Recover abandoned checkouts with email templates and a follow-up sequence

Abandoned cart vs. abandoned checkout emails

“Abandoned cart email” is often used as a broad name for purchase recovery messages. The setup in this guide specifically uses Getsitecontrol's Checkout abandonment trigger for Shopify.

That means the customer must have started checkout. Adding an item to the cart or browsing a product page alone does not start this automation. You also need an available recipient email address and an eligible contact for the message to be sent.

Keep that distinction in mind when planning your campaign. To engage visitors before they leave the website, you can also use an exit-intent popup. The popup and the checkout email address different moments in the shopping journey.

Start with a premade checkout reminder

When adding an email to a Checkout abandonment automation, look for a recommended premade layout such as Cart + related items + slideshow. Replace its branding, copy, and links with your own.

Template sample products are not the customer’s checkout. In an actual automation, checkout data supplies the abandoned products. Test with a suitable checkout before sending to customers.

The Cart + related items + slideshow layout starts with a checkout button and abandoned products, then offers alternatives. Keep the customer's selected products prominent; use the additional suggestions only when they help someone make a decision.

Replace the template's sample claim that products will sell out tomorrow unless you have a real basis for saying so. A helpful reminder doesn't need an invented deadline.

Write a sequence that gives each email a purpose

Start with one message, then add follow-ups if they have something useful to contribute. The three-email outline below is a starting point to test, not a requirement to send all three messages to every shopper.

The examples below are for a homeware store. Replace the product details, care instructions, and offer terms with accurate information for your own store.

Email 1: Make it easy to return

Subject

Want to finish your order?

Preview

Here's a quick way back to checkout.

Hi there,

You left a few things at checkout. If you're still interested, you can return to your order using the button below.

Have a question before you decide? Reply to this email and we'll help.

Continue checkout→

Thanks for stopping by our store. We’re here if you need a hand.

Show the abandoned products directly beneath the introduction. Only invite replies if your team monitors the reply-to address.

Email 2: Help with the decision

Subject

A question about your new mug?

Preview

Here's something useful to know before you order.

Still thinking it over?

One question we often hear about our ceramic mugs is whether they can go in the dishwasher. They can — everyday cleanup is simple.

You can return to checkout below, or reply if you need more help.

Return to checkout→

We’d love to help you find the right fit for your everyday routine.

Choose a question that is relevant to the selected products. If your store sells very different categories, use checkout filters to tailor the message or keep the help general enough to apply to all of them.

Email 3: Offer a final reason to return

If a discount fits your margins and campaign strategy, a later email can introduce it. Make the terms clear rather than hiding them behind the button.

Subject

10% off your mug order

Preview

Use MUG10 before Sunday at 11:59 PM ET.

If you're still considering your order, here's 10% off our ceramic mugs.

Enter MUG10 at checkout before Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. No minimum spend. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts.

Your checkout link is below.

Continue checkout→

We hope you find something you’ll enjoy every day. Thanks for considering us.

If you aren't offering a discount, this can be a final helpful reminder instead. Don't claim stock is reserved or an offer is expiring unless that is actually the case.

Set up checkout recovery in Getsitecontrol

1. Choose Checkout abandonment

Open Automations and create an automation with the Checkout abandonment trigger. This is a Shopify-specific workflow.

Review any checkout recovery messages already enabled in Shopify or another email tool. Decide which tool will run the sequence so a shopper doesn't receive overlapping reminders.

2. Add the first email and its timing

The trigger starts 20 minutes after checkout begins if the purchase remains incomplete. Any Add delay you insert is additional waiting time. For example, a 40-minute first delay aims for roughly an hour after checkout started, before allowing for processing and delivery. It does not mean 40 minutes after the customer left the page.

Add Send email after the delay. Later delays are relative to the preceding steps, so write down the cumulative schedule before activating the sequence.

A practical first experiment is a reminder after a short wait, followed by a helpful message the next day. Consider your product's buying cycle before deciding whether a third message is useful. Adjust the schedule using recovered orders and customer feedback rather than treating one interval as the best choice for every store.

3. Connect the email to the customer's checkout

Customize your chosen template in the email editor. Add Abandoned items to display the products from that checkout and configure the main button with the Continue checkout action.

A regular link to your homepage won't do the same job. The checkout action gives the shopper a route back to their saved checkout instead of making them search for the products again.

Check the subject line, preview text, sender name, and reply-to address. Replace example images or product cards that are still showing the template's original content.

4. Add follow-ups deliberately

Add delays between any additional Send email actions. Use filters when an email should apply only to particular products or checkout values.

Getsitecontrol’s checkout abandonment automation stops for a customer who completes a purchase, as explained in the trigger’s checkout-completion help. Before launching, test both paths: a shopper who leaves checkout unfinished and a shopper who completes the purchase after entering the sequence. The completed-purchase path should not receive further recovery reminders. Testing this also helps you catch duplicate emails from other tools.

For the full explanation of triggers, actions, and filters, see the automations guide.

Distinguish the saved checkout from product recommendations

Abandoned items uses the products from the checkout that started the automation. Product cards with the related-checkout recommendation feed offers potential substitutes. They answer different questions: “What was I buying?” and “Is there another option?”

Keep the original items and Continue checkout button first. If you add alternatives, label that section clearly and check where its buttons lead. Selecting a substitute is not the same action as restoring the existing checkout.

A general bestsellers feed is another option, but it is not personalized to the abandoned products. Use it only when broad discovery helps the message. More product blocks can make a recovery email harder to follow rather than more useful.

The Checkout URL variable is available for checkout-specific links. Insert it through the variable picker where needed; do not paste one customer's checkout URL into a reusable email. For the primary button, use the purpose-built Continue checkout action.

Make the offer conditional, not the whole recovery journey

Suppose you want everyone in the eligible checkout audience to receive a helpful reminder, but only higher-value checkouts to receive a later incentive. Leave the value restriction off the trigger and apply it to the incentive email's Filters. Putting it at entry excludes smaller checkouts from the reminder as well.

For a mug-specific offer with a minimum checkout value, use the relevant product condition AND the value condition. OR would also qualify expensive checkouts without mugs and cheaper mug checkouts. Test one checkout on each side of the threshold, plus a checkout containing another product.

Use event-level checkout value for this decision. A contact's total historical spend describes a different thing: a loyal customer with a small current checkout may have high lifetime spending.

The Coupon element supports shared Shopify discounts and unique single-use codes. Match the eligible products, minimum spend, and expiry to the actual discount. Our Sunday-expiry example is suitable only during that particular promotion. An evergreen automation needs offer terms that remain true for people entering on any day.

If you add a Countdown, configure it to reflect the real offer. A timer does not create coupon expiry, reserve stock, or guarantee that a product will remain available. Verify the offer at checkout as well as in the email.

Separate recovery from on-site signup

An exit-intent widget can help collect an email address or answer a question before a visitor leaves. It does not turn every product-page visitor into an abandoned-checkout contact. The checkout trigger still needs its own qualifying checkout event.

If the widget promises a signup discount, deliver that promise through the form's own automation. Review overlap with recovery offers so a customer does not receive conflicting codes from the welcome and checkout sequences. Use source tags and contact filters when those distinctions are part of your campaign design.

Test the checkout journey, not just the design

Send a test email for a visual check, then test the automation using an eligible test contact and checkout. Dynamic products and checkout links need that real context; a static preview isn't enough to verify them.

Check that the right products appear, the button opens the intended checkout, and any discount works with the stated conditions. Test on a phone as well as a desktop.

After launch, compare clicks with completed orders. If shoppers return but still don't buy, look at the checkout itself: an unexpected shipping charge or an unclear delivery date won't be fixed by sending another reminder.