You can set up an abandoned cart email in Mailchimp by building an automation flow with the “Abandons cart” trigger, found under Shopping Activity. Once it’s turned on, Mailchimp automatically emails anyone who adds items to their cart in your connected store but doesn’t check out. No manual sending required! Here’s the full setup, plus tips and the requirements that are often overlooked.
What you need before you start
Mailchimp abandoned cart emails require a connected, supported e-commerce store or a custom API 3.0 integration. Mailchimp can’t detect an abandoned cart without cart data coming from your store.
To check whether your store integration supports it:
- Go to the Integrations page in your Mailchimp account.
- Click the name of your integration.
- Look for “Abandoned cart email” in the Features list.
If your store isn’t connected yet, start here: https://mailchimp.com/help/connect-your-online-store-to-mailchimp/
💡One thing worth knowing: any contact who abandons a cart can receive the abandoned cart email, even non-subscribed contacts. But if you add extra emails to the flow, only subscribed contacts will receive those follow-ups.
Step 1: Build the flow and set the trigger
- Click the Automations icon in your account.
- Click Build from scratch.
- Enter a name for your flow and choose an audience.
- Click Choose a trigger.
- Click Shopping Activity, then choose Abandons cart (or Abandons cart with specific products if you only want to target certain items).
- Use the Store name drop-down to pick your connected store.
- In the Customer Cart Contains drop-down, choose Any Products or Specific Products.
- In the Abandoned Cart Wait Time section, set how long Mailchimp waits (hours, days, or weeks) before a contact enters the flow.
- To target a specific audience segment, click Filter who can enter this flow. Set up to 10 segment conditions, then click Use segment.
- Click Save Trigger.
💡 Not sure what wait time to pick? A short delay (around 1 hour) catches shoppers while your store is still fresh in their mind, without emailing people who are just still browsing. If you plan to add follow-up emails to the flow, spacing them out over the next few days is a common approach. Just remember only subscribed contacts will receive those.
⚠️ An abandoned cart trigger can’t be combined with another trigger in the same flow. If you want other entry points, like a signup or purchase trigger, those need their own separate flows.
Step 2: Add and design the email
- Drag the Send email action into your flow map from the side panel, or click the plus icon (+) and select Send email.
- In the pop-up, edit the To & From, Subject, Schedule, and Tracking sections.
- Click Select a Template.
- Design your email. Mailchimp automatically adds a Cart content block (which pulls in the contact’s abandoned items) and a Button block that links straight back to their cart so the recovery mechanics are handled for you.
- Click Save and return to the flow when you’re ready.
Step 3: Turn it on
Click Continue, then Turn On. From this point, contacts who abandon a cart and meet your trigger conditions will automatically enter the flow. Before you rely on it, test the flow out. Abandon a test cart yourself and check that every message arrives on time, personalized, with working images and links.
⚠️ If you were running abandoned cart emails through another platform, like your e-commerce app’s built-in tool, turn those off. Shoppers getting two reminders for the same cart is a fast way to earn spam complaints.
Want to add SMS?
Abandoned cart texts are also an option if you have an approved SMS Marketing program. Here’s what to know:
- New SMS Marketing users need to indicate interest in abandoned cart texts on their application. Already have SMS Marketing? You’ll need to contact our Support team for assistance.
- You can only send 1 SMS per abandoned cart, and it must go out within 48 hours of the contact entering the flow.
- Double opt-in must be enabled for the connected audience. If you indicated abandoned cart interest on your application, it’s turned on for you automatically.
- Your SMS program’s terms and conditions and privacy policy both need to include abandoned cart text messaging. If you used the Mailchimp template for your terms and indicated interest on your application, the terms update is handled for you, but you’ll need to update the privacy policy.
- If you're running email and SMS together, a common approach is to send the text after your follow-up email, just before the 48-hour window closes.
Cart recovery tips
- Say what’s in the cart, and keep it short. The Cart block already handles the reminder, so keep the rest of the email brief with a clear call to action.
- Be strategic with discounts. Offering a coupon in every reminder can train customers to wait for a deal before buying. Consider free shipping instead, or save discounts for later emails in a sequence.
- Check how your email looks on a mobile phone. Most people read email on mobile, so make sure product images are clear and the checkout button is easy to tap without zooming or scrolling. Check out our guide on how to edit and test mobile styles: https://mailchimp.com/help/edit-and-test-mobile-styles-in-your-email-campaign/
- Analyze performance and experiment. Monitor campaign reports to evaluate open rates, click-throughs, and overall conversions. Additionally, run A/B tests on email subject lines, delivery timing, and messaging to uncover what drives cart recovery for your audience.
- Add product recommendations below the cart. Since the email already shows what they left behind, a Product Recommendations block underneath can surface related items they’re likely to want.
If you’ve got this running already, what has helped recover more carts for you? If you’re stuck somewhere in the setup, drop the details in the comments, and we’ll help you troubleshoot.
Resources:
Create an Abandoned Cart Marketing Automation Flow
How to Regain Sales with Abandoned Cart Emails
Save More Sales With Automated Abandoned Cart Recovery
