Abandoned cart email examples: full copy for a 3-email sequence, plus 40 subject lines

A shopper who leaves a full cart has already done most of the work. They found your store, picked a product and, often, typed their email at checkout. A short reminder that takes them back to that exact cart is one of the most useful emails a store can send.

Most lists of abandoned cart email examples show screenshots of big brands' emails. That's good for inspiration, but hard to copy. This guide gives you the words instead: six short emails with full copy, two for each step of a three-email sequence (1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours), followed by a timing plan, a discount strategy and 40 subject lines sorted by step. Every email and subject line here is an example written for this guide. Replace the placeholders in square brackets with your own products and voice.

Abandoned cart vs. abandoned checkout

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same:

• Abandoned cart: someone added products to their cart and left. Unless they were logged in or already subscribed, you usually don't know who they are.
• Abandoned checkout: someone started checkout, entered their email, and didn't pay. Shopify's help center says a checkout counts as abandoned if it stays incomplete for more than ten minutes.

Most "abandoned cart emails" sent by ecommerce stores are really abandoned checkout emails, because that's the point where the store has an email address. The examples below work for both.

The timing: a simple three-step sequence

Why this shape works:

• 1 hour catches people who were interrupted: a phone call, a slow card form, a lost tab. They still remember the product, so a plain reminder is enough.
• 24 hours reaches people who were hesitating. They're thinking about price, shipping, sizing or whether they need it at all. This email answers those questions.
• 72 hours is the last call. If you ever offer a discount, it belongs here, and only here.

Two rules apply to every step. Stop the sequence the moment the shopper orders, including orders that arrive by another route, such as a different device. And send only to people who agreed to receive marketing email. A cart reminder asks someone to buy, so it's promotional, and many countries require consent for that.

Some stores stop at two emails. That's a reasonable choice, especially if you send a lot of campaigns and don't want to crowd the inbox. If you do run three, make each one different, not the same reminder three times.

Example 1 (1 hour): the simple reminder

The first email should feel like a helpful note, not a sales push. Show the cart, give one button, and stop.

• Subject: You left something in your cart
• Preview text: Your [Product] is saved. Pick up where you left off.

Why it works: it names the product, keeps the cart one click away and offers human help. There's no pressure and no discount, so it doesn't train shoppers to wait for one.

Example 2 (1 hour): the help-first reminder

For higher-priced products such as furniture, electronics or anything with a lot of options, a shopper may have left because they had a question. Lead with help.

• Subject: Any questions about the [Product]?
• Preview text: We're happy to help before you decide.

Why it works: it treats the shopper's hesitation as normal and puts the facts that matter for an expensive purchase right next to the product.

Example 3 (24 hours): answer the hesitation

By the next day, the shopper has had time to think. Use this email for the reasons people don't buy: cost, delivery, fit, risk.

• Subject: Free returns on the [Product] in your cart
• Preview text: Plus delivery times and sizing help.

Why it works: it removes reasons to wait without lowering the price. Use only policies you actually have. If shipping isn't free, say what it costs; a surprise at checkout is a common reason people leave in the first place.

Example 4 (24 hours): the product story

For products people buy on feel, such as clothing, beauty, food or gifts, a short reminder of why the product is good can do more than logistics.

• Subject: Still thinking about the [Product]?
• Preview text: A little more about how it's made.

Why it works: it reminds the shopper why they wanted the product. Keep claims factual. Don't invent reviews, ratings or "bestseller" labels. If you show customer reviews, use only real ones from your store.

Example 5 (72 hours): last call with a small offer

If you use a discount anywhere in the sequence, put it in the final email and keep it modest.

• Subject: Still interested? Here's 10% off your cart
• Preview text: Your code works for the next 48 hours.

Why it works: the offer is real, specific and time-bound, and the email says it's the last one, which respects the reader. Use single-use codes tied to the shopper so the discount isn't shared on coupon sites.

Example 6 (72 hours): last call without a discount

Many stores don't want to discount at all. The last email can still give a reason to act: a cart that will be cleared, limited stock (only if it's true), or a simple goodbye.

• Subject: Last reminder about your cart
• Preview text: We'll stop emailing about it after this.

Why it works: it closes the loop politely. Scarcity is persuasive only when it's honest. Don't say "only a few left" unless your inventory says so.

Discount strategy: when, what and for whom

Discounts can recover orders, but they cost margin on every order that would have come back anyway. Decide your rules before you write the emails.

When: keep the first one or two reminders discount-free. If shoppers learn that leaving a cart brings a code within the hour, some will do it on purpose.

What: not every offer has to be a percentage.

For whom: consider leaving the offer out for shoppers who abandon repeatedly, or for carts below a value where the discount wipes out your margin.

Do the maths. A rough check: if your margin on a $60 order is $24, a 10% code costs $6 on every order it applies to, including those that would have come back without it. These figures are illustrative. Use your own margins and order values.

40 abandoned cart email subject lines

Grouped by the step they suit best. Keep the product name in where you can, and pair every subject line with preview text that adds something new. The email subject lines guide has more on length, preview text and A/B testing.

