Abandoned Cart Email Templates: 10 Free Examples to Copy

An abandoned cart email reminds a shopper what they left in their cart and links them straight back to checkout. We recommend sending three emails after a cart is left. Send a reminder at 1 to 4 hours, a reassurance email at 24 hours and a last nudge at 48 to 72 hours. Every abandoned cart email template on this page is plain text you can copy. Each one comes with subject lines, preview text, a send time and [placeholders] for your store's details.

Most carts never become orders. Baymard Institute puts the average documented online shopping cart abandonment rate at 70.22%, based on 50 studies. Its list was last updated on 22 September 2025. Templates 1 to 3 make the core sequence. Templates 4 to 10 cover the carts that sequence does not fit, and the generator writes three more emails for your store.

The 3-email abandoned cart sequence

These three templates make a complete sequence: send them in order and stop the sequence as soon as the shopper buys. Each email has one job, and only the last one carries an offer.

Email	Send	Subject line	Its job	Offer
1. The reminder	1 to 4 hours after the cart is left	You left something in your cart	Show the cart and offer help	None
2. The reassurance email	24 hours after the cart is left	Questions about [Product name]?	Answer doubts with reviews, shipping and returns	None
3. The last nudge	48 to 72 hours after the cart is left	[10%] off your cart until [day]	Give one true reason to act now	Optional, with a real end date

An abandoned cart sequence is one of several automated email flows a store can run, next to a welcome series and post-purchase emails.

Template 1: The reminder

The reminder shows the shopper their cart and offers help, with no discount.

Send: 1 to 4 hours after the cart is left.
Use it for: every cart.
Other subject lines: "Still thinking about [Product name]?" or "Your [Store name] cart is saved".

Subject line: You left something in your cart
Preview text: Your items are saved. Pick up where you left off.

Hi [First name],

You left [Product name] in your cart, and we saved it for you.

[Cart block: image, name, size or color and price of each item]

[Button: Return to my cart]

Questions about sizing, shipping or returns?
Reply to this email and we will help.

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Use your platform's dynamic cart block, not a fixed image, so every item in the cart shows.

Template 2: The reassurance email

The reassurance email answers the doubts that stop a purchase: quality, shipping cost and returns.

Send: 24 hours after the cart is left.
Use it for: every cart that is still open after Template 1.
Other subject lines: "Here is what shoppers say about [Product name]" or "Your cart, plus our shipping and returns".

Subject line: Questions about [Product name]?
Preview text: What other shoppers say, plus shipping and returns.

Hi [First name],

Still deciding? Here is what a customer said about [Product name]:

"[Short review from your review app]"
[Reviewer first name], [star rating] out of 5

[Cart block]

Before you order:
- Shipping: [cost and delivery time]
- Returns: [return window and how returns work]
- Help: reply to this email and we will answer within [time]

[Button: Complete my order]

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Pull the review from your review app, so the social proof is real and about this item.

Template 3: The last nudge

The last nudge gives one true reason to act now, such as a small discount with an end date.

Send: 48 to 72 hours after the cart is left.
Use it for: every cart that is still open, if your margin allows a discount. If it does not, send Template 4 instead.
Other subject lines: "Last reminder: your [Store name] cart" or "[First name], your code ends [day]".

Subject line: [10%] off your cart until [day]
Preview text: Your cart is saved. The code ends [day] at [time].

Hi [First name],

Your cart is still saved. If you want it, here is [10%] off
this order until [day] at [time].

Use code [CODE] at checkout.

[Cart block]

[Button: Use my code]

Changed your mind? That is fine. This is the last email about this cart.

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Set the code to expire on the date the email gives, and end the sequence here.

7 more abandoned cart email templates for specific situations

Swap one of these in when the standard sequence does not fit the cart, the customer or your margins. Most of them replace one of the three core emails, so the shopper still gets three emails.

Template 4: No discount

The no-discount email replaces the last nudge with a perk, such as free shipping, instead of a code.

Send: 48 to 72 hours after the cart is left, in place of Template 3.
Use it when: you protect your margin, or the items in the cart are already on sale.
Other subject lines: "A free [gift] with your order" or "Free returns on your [Store name] cart".

