How to Create and Customize Email Templates for Cart Recovery

The Cart Abandonment Recovery plugin lets you build a sequence of automated recovery emails that are sent to customers who leave your store without completing checkout. Each email is fully customizable — you control the subject line, timing, body content, coupon incentives, and the conditions under which the email is delivered.

This guide walks through how to create a new email template, configure all available settings, personalize the content using shortcodes, and use Dynamic Conditions to send targeted emails to the right customers.

Accessing Email Templates

To manage your recovery email templates, go to:

WooCommerce > Cart Abandonment > Follow-up Emails

This screen lists all existing templates in your recovery sequence. You can create new ones, edit existing templates, toggle them on or off, or delete them.

Creating a New Email Template

To create a new recovery email:

1. Go to WooCommerce > Cart Abandonment > Follow-up Emails.
2. Click Add New Template.
3. Fill in the template fields described in the next section.
4. Click Save Template when finished.

Template Fields

Each email template includes the following settings:

Field	Description
Email Subject	The subject line of the recovery email. Shortcodes can be used here to personalize it (e.g., include the customer’s first name or the store name).
Send This Email	Sets how long after cart abandonment this email is sent. Enter a number and select the unit: Minutes, Hours, or Days.
Email Body	The main content of the email. Use the visual editor to format the message and insert shortcodes to dynamically populate customer and cart details.
Coupon	Optionally attach a WooCommerce coupon to the email. When enabled, the coupon code is auto-applied when the customer clicks the recovery link.
Active / Inactive	Toggles whether this template is enabled in the sending sequence. Inactive templates are saved but will not be sent.

Writing the Email Body

The email body editor supports standard HTML formatting — headings, bold text, links, images, and buttons. Use the toolbar to style your content without writing code.

To create a high-converting recovery email, it is recommended to include:

• A personalized greeting using {{customer.firstname}}
• The abandoned product list using {{cart.product.table}}
• A prominent recovery button or link using {{cart.checkout_url}}
• A coupon code (optional) using {{cart.coupon_code}}
• An unsubscribe link using {{cart.unsubscribe}}

Personalizing with Shortcodes

Shortcodes let you insert dynamic content into your email subject and body. The plugin replaces each shortcode with the appropriate value at the time the email is sent.

Shortcode	Where to Use	What It Inserts
{{customer.firstname}}	Subject / Body	Customer’s first name
{{customer.lastname}}	Subject / Body	Customer’s last name
{{customer.fullname}}	Subject / Body	Customer’s full name
{{cart.checkout_url}}	Body	Unique recovery link (restores cart, applies coupon)
{{cart.coupon_code}}	Body	The coupon code assigned to this template
{{cart.product.table}}	Body	Product table with name, image, quantity, and price
{{cart.product.names}}	Body	Plain-text list of abandoned product names
{{cart.abandoned_date}}	Body	Date the cart was abandoned
{{cart.unsubscribe}}	Body	Unsubscribe link for the customer
{{admin.firstname}}	Subject / Body	Shop owner / administrator name
{{admin.company}}	Subject / Body	Shop or company name
{{site.url}}	Body	Main URL of the store

Here is the Doc with the complete list of shortcodes: https://cartflows.com/docs/shortcode-reference-for-email-fields/

Adding a Coupon to a Template

You can automatically generate a unique discount coupon for each abandoned cart recovery email.

When a coupon is configured:

• The {{cart.coupon_code}} shortcode in the email body will display the auto-generated coupon code.
• If Auto-apply coupon is enabled, the coupon is automatically applied when the customer clicks the {{cart.checkout_url}} recovery link — no manual entry required.

To set up a coupon on a template:

1. Open or create an email template.
2. In the Coupon section, toggle on Create Coupon Code.
3. Choose a Discount Type (Percentage, Fixed Cart, or Free Shipping).
4. Enter the Coupon Amount.
5. Optionally set an Expiry period and enable Free Shipping or Individual Use Only.
6. Enable Auto-apply coupon if you want the coupon applied automatically when the customer clicks the recovery link.
7. Save the template.

