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If you run a Shopify store, knowing where customers abandon their purchases can help you recover lost sales and identify problems in your checkout process. Shopify makes this information available through abandoned checkouts, although the terminology can be confusing if you are specifically looking for “abandoned carts.”
In this guide, you’ll learn where to find abandoned checkouts in Shopify, what information you can see, how to identify potential customers, and what you can do with the data to recover more sales.
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What Is an Abandoned Cart in Shopify?
An abandoned cart is generally a shopping session where a customer adds products to their cart but leaves without completing a purchase. However, Shopify’s admin uses the term abandoned checkout for customers who have started the checkout process but did not complete their order.
This distinction matters because not every shopper who adds an item to a cart will appear in Shopify’s abandoned checkout records.
Abandoned Cart vs. Abandoned Checkout
| Feature | Abandoned Cart | Abandoned Checkout |
|---|---|---|
| Products added | Yes | Yes |
| Checkout started | Not necessarily | Yes |
| Customer information available | Not necessarily | Depends on information provided |
| Available in Shopify abandoned checkout records | Not necessarily | Yes, when Shopify records the checkout |
So, if you search your Shopify admin for “abandoned carts,” the section you are usually looking for is Abandoned checkouts.
How to See Abandoned Carts in Shopify
You can find your recorded abandoned checkouts directly from your Shopify admin. The process is straightforward:
- Log in to your Shopify admin.
- Open Orders.
- Look for or select Abandoned checkouts.
- Review the list of incomplete checkouts.
- Click an individual checkout to see more details.
The exact appearance of the Shopify admin can change as Shopify updates its interface, but the important section to look for is Abandoned checkouts.
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Step 1: Open Your Shopify Admin
Sign in to the Shopify account that manages your store. Make sure you are using an account with the appropriate permissions to view orders and checkout information.
Step 2: Go to Orders
From your Shopify admin, open the Orders section. This is where Shopify organizes your store’s order and checkout activity.
Step 3: Open Abandoned Checkouts
Find the Abandoned checkouts section within your order management area. This list contains checkout sessions that were started but not completed.
Step 4: Review the Abandoned Checkout List
Review the available records to identify customers, products, checkout values, and other information associated with incomplete purchases.
Step 5: Open an Individual Checkout
Select an abandoned checkout to view its available details. This can help you understand what the customer intended to buy and whether the checkout may be worth recovering.
What Information Can You See in Shopify Abandoned Checkouts?
The information available for an abandoned checkout depends on how far the customer progressed through checkout and what information they provided.
Depending on the checkout, you may be able to review information such as:
- Customer information
- Products in the checkout
- Quantity of each product
- Checkout value
- Date and time of the checkout
- Available checkout details
- Recovery information
This information can be useful for more than simply finding abandoned orders. It can help you identify patterns that may be preventing customers from completing purchases.
Can You See Who Abandoned Their Cart on Shopify?
Sometimes. Whether you can identify a shopper depends on the information they provided before leaving the checkout.
If a customer entered identifying information, such as an email address, Shopify may associate that information with the abandoned checkout. However, you should not assume that every shopper who abandons a cart can be identified.
What About Anonymous Shoppers?
A shopper can add products to a cart without providing enough information for you to identify them personally. If they leave before providing contact information or reaching a recorded checkout, there may not be a customer profile you can use for direct follow-up.
This is one reason why abandoned cart and abandoned checkout should not always be treated as identical terms.
How to Find Specific Abandoned Checkouts in Shopify
If your store generates a large number of abandoned checkouts, reviewing every record individually can become inefficient. Use the available search and filtering options in Shopify to narrow the records you need to investigate.
For example, you may want to focus on recent abandoned checkouts, higher-value purchases, or customers whose information is available for recovery.
Look for High-Value Abandoned Checkouts
A customer who leaves a high-value checkout represents a potentially larger recovery opportunity than a low-value abandoned purchase.
Prioritizing these checkouts can help you focus your recovery efforts where they may have the greatest financial impact.
Review Recent Abandoned Checkouts
Recent abandoned checkouts may be more useful for immediate recovery campaigns. Reviewing them regularly can help prevent potentially recoverable sales from being overlooked.
How to Analyze Abandoned Carts in Shopify
Finding abandoned checkouts is only the first step. The real value comes from understanding why customers are not completing their purchases and what patterns appear across your store.
Identify Frequently Abandoned Products
Look for products that repeatedly appear in abandoned checkouts. A product with frequent abandonment may deserve closer attention, particularly if customers consistently reach checkout but do not complete the purchase.
Look for High-Value Abandonments
Track which abandoned checkouts have the highest potential order values. These can become a priority for your recovery efforts.
Look for Checkout Drop-Off Patterns
Abandoned checkout data can help you investigate possible problems with your purchasing experience.
