Shopify abandoned cart emails: what to send and when

Most carts never become orders. Baymard Institute puts the average online cart abandonment rate at 70.22%, across 50 studies. Some of those shoppers were only browsing. Plenty of them got distracted, and a well-timed email brings them back.

A sequence, not a single email

One reminder is better than nothing, but a short sequence does more. Each email has a different job:

The reminder, about an hour later. No discount. Many shoppers simply forgot, and a friendly nudge with the products they left is enough.
The follow-up, about a day later. This is where an offer belongs, for the shoppers who needed a reason. Free shipping is a natural fit for it.
The last call, about two days later. A stronger offer, a clear deadline, and then you stop.

Holding the offer back until the second email matters. If every abandoned cart gets a discount straight away, shoppers learn to abandon on purpose.

What each email should show

The products they left, with pictures, each linked to its product page.
One clear button back to the cart or checkout.
A short, human line, like "You left something behind" or "Still thinking it over?"
The offer and when it expires, on the emails that carry one.

When to stop sending

Stop the moment they buy. Nothing damages trust faster than a "you forgot something" email after the order went through. Stop after the last email too, and don't restart the same sequence for the same shopper a few days later.

Why abandoned cart emails don't send

These are the usual reasons:

The shopper isn't subscribed to email marketing. Without consent, nothing should go out.
The shopper wasn't identified. A cart from someone who never entered an email address can't be emailed.
The automation is switched off, or still a draft.
Another automation already emailed them recently, if your tool limits how often one person hears from you.

How Nesvo handles it

Nesvo is a Shopify app with nine automated email campaigns, and abandoned cart is one of them. It runs the three-step sequence above out of the box:

Email 1, one hour after: a reminder with each product's picture and a "Complete your order" button. No offer.
Email 2, 24 hours after: free shipping by default, or 10% off if you prefer.
Email 3, 48 hours after: 15% off.

Each shopper gets one working code at a time, and every code expires. If a price in their cart drops, the next email says so. The sequence stops when they buy, and Nesvo keeps its marketing emails at least 24 hours apart for each shopper.

Before any discount goes out, Nesvo shows you what it costs against your real margin.

Install Nesvo on the Shopify App Store →

Abandonment rate from Baymard Institute's list of 50 cart abandonment studies, checked October 23, 2026.