Subject line: Your [Store name] cart ships free
Preview text: No code needed. Your cart is saved.

Hi [First name],

Your cart is still saved.

[Optional: Our prices are the same for everyone, so we do not send
discount codes.]

Here is what we add to this order instead:

- [Free shipping / A free [gift] / Free returns for [number] days]
- Delivery in [number] business days

[Cart block]

[Button: Complete my order]

Questions first? Reply to this email.

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Pick one perk you can afford on every order, and describe it the same way on your site.

Template 5: Low stock or price drop

The low stock or price drop email tells the shopper that an item in the cart is running low or now costs less.

Send: when your catalog data shows the stock level fell or the price dropped.
Use it when: the change is real at the moment the email sends.
Other subject lines: "[Product name] is now [new price]" or "Your size of [Product name] is running low".

Subject line: Only [number] left of [Product name]
Preview text: Your [size or color] is still in stock today.

Hi [First name],

[Product name] in your cart is running low.
We have [number] left in [size or color].

[Cart block with the live stock level]

[Button: Return to my cart]

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Send it only when the data is true. For a price drop, start with "[Product name] in your cart is now [new price], down from [old price]."

Template 6: Complete the set

The complete-the-set email shows the cart again with a few products that go with it.

Send: 24 hours after the cart is left, in place of Template 2, or as a fourth email.
Use it when: the items in the cart go with other products you sell.
Other subject lines: "Complete your [product type] set" or "Your cart, plus a few ideas".

Subject line: Pairs well with [Product name]
Preview text: Your cart is saved, plus a few items that go with it.

Hi [First name],

Your cart is saved:

[Cart block]

These go well with [Product name]:

[Product recommendation block: 3 items]

[Button: Return to my cart]

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Keep the cart above the recommendations, so the item the shopper chose stays first.

Template 7: Plain-text note from the founder

The founder note is a short plain-text email from a real person asking what stopped the order.

Send: 24 hours after the cart is left, in place of Template 2.
Use it when: you are a small brand, or the product is a considered purchase.
Other subject lines: "Can I help with your order?" or "A note from [Founder name]".

Subject line: Quick question
Preview text: I saw you were looking at [Product name].

Hi [First name],

I am [Founder name], and I started [Store name].
I saw you left [Product name] in your cart.

Was something unclear, like sizing, shipping or how it works?
Reply to this email. It comes straight to me.

Your cart is here if you want it: [Cart link]

Thanks,
[Founder name]

Note: Send it from a person's name and a reply address someone reads, with one link and no images.

Template 8: High-value cart

The high-value cart email offers a call or chat before a big purchase and lists your real payment options.

Send: 24 hours after the cart is left, in place of Template 2.
Use it when: the cart is worth more than an amount you set in the flow.
Other subject lines: "Questions before you order?" or "Talk to us about your [Product name]".

Subject line: Questions before you order [Product name]?
Preview text: Talk to our team, or see the ways to pay.

Hi [First name],

Your cart is saved. A bigger order deserves clear answers,
so here is how to reach us:

- Book a [15-minute] call: [Booking link]
- Chat with us: [Chat link]
- Or reply to this email

[Cart block]

Ways to pay: [the payment options you offer,
such as installments through [provider]]

[Button: Return to my cart]

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Set the cart value in your flow filter, and list only payment options your checkout accepts.

Template 9: Returning customer

The returning customer email welcomes back a past buyer with their loyalty points, not a first-order discount.

Send: 1 to 4 hours after the cart is left, in place of Template 1.
Use it when: the shopper has placed at least one order before.
Other subject lines: "Your cart is saved, [First name]" or "You have [points] points to use".

Subject line: Welcome back, [First name]
Preview text: Your cart is saved, and you have [points] points to use.

Hi [First name],

Thanks for coming back. Your cart is saved:

[Cart block]

You have [points] loyalty points. That is [value] off this order.

[Button: Use my points]

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Check the order count in your flow filter, and never send a new-customer code to a past buyer.

Template 10: Abandoned checkout

The abandoned checkout email answers the cost, delivery and payment questions that stop a shopper at checkout.

Send: 1 to 4 hours after the shopper leaves checkout, in place of Template 1.
Use it when: the shopper typed an email address at checkout.
Other subject lines: "Your order is one step away" or "Your total and delivery date".

Subject line: Your order is almost done
Preview text: Your total, delivery date and ways to pay.

Hi [First name],

You were one step away from placing your order. Here is the full picture:

[Cart block with subtotal]

- Shipping: [cost, or free over [amount]]
- Delivery: [date range]
- Payment: [the payment methods you accept]

[Button: Finish checkout]

[Your name]
[Store name]

Note: Show the total cost before the button. In Baymard Institute's list, updated on 22 September 2025, extra costs are the top reason US online shoppers give for abandoning a cart. Once shoppers who were just browsing are left out, 40% named extra costs such as shipping, tax and fees. Slow delivery came second, at 20%.

5 abandoned cart email examples from real brands

Each of these brand emails does one thing well and matches one of the 10 templates. Each one links to the archived email, so you can see the whole design. All five sit in the abandoned cart archive at Really Good Emails, checked on 1 November 2026.

Brew Tea Co: a plain reminder with no discount

Brew Tea Co's reminder shows one product, one button and no discount. Its headline reads "We saved you some tea." A line under the cart states the free shipping threshold and the same-day dispatch time. It matches Template 1. View the Brew Tea Co email.

Loop Earplugs: a checkout email that shows the exact item

Loop Earplugs shows the exact item left at checkout, with its color and price, and a "Complete your order" button above and below it. A strip under the cart lists easy returns, a 2-year warranty and rewards. It matches Template 10. View the Loop Earplugs email.

Alo Yoga: a low stock alert with a real count

Alo Yoga's low stock email gives a number instead of a vague warning: "6 left" sits under the product photo, above one "Checkout now" button. Free shipping, free returns and paying later with Afterpay are listed below. It matches Template 5. View the Alo Yoga email.

Fable: free shipping in place of a price cut

Fable's email offers free shipping instead of a price cut, with a code to use at checkout. Below the cart, it adds a 30-day money-back trial, free returns and three customer quotes. It matches Template 4, with reviews borrowed from Template 2. View the Fable email.

Aventon: reassurance for a big purchase

Aventon's email answers the questions behind a big purchase. Under the ebike's model and color, it explains financing through Affirm, a 2-year warranty and safety certifications. Its header links to a test ride booking. It matches Template 8. View the Aventon email.

Abandoned cart email subject lines

Good abandoned cart subject lines name the item or the cart, sound like a person, and save urgency for the last email. Pair each subject line with preview text that adds something new, such as the shipping terms or the end date of an offer. The Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says subject lines must not be deceptive. Never promise a deadline or a stock level that is not real.

Subject lines for email 1, the reminder

You left something in your cart
Still thinking about [Product name]?
Your [Store name] cart is saved
[First name], your cart is waiting
Did you mean to leave this behind?

Subject lines for email 2, the reassurance email

Questions about [Product name]?
Here is what shoppers say about [Product name]
Need help with sizing?
Your cart, plus our shipping and returns
Free returns on everything in your cart (only if true)

Subject lines for email 3, the last nudge

[10%] off your cart until [day]
Free shipping on your cart until [day] (only if true)
Last reminder: your [Store name] cart
Only [number] left of [Product name] (only if true)
Should we keep your cart?

Generate three custom emails for your store

Enter your store name and product category, pick a tone, and the generator writes three abandoned cart emails you can edit. Copy them into your email platform and change the details to fit your store.

If the generator does not load, Templates 1 to 3 give you the same three-email sequence to copy.

What makes an abandoned cart email work

Every template on this page has the same five parts:

A clear subject line
The exact items left behind
One button back to the cart
A reason to trust you
An easy way to ask a question

Emails are one part of cart recovery. Checkout fixes, browse abandonment and retargeting are covered in our guide to cart abandonment strategies.

Send the first email within hours

Send the first abandoned cart email within hours of the cart being left, and stop sending the moment an order comes in. Klaviyo's guide to abandoned cart flows recommends the first email 2 to 4 hours after someone starts a checkout. The guide puts the second one 20 to 48 hours later. Klaviyo's pre-built flows wait 4 hours, and a shorter delay should still allow at least 1 hour and 15 minutes for data to sync. Omnisend's help center recommends waiting at least 30 minutes before the first message.

Personalize with cart data

Personalize every abandoned cart email with the shopper's first name and the exact items, sizes and colors from the cart. A dynamic cart block does most of this work. In Klaviyo, the default block shows the image, title, quantity and price of every item, according to Klaviyo's abandoned cart guide. Give the first name tag a fallback, such as "there". Our guide to email personalization covers more data you can use.

When to offer a discount

Do not offer a discount in the first email, and offer one in the last email only if your margin allows. A code in every first email gives money away on orders that might have come back anyway. A perk such as free shipping or a small gift can do the same job without a price cut. If you do offer a discount code, make it expire on the date the email gives.

Design for phones

Design every abandoned cart email for a phone first: one column, short paragraphs and a button big enough to tap. Put the button near the top, and make its text say what happens, such as "Return to my cart". Our email CTA best practices cover button text and placement.

How to set up these templates in Shopify, Klaviyo and Omnisend

Paste each template into your platform's abandoned cart email, swap the [placeholders] for merge tags and set the delays to match the send times. Merge tags are the codes that fill in each shopper's details. Shopify, Klaviyo and Omnisend each have a built-in abandoned cart or abandoned checkout trigger. The table shows the merge tags for the four main placeholders, taken from Shopify, Klaviyo and Omnisend help pages on 1 November 2026.

Placeholder	Shopify Messaging (custom Liquid)	Klaviyo	Omnisend
[First name]	`{{ customer.first_name }}`	`{{ first_name\|default:'there' }}`	`[[contact.first_name\|default: "there"]]`
[Store name]	`{{ shop.name }}`	`{{ organization.name }}`	`[[account.name]]`
[Cart link]	`{{ abandoned_checkout.url }}`	`{{ event.extra.checkout_url }}` on Shopify stores	The abandoned cart link preset on the checkout button, or `[[event.raw.abandoned_checkout_url]]`
[Cart block]	A loop over `abandoned_checkout.line_items`, which holds up to five items	The dynamic cart block in the pre-built flow	The Abandoned Products block, plus a separate cart button

For [Product name], pick the product title from your platform's personalization menu, because that tag depends on how your store connects. Test every tag on a real profile before launch.

Shopify: turn on the abandoned checkout email

Shopify's built-in recovery email is the abandoned checkout email, and you switch it on in the Messaging app. These are the steps from Shopify's help center:

From your Shopify admin, go to Apps > Messaging.
Click Automations.
In the Abandoned checkout emails by Shopify automation, open the menu and click Edit settings.
Select Send abandoned checkout emails automatically.
Under Send to, choose which visitors get the email. Under Send after, choose the delay.
Click Save. Then click Customize email to edit the text.

Shopify counts a checkout as abandoned once it stays incomplete for more than ten minutes after the customer gives an email address. Recovery emails work for the Online Store and Buy Button sales channels only. In the notification template, keep Shopify's code for the cart and button and change only the text. The tags in the table are for Shopify Messaging abandoned checkout marketing automations.

Klaviyo: build the abandoned cart flow

In Klaviyo, start from the pre-built abandoned cart flow, which triggers on the Started Checkout metric, as Klaviyo's guide describes.

Create the flow from Klaviyo's pre-built abandoned cart flow.
Keep the flow filter "Placed Order zero times since starting this flow", so buyers stop getting emails.
Set the first delay to 1 hour and 15 minutes or more.
Paste Template 1 into the first email and keep the dynamic cart block. On Shopify stores, point the button at {{ event.extra.checkout_url }}.
Add Templates 2 and 3 after delays that match the sequence.

If you also run an Added to Cart flow, give it the filter "Started Checkout zero times since starting this flow". Shoppers who reach checkout then get only the checkout flow.

Omnisend: build the abandoned cart workflow

In Omnisend, build the workflow from the Abandoned Cart preset, which starts when a shopper adds products to the cart. A separate Abandoned Checkout workflow starts when a shopper begins checkout, according to Omnisend's help center.

Go to Automation, click Create workflow, check Cart Abandonment and pick the Abandoned Cart preset.
Click Customize workflow and paste the templates into the emails.
Keep the exit condition, so the workflow ends when the shopper places an order or starts checkout.
Wait at least 30 minutes before the first email.
Add a separate button with the cart link, because the Shop Now button in the Abandoned Products block opens the product page, not the cart.

By default, each contact can trigger an Abandoned Cart or Abandoned Checkout workflow once every 24 hours.

SMS versions of the sequence

If you also send texts, keep each one short, name your store, link to the cart and include opt-out wording. Send texts only to shoppers who agreed to get marketing texts from you. Space each text a few hours from the email it pairs with, so the shopper does not get two messages at once.

Text 1, paired with the reminder:
[Store name]: You left [Product name] in your cart.
It is saved here: [Cart link]
Reply STOP to opt out.

Text 2, paired with the reassurance email:
[Store name]: Questions about [Product name]?
Reply to this text and we will help. Your cart: [Cart link]
Reply STOP to opt out.

Text 3, paired with the last nudge:
[Store name]: [10%] off your cart with code [CODE] until [day].
[Cart link]
Reply STOP to opt out.

Check the consent and opt-out wording with your SMS platform before the first send. In Omnisend, the cart link tag for texts is [[event.raw.abandoned_checkout_url]], according to Omnisend's help center. For other kinds of texts, try our SMS marketing message generator.

Are abandoned cart emails legal?

Yes, abandoned cart emails are legal when you follow the email rules where your shoppers live. In the US, the CAN-SPAM guide asks for honest headers and subject lines, a postal address and opt-outs honored within 10 business days. UK rules under regulation 22 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations require consent for marketing email to individuals, unless the soft opt-in applies.

Can you send abandoned cart emails to shoppers who have not subscribed?

Prior consent is not among the CAN-SPAM requirements in the US, but in the UK you need consent or the soft opt-in. The UK soft opt-in covers details collected during "the sale or negotiations for the sale", so ask a lawyer whether a cart counts.

Need the whole flow built?

Enflow Digital is an ecommerce email marketing agency that designs and manages abandoned cart flows in Klaviyo and Omnisend. We have worked with 100+ brands over five years. We write the emails, build the flow with your store's cart data and manage it after launch. Agencies can have the same flows built for their own clients through our white-label email marketing service.

FAQs

When should you send an abandoned cart email?

Send the first abandoned cart email 1 to 4 hours after the cart is left. Send the second at 24 hours and the last at 48 to 72 hours, and end the emails when the shopper places an order.

How many emails should an abandoned cart sequence have?

We recommend three emails: a reminder, a reassurance email and a last nudge. Add a fourth email only when it gives the shopper something new, such as products that complete a set. Stop after the last email, even if the shopper did not buy.

Should you offer a discount in an abandoned cart email?

Not in the first email. Offer a small discount in the last email only if your margin allows, and give the code a real end date. If you never discount, offer free shipping or a small gift instead.

What is the difference between an abandoned cart email and an abandoned checkout email?

An abandoned cart email goes to a known shopper, such as a subscriber, who added items to the cart but never started checkout. An abandoned checkout email goes to a shopper who started checkout, usually after typing an email address, and left before paying. Omnisend runs the two as separate workflows. Shopify counts a checkout as abandoned when it stays incomplete for more than ten minutes after the shopper gives an email address.

How does this tool customize emails for my store?

You enter details such as your store name and product category, and the generator works them into the emails. You also choose a tone, such as a friendly nudge or an urgent reminder, so the emails sound like your brand.

Can I edit the templates after generating them?

Yes. The generator gives you three emails as a starting point. Copy them into your email platform and change anything you like, such as product details, wording or the call to action.

Is this tool really free, and are there limits?

The 10 templates, subject lines and SMS texts on this page are free to copy, with no sign-up. The generator is a separate tool from Wrapifai that runs inside this page.