How to Configure Abandonment Timeout / Cart Cut-Off Time

The Cart Abandonment Cut-Off Time controls how long the plugin waits before deciding that an in-progress checkout is “abandoned” — and therefore eligible for recovery emails.

Getting this timing right is critical:

• Too short → you’ll email customers who are still filling out the form.
• Too long → you’ll miss the ideal recovery window (most recoveries happen within the first few hours).

This guide covers the two key timing settings, how to configure them, and recommended values based on store type.

The Two Key Timing Settings

Prerequisites

• Cart Abandonment Recovery plugin installed and activated
• Cart tracking enabled under Settings > Enable Tracking

Step-by-Step: Configuring Cut-Off Time

Step 1 — Open Settings

Go to WooCommerce > Cart Abandonment > Settings > General.

Step 2 — Set the Cart Abandoned Cut-Off Time

Locate the “Cart abandoned cut-off time” field. Enter the number of minutes to wait after the customer stops interacting with the checkout.

Step 3 — Set the Abandoned Cart Lost Time

Locate the “Abandoned cart lost time” field. Enter the number of days after which unrecovered carts are marked as Lost.

• Default: 30 days
• After this period, no more recovery emails will be sent for that cart.

Recommended Values by Store Type

How the Timing Works (Under the Hood)

1. Customer starts checkout → enters email, name, address.
2. Tracking begins → cart details are saved in the database.
3. Customer leaves without purchasing
4. Cut-off timer starts → (e.g., 15 minutes)
5. After cut-off → cart status changes to Abandoned, email queue activates.
6. Recovery emails sent → based on individual email template timing (e.g., “Send after 1 hour”).
7. If no recovery by lost time → cart marked Lost, removed from recovery queue.

Tips & Best Practices

• Start with 15–30 minutes and adjust based on recovery rates.
• Watch your Reports — if recovery rate is low, try a shorter cut-off (faster is often better).
• Align email timing with cut-off — if your cut-off is 30 min, your first recovery email should ideally send 30 min to 1 hour after.
• A/B test timing by tracking performance before and after changes (over 2–4 week periods).

FAQs