Potential issues may include unexpected costs, shipping concerns, payment limitations, complicated checkout steps, or a lack of customer confidence. Treat these as areas to investigate rather than assuming the abandoned checkout data proves a specific cause.
How to Recover Abandoned Carts in Shopify
Once you know where your abandoned checkouts are, the next step is to determine how to recover the customers who left without purchasing.
Use Abandoned Checkout Recovery
Shopify provides tools for recovering eligible abandoned checkouts. Depending on your store setup and Shopify plan, you can use Shopify’s available recovery features to encourage customers to return and complete their purchase.
Send a Helpful Reminder
A recovery message should remind the customer about the products they considered purchasing and make it easy to return to checkout.
Keep the message clear and useful. You do not always need to offer a discount, especially if the customer abandoned the purchase because of an issue that can be fixed in the shopping experience.
Consider an Incentive Carefully
A discount can sometimes encourage customers to complete a purchase, but using discounts for every abandoned checkout can reduce your margins and train customers to wait for promotions.
Consider testing incentives selectively instead of automatically discounting every abandoned purchase.
How to Track Cart Abandonment in Shopify
Checking individual abandoned checkouts tells you what happened to specific purchases. Tracking your overall abandonment performance helps you understand whether your store has a broader conversion problem.
Track Your Cart Abandonment Rate
Your cart abandonment rate shows how frequently shoppers add products but do not complete a purchase. Tracking this metric over time can help you identify changes in customer behavior and measure the impact of checkout improvements.
Use the same calculation method consistently when comparing your store’s performance over different periods.
Track Abandoned Checkout Trends
Compare abandonment activity across different periods to identify meaningful changes. A sudden increase may indicate an issue with pricing, shipping, payment methods, website performance, or the checkout experience.
Measure Recovered Revenue
The number of abandoned carts is useful, but recovered revenue is often a more actionable measure. Track how many abandoned purchases return and convert after your recovery efforts.
Why Can’t I See Abandoned Carts in Shopify?
If you cannot find the abandoned carts you expected to see, there are several possible explanations.
You’re Looking for “Abandoned Carts” Instead of “Abandoned Checkouts”
Shopify’s terminology can cause confusion. If you are searching your admin for an option called “Abandoned Carts,” look for Abandoned checkouts instead.
The Shopper Never Reached Checkout
Not every shopper who adds a product to a cart will start the checkout process. A shopper can leave the store before reaching checkout, meaning there may not be an abandoned checkout record to review.
The Shopper Did Not Provide Contact Information
If a customer leaves without providing enough information to identify them, you may not be able to associate the abandoned activity with a specific customer.
Your Shopify Admin Interface Has Changed
Shopify regularly updates its admin interface. If the steps or labels look different from an older tutorial, use the current Shopify admin navigation and look for the abandoned checkout records associated with your orders.
How to Reduce Cart Abandonment on Shopify
Recovering abandoned checkouts is useful, but preventing unnecessary abandonment can have an even bigger impact on your store’s conversion performance.
Make Costs Clear
Unexpected shipping charges, taxes, or additional fees can create friction near the end of the buying process. Make important costs as clear as possible before customers reach the final payment step.
Reduce Checkout Friction
Keep the checkout experience simple and remove unnecessary steps wherever possible. Customers should be able to understand what they are buying, what they will pay, and how they can complete the order without confusion.
Offer Convenient Payment Options
Give customers payment options that are appropriate for your target market. Limited payment choices can become a barrier for shoppers who are ready to purchase.
Improve Mobile Checkout
Make sure your cart and checkout experience works smoothly on mobile devices. Test the entire purchasing process yourself, including product selection, cart updates, checkout, payment, and order confirmation.
Build Trust at Checkout
Clear policies, secure payment information, transparent pricing, and accessible customer support can help customers feel more confident about completing their purchase.
Abandoned Cart vs. Abandoned Checkout: Quick Comparison
| Question | Abandoned Cart | Abandoned Checkout |
|---|---|---|
| Were products added? | Yes | Yes |
| Was checkout started? | Not necessarily | Yes |
| Can the customer always be identified? | No | No |
| Does Shopify have an abandoned checkout record? | Not necessarily | Yes, when a checkout is recorded |
Key Takeaways
- Shopify generally uses the term Abandoned checkouts for incomplete checkout sessions.
- You can access recorded abandoned checkouts through your Shopify admin.
- Not every shopper who adds a product to a cart will appear as an abandoned checkout.
- The customer information available depends on what the shopper provided during checkout.
- Review abandoned checkout data to identify high-value opportunities, frequently abandoned products, and potential checkout problems.
- Use Shopify’s available recovery features to encourage eligible customers to complete their purchases.
- Reducing checkout friction, improving transparency, and making payment easier can help prevent future abandonment.
People Also Ask
How do I see abandoned carts in Shopify?
Go to your Shopify admin, open Orders, and access Abandoned checkouts. