address concerns genuinely, and the sales will follow.

Andrew Simpson, Founder

Setting up abandoned checkout emails on Shopify is one of the highest-ROI activities you can undertake. Start with Shopify's built-in email if you need something quickly, but graduate to a Klaviyo flow as soon as possible for multi-email sequences, segmentation, and proper analytics. The revenue you recover will more than justify the investment.

If you need help building a high-performing recovery flow or optimising your existing one, our Klaviyo email marketing team can help. Get in touch to discuss your goals.