First reminder (about 1 hour)

1. You left something in your cart
2. Your cart is saved
3. Did you forget something?
4. [Product] is still in your cart
5. Pick up where you left off
6. Your cart, one click away
7. Was it something we said?
8. Need a hand finishing your order?
9. Your [Product] is waiting
10. Still shopping? Your cart is here
11. Did something go wrong at checkout?
12. Oops, your order isn't finished
13. We held on to your cart

Second reminder (about 24 hours)

1. Still thinking about [Product]?
2. Free returns on the [Product] in your cart
3. Questions about sizing? We can help
4. How [Product] is made
5. Here's what you'd get with [Product]
6. Delivery to [region] in [X] days
7. Your cart, plus answers to common questions
8. A closer look at [Product]
9. Still deciding? Here's what helps
10. Why people choose [Product]
11. [Product] pairs well with these
12. Your cart misses you
13. Not sure yet? Reply with your question
14. Everything you need to know before ordering

Final reminder (about 72 hours)

1. Last reminder about your cart
2. Still interested? Here's 10% off your cart
3. Free shipping on your cart, until [day]
4. Your cart expires soon
5. A small thank-you if you complete your order
6. Only a few [Product] left in your size (only if true)
7. One last thing before we let it go
8. Your code expires tonight
9. Final call: your cart is still waiting
10. We saved your cart one last time
11. Should we clear your cart?
12. A gift with your order, if you're still in
13. Goodbye for now, cart

Leave out anything you can't stand behind. A subject line that promises a discount the email doesn't contain, or invents scarcity, is misleading, and the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says subject lines must accurately reflect the content of the message.

What every abandoned cart email needs

• The actual cart. Product name, image, variant and price, pulled from the checkout, not a generic banner.
• One button back to the shopper's own checkout, with the cart still filled in.
• A short, human tone. Two or three sentences plus the cart is usually enough.
• Your policies, stated plainly. Shipping, returns, delivery time.
• A visible unsubscribe link and your postal address. These are marketing emails. The CAN-SPAM Act guide covers what US law expects; it's general information, not legal advice.
• A plain reply-to address that a person reads, so questions don't go into a void.

Measuring abandoned cart emails

Don't judge these emails by opens. Apple Mail Privacy Protection can load emails automatically, so opens overstate how many people read them. Look at:

• Click rate per step: which reminder brings people back to their cart.
• Orders after a click, within a short window such as 7 days.
• Discount cost: revenue recovered in step 3 minus the value of the codes used.
• Unsubscribes and spam complaints per step: a sign of too many reminders or the wrong tone.

If you have the volume, test one change at a time: the step 3 offer vs. no offer, or the step 2 email with a product story vs. policy answers.

Shopify: avoid sending two reminders

Shopify can send its own abandoned checkout email. According to Shopify's help center, it's set up under Apps → Messaging → Automations in the Shopify admin, inside Shopify Messaging (formerly Shopify Email), where you choose who receives it and how long to wait. If you run a sequence from another tool on top of that, customers get two reminders for the same cart. Turn one off on purpose.

For a fuller walkthrough, read Shopify abandoned checkout emails. For where these emails sit alongside welcome, browse abandonment and post-purchase emails, see ecommerce email flows.

Running cart reminders in EterMail

EterMail is our product. Its Shopify abandoned cart email flow reads open checkouts from your store through a read-only connection and, by default, sends two reminders: one at 1 hour and one at 24 hours. Each shows the shopper's real cart, with product images and prices, and a button back to their own checkout. The flow stops when they order, goes only to shoppers who accepted marketing, and you choose whether the second email carries an offer. Before it goes live, you turn off Shopify's built-in reminder so nobody gets two. The AI drafts the copy in your brand's voice, and a person on your team approves the flow before it runs.

FAQ

When should you send an abandoned cart email?

A common pattern is three reminders: about 1 hour after the shopper leaves, about 24 hours after, and about 72 hours after. The first catches people who were interrupted, the second answers hesitation, and the third is a final nudge. Stop the sequence as soon as the shopper orders.

How many abandoned cart emails should you send?

Two or three is typical. Two works well if you also send many campaigns and don't want to crowd the inbox; three gives room for a final email with an offer. More than three tends to annoy shoppers and can raise unsubscribes and spam complaints.

Should abandoned cart emails include a discount?

Not in the first email. Offering a code right away teaches shoppers to abandon carts on purpose and costs margin on orders that would have come back anyway. If you offer one, put it in the last email, keep it modest, and use single-use codes.

What should an abandoned cart email say?

Keep it short: a friendly line, the product the shopper left with its image and price, and one button back to their checkout. Later emails can answer common questions about shipping, returns and sizing. Add an unsubscribe link and your postal address, since cart reminders are marketing emails.

What is a good abandoned cart email subject line?

One that names the product and sounds like a helpful note, such as "Still thinking about [Product]?" or "Your cart is saved." Keep the key words at the start so they survive on a phone. If the email has an offer, say so; if it doesn't, don't hint at one.

Can you send abandoned cart emails without consent?

In many countries, a cart reminder counts as marketing because it asks someone to buy, so you need their consent to email them. The safest rule is to send reminders only to shoppers who opted in to marketing email. This is general information, not legal advice; check the rules for the countries you sell to.