The plugin will generate a unique coupon code for each customer automatically — no need to create one manually in WooCommerce.

Setting the Send Timing

Each template has a Send This Email field that controls when the email is sent after the cart is abandoned. You can specify a number and select:

• Minutes — for immediate or near-immediate follow-up (minimum 10 minutes after the cut-off time)
• Hours — for same-day follow-ups
• Days — for multi-day recovery sequences

Recommended timing sequence:

Email 1 — Send after: 1 Hour (First reminder, no coupon)Email 2 — Send after: 24 Hours  (Follow-up, cart contents reminder) Email 3 — Send after: 3 Days (Final email with coupon incentive)

Configuring Email Sender Settings

The “From” name and address used in recovery emails are set globally in the plugin settings, not per template. To update these:

1. Go to WooCommerce > Cart Abandonment > Settings.
2. Under Email Settings, configure:

Field	Description
“From” Name	The name displayed as the sender in the customer’s inbox (e.g., your store name).
“From” Address	The email address the recovery emails are sent from.
“Reply-To” Address	The address where customer replies are directed. Can differ from the “From” address.

Using Dynamic Conditions (Pro)

Dynamic Conditions allow you to restrict a template so it only sends when specific cart, product, or customer criteria are met. This is a Pro feature available in the Cart Abandonment Recovery Pro plugin.

With Dynamic Conditions, you can target emails by:

• Cart total — e.g., only send for orders above $100
• Product or product category — e.g., send only when a customer abandons electronics
• Billing country — e.g., target US-based customers with a specific offer
• Number of cart items — e.g., target carts with 3 or more products

To know more about how to set up Dynamic Email Conditions, refer to this doc.

Available Conditions and Operators

Field	Description
Cart Total	Numeric operators: is equal to, greater than, less than, greater/less than or equal to.
Product	Existence operators: Exists / Does not exist. Search for a specific product by name.
Product Category	Equality operators: Equal to / Not equal to. Select from existing categories.
Billing Country	Equality operators: Equal to / Not equal to. Select from country dropdown.
Number of Cart Items	Numeric operators: is equal to, greater than, less than, greater/less than or equal to.

Example Email Templates

Email 1 — Simple Reminder (No Coupon)

Subject:  Hey {{customer.firstname}}, you left something behind!   Hi {{customer.firstname}},   It looks like you left some items in your cart at {{admin.company}}. Your cart is saved — just click the button below to pick up where you left off.   {{cart.product.table}}   Complete your purchase: {{cart.checkout_url}}   If you have any questions, just reply to this email.   Thanks, {{admin.firstname}} {{admin.company}}   Unsubscribe: {{cart.unsubscribe}}

Email 3 — Final Offer with Coupon

Subject:  Last chance — here’s a discount just for you, {{customer.firstname}}   Hi {{customer.firstname}},   We noticed you haven’t completed your order yet. As a thank you for shopping with us, here’s an exclusive discount:     Use code: {{cart.coupon_code}}   It’s applied automatically when you click the link below. This offer won’t last long!   {{cart.product.table}}   Claim your discount: {{cart.checkout_url}}   Unsubscribe: {{cart.unsubscribe}}

Activating and Deactivating Templates

Each template has an Active / Inactive toggle on the Follow-up Emails list screen. Only active templates are included in the sending sequence.

You can use this toggle to:

• Pause a template temporarily without deleting it.
• Test a single template by deactivating all others.
• Run seasonal campaigns by activating specific templates during promotional periods.

Tips for Effective Recovery Emails

• Keep subject lines short and personal. Including the customer’s name or a reference to their cart improves open rates.
• Use a single clear call to action. One prominent recovery button is more effective than multiple links.
• Delay your first coupon. Send the first email without a coupon to avoid training customers to abandon intentionally. Offer a discount only in a later email.
• Always include an unsubscribe link. Using {{cart.unsubscribe}} is required for compliance and good email hygiene.
• Test before activating. Use a test email address and a staging cart to verify that shortcodes, coupon codes, and recovery links all work correctly.