Abandoned Cart Emails: What to Include, How to Write One, and Common Mistakes

Nearly 70% of online shopping carts get abandoned. That’s a lot of potential revenue walking out the door. An abandoned cart email is your best tool to bring some of those shoppers back. But most stores only recover 1-3% of abandoned carts when they could be recovering 5-10% or more. The difference comes down to what you include, how you write it, and avoiding the common mistakes that kill your results.

What to Include in an Abandoned Cart Email

Every abandoned cart email needs to answer one question for the shopper: “Why should I finish this now?” Here’s what you should include to make that case.

Product reminder with a clear visual. Show the exact items left behind. Include product names, prices, quantities, and a thumbnail image. Don’t make the customer hunt for what they were buying.

A single, obvious call-to-action (CTA). The CTA button should say something specific like “Complete Your Order” or “Return to Cart.” Use a contrasting color. Place it above the fold in mobile view — that’s where 60%+ of your opens will happen.

Key objections addressed up front. The top reasons people abandon carts are high shipping costs, slow delivery, trust concerns, and poor return policies. Tackle these directly in your email. For example: “Free shipping on orders over $50” or “30-day hassle-free returns.”

Social proof. Include a short testimonial, a star rating, or a line like “1,500+ customers bought this last week.” It reduces hesitation.

A clear subject line. Personalize it with the product name or the shopper’s first name. Example: “Still thinking about [Product Name]?” or “Your cart is waiting, [First Name].”

How to Structure Your Email Series

One email isn’t enough. A 3-email sequence sent over 4-7 days consistently outperforms single sends. Here’s a proven structure:

Email 1 (1-2 hours after abandonment): Friendly reminder. Subject: “Did you forget something?” Body: Show the product, restate the benefit, include a strong CTA. No discount yet. Most people abandon because they got distracted — this email catches them.

Email 2 (24 hours later): Overcome objections. Subject: “Still on the fence?” Body: Address shipping costs, return policy, payment options, or trust badges. If you have margin, offer a small discount (10-15%) here. Not all stores need discounts — test without one first.

Email 3 (48-72 hours later): Urgency or scarcity. Subject: “Your cart will expire soon” or “Low stock warning.” Body: Mention if stock is limited, if the item is on sale, or if the cart will be saved for only X more hours. This is your last nudge.

Common mistake: sending all three emails in 24 hours. That feels spammy and hurts deliverability. Space them out.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Results

Not tracking actual abandonment events correctly. Many email platforms (like Klaviyo) only capture about 14% of cart abandonment events by default. If you’re not fixing your tracking setup, you’re sending emails to a tiny fraction of your abandoners. Check your flow’s “triggered” count vs. your actual cart abandonment data. The gap is often huge.

Using a generic subject line. “You left items in your cart” gets ignored. Personalize with the product name or the shopper’s name. Test subject lines that create curiosity: “Your cart misses you” vs. “Free shipping on your [Product Name] order.”

Hiding the CTA or using weak copy. Don’t bury the button under paragraphs of text. Don’t use “Click here.” Use action-oriented text like “Secure My Order” or “Complete Purchase.”

Sending from a no-reply address. You want customers to reply with questions. A no-reply address kills that opportunity and hurts deliverability. Use a real person’s name or your brand name with a reply-to that works.

Discounting too aggressively too early. If you offer 20% off in the first email, you train customers to wait for a coupon before buying. Start without a discount, then offer one in email 2 only if needed. Track whether discount emails actually increase revenue or just reduce margin.

How to Write the Copy (Fast Framework)

Use this simple formula for each email in your series:

1. Hook (subject line + first line): Reference the product or the shopper’s hesitation.
2. Reminder: Show what they left. One sentence. No fluff.
3. Objection-handler: Address the #1 reason they might not buy. Example: “We offer free returns within 30 days.”
4. Social proof: One line of proof (review, star rating, sales count).
5. CTA: One button. Clear. Action-oriented.
6. PS: Add a low-friction line like “Questions? Just reply to this email.”

Here’s a short example for email 2:

Subject: Still thinking about the leather tote?

Hey [First Name],

Just checking in. You had a [Product Name] in your cart — and we wanted to make sure you didn’t leave because of shipping.

We offer free shipping on all orders over $50. Plus, every purchase comes with a 30-day return policy, no questions asked.

Over 2,000 customers have given this bag a 4.8-star rating. It’s one of our most popular styles.

[Button: Complete My Order]

Questions? Just hit reply. We’re here to help.

Cheers, [Your Name]

Test and Optimize Regularly

Your first abandoned cart flow won’t be perfect. Test one variable at a time: subject line, discount amount, email timing, CTA copy. Track your recovery rate (total recovered value ÷ total abandoned cart value). If you’re below 5%, you have room to improve. Most stores see the biggest gains by fixing their tracking reach first, then improving email content. Start there.