How to Setup Checkout Abandonment Emails for WooCommerce

Cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges facing online stores today. Studies show that up to 70% of shoppers add items to their cart but never complete the purchase. This represents a massive opportunity for revenue recovery.

If you’re running a WooCommerce store, implementing checkout abandonment emails is essential for recovering lost sales. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up checkout abandonment emails for WooCommerce.

What Are Checkout Abandonment Emails?

Checkout abandonment emails are automated messages sent to customers who start the checkout process but don’t complete their purchase. These emails typically include:

• A reminder about items left in their cart
• A direct link to complete their purchase
• Special discount codes or incentives
• Personalized messaging based on their cart contents

Why Are They Important?

Checkout abandonment emails can significantly boost your revenue by:

• Recovering lost sales from customers who forgot to complete checkout
• Re-engaging customers who were hesitant or got distracted
• Building customer relationships through personalized communication
• Increasing overall conversion rates

How to Set Up Checkout Abandonment Emails

Step 1 : Install a Cart Abandonment Plugin

The easiest way to set up checkout abandonment emails for WooCommerce is to use a dedicated plugin. We recommend the WC Cart Checkout Abandonment Emails plugin, which provides comprehensive cart abandonment tracking and email automation.

Important: Email Delivery Reliability

Before setting up checkout abandonment emails, it’s crucial to understand that WordPress’s default email system is notoriously unreliable. WordPress emails are often marked as spam, blocked by email providers, or never delivered at all. This is especially problematic for important transactional emails like order confirmations and cart abandonment reminders.

To ensure your abandonment emails and WooCommerce order emails are actually delivered, you need to use an SMTP plugin that sends emails through your email provider’s server. We highly recommend using WP Mail Pro, which automatically configures your WordPress site to send emails through Gmail, Zoho, Outlook, or any other SMTP server. This guarantees that your emails are delivered reliably and won’t end up in spam folders.

Without proper SMTP configuration, your carefully crafted abandonment emails may never reach your customers, resulting in lost recovery opportunities. Take the time to set up WP Mail Pro or another reliable SMTP solution before configuring your abandonment email campaigns.

Step 2 : Configure Cart Tracking

Once installed, navigate to your WordPress admin dashboard and go to Abandoned Cart → Settings. Here you’ll configure:

• Enable cart abandonment tracking
• Set the cart abandonment cut-off time (how long before a cart is considered abandoned)
• Configure email settings including sender name and email address

Step 3 : Create Email Templates

Go to Abandoned Cart → Email Templates and create your first email template. You can create multiple templates to send at different intervals:

• First email: Send immediately or within minutes of abandonment
• Follow-up emails: Send after hours or days to re-engage customers

Each template can include:

• Personalized subject lines using shortcodes like {{customer.firstname}}
• Custom email content with product details
• Recovery links that restore the exact cart
• Coupon codes using the {{cart.coupon_code}} shortcode

Step 4 : Set Up Automatic Coupon Generation (Optional)

In Settings → Coupon Settings, you can enable automatic coupon code generation. This creates unique discount codes for each abandoned cart, which can significantly improve recovery rates.

Configure:

• Discount type (percentage or fixed amount)
• Discount amount
• Coupon expiry time

Step 5 : Use WooCommerce Email Styling (Recommended)

For professional-looking emails that match your brand, enable the “Use WooCommerce Email Template” option in Settings. This ensures your abandonment emails use the same styling as your WooCommerce order confirmation emails, maintaining brand consistency.

Step 6 : Test Your Setup

Use the Test Email feature in Settings to send yourself a test email. This lets you verify:

• Email formatting and styling
• Shortcodes are working correctly
• Links and coupon codes display properly

Step 7 : Configure Server Cron (Recommended)

For reliable email delivery, set up a server cron job. Go to Abandoned Cart → Automatic Trigger and copy the cron URL. Add it to your server’s crontab to run every minute. This ensures emails are sent even when no one is visiting your site.

Best Practices for Checkout Abandonment Emails

1. Timing Matters

• Send the first email within 1 hour of abandonment
• Follow up with additional emails at 24 hours and 72 hours
• Don’t send too many emails – 2-3 follow-ups is usually enough

2. Personalization

• Use the customer’s name in subject lines and content
• Include specific product names from their cart
• Show the cart total to remind them of the value

3. Clear Call-to-Action

• Make the recovery link prominent and easy to click
• Use action-oriented language like “Complete Your Purchase” or “Claim Your Cart”

4. Offer Incentives

• Include discount codes to encourage completion
• Make offers time-sensitive to create urgency
• Highlight the savings they’ll receive

5. Mobile Optimization

• Ensure emails look good on mobile devices
• Make buttons and links easy to tap
• Keep content concise and scannable

6. Monitor Performance

• Track email open rates and click-through rates
• Monitor recovery rates from abandonment emails
• Adjust timing and content based on performance data

Advanced Features

Once you have the basics set up, consider these advanced features:

Webhook Integration
Connect your cart abandonment system to Zapier or other automation tools. This allows you to trigger actions in other systems when carts are abandoned or recovered.

Multiple Email Templates
Create different email templates for different scenarios:

• High-value carts (over a certain amount)
• Specific product categories
• Returning customers vs. new customers

Analytics and Reporting
Use the Reports page to analyze:

• Total abandoned carts and their value
• Recovery rates
• Email performance metrics
• Individual cart abandonment sessions

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Emails Not Sending

• Check that cart tracking is enabled
• Verify email settings are configured correctly
• Ensure server cron is set up if using automatic triggering
• Check spam folders and email deliverability

Coupon Codes Not Generating

• Verify WooCommerce coupons are enabled in WooCommerce Settings
• Check coupon settings in the plugin
• Ensure the {{cart.coupon_code}} shortcode is used in templates

Cart Recovery Links Not Working

• Verify checkout pages are accessible
• Check that session IDs are being captured correctly
• Test recovery links manually

Conclusion

Setting up checkout abandonment emails for WooCommerce is one of the most effective ways to recover lost sales and increase revenue. With the right plugin and configuration, you can automatically re-engage customers who abandon their carts and turn them into completed purchases.

The WC Cart Checkout Abandonment Emails plugin makes it easy to get started with professional cart abandonment recovery. Follow the steps outlined in this guide, and you’ll be recovering lost sales in no time.

Remember: For reliable email delivery, always use an SMTP plugin like WP Mail Pro to ensure your abandonment emails and WooCommerce order notifications are actually delivered to your customers.

Remember to test your setup, monitor performance, and continuously optimize your email templates and timing based on your results. With consistent effort and the right tools, checkout abandonment emails can become a significant source of additional revenue for your WooCommerce store.