Abandoned Cart Flow
An abandoned cart flow is an automated series of emails sent to someone who added items to their online cart, or started a booking or quote form, but left before finishing. The emails remind them what they left behind and make it easy to come back and complete the order.
Why it matters for a small business
Most people who start a checkout do not finish it. Some get distracted, some want to compare prices and some hit a problem like an unexpected shipping cost. A short, well-timed reminder brings a meaningful share of them back, and it is one of the most profitable automations an online store can run.
Not just for online stores
The same idea works for service businesses. If someone starts an online booking, quote request or application and does not submit it, a reminder can bring them back. Your form or booking tool needs to capture the email address early for this to work.
A typical abandoned cart flow
- Within about an hour: a simple reminder showing what they left, with a link back to the cart.
- The next day: answer common concerns, such as shipping, returns or how the service works.
- A few days later: a final reminder, optionally with a small incentive if your margins allow it.
The flow should stop as soon as the person completes the purchase.
A real-world example
A small online shop selling handmade candles adds a three-email abandoned cart flow. The second email answers the question customers ask most often, about shipping time, and the third offers free shipping. A steady stream of orders that would have been lost now comes back through the flow each month.
Watch the incentives
If every abandoned cart gets a discount, some customers learn to leave their carts on purpose. Save incentives for the last email or for first-time buyers only.
Related terms: Triggered Email, Automation / Workflow, Conversion Rate. See our email automation and deliverability service.
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