Abandoned cart texts for WooCommerce and Shopify: what to send, and when

Someone found a product they liked, added it to the cart, got as far as checkout and then left. On most online stores, that happens far more often than a finished order.

The good news: most of those shoppers weren’t saying no. The kids needed picking up, the delivery cost surprised them, or they wanted to check one thing first. A short, friendly follow-up gets a surprising number of them back.

Why a text, not just an email

Abandoned-cart emails are the standard, and they’re worth having. But texts are usually read within minutes, and people reply to them. A text that sounds like it came from a person invites a question (“does it come in black?”), and answering that question is often all it takes to close the sale.

Who you can text

In Australia, marketing texts need consent under the Spam Act: the person has to have agreed to hear from you, the message has to say who it’s from, and it needs an easy way to opt out. In practice, that means:

• Only text shoppers who gave their mobile number and agreed to messages, for example with a tick box at checkout.
• Always name your business.
• Include a simple opt-out, like “Reply STOP to opt out”, and honour it.

We cover this in more detail in SMS marketing and consent in Australia.

When to send

• First message: one to three hours after they leave. Soon enough that they remember, late enough that they’re not still deciding.
• Optional second message: the next day, only if it adds something new, like an answer to a common question or a heads-up that stock is low.
• Then stop. Three reminders feel like chasing.

Avoid texting late at night. Send during normal waking hours in the customer’s time zone.

What to say

Keep it short, personal and easy to reply to. A few examples:

The helpful nudge

Hi Sarah, it’s Mia from Reef & Fin. Looks like the Fluval filter is still in your cart. Any questions before you order? Just reply here. Reply STOP to opt out.

Answering the usual worry

Hi James, Tom from Trailhead Outdoors here. Saw you were looking at the 3-person tent. It’s in stock at our Brunswick store if you’d rather pick it up today. Here’s your cart: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Low stock, only if it’s true

Hi Ana, just a heads-up from Bloom & Co: we’ve only got two of the ceramic planters left in sage. Your cart’s saved here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

The discount (last resort)

Hi Dev, it’s Lisa at Coastline Coffee. If shipping was the sticking point, use CART10 for 10% off today: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Lead with help. If you open with a discount, you teach shoppers to abandon carts on purpose.

Mistakes to avoid

• Sounding like a robot. “Your cart is waiting!!!” reads like spam. A name and a normal sentence read like service.
• No way to reply. If replies go to a number nobody checks, you’ve wasted the best part of SMS.
• Texting people who already bought. Check the order came through before following up, including orders placed by phone or in store.
• Fake urgency. Only say stock is low when it is.

Doing it without spreadsheets

Colvy connects to WooCommerce and Shopify and shows every abandoned checkout in your inbox, with the customer and what was in the cart. You can send a personal text or email in one tap, or let the Sales Agent draft follow-ups for you to approve, and replies come straight back to the same inbox. When the order comes through, you can see the revenue you won back.

For sold-out products, back-in-stock texts do the same job in reverse: everyone who asked gets a text the moment stock returns.

Start free and see your abandoned carts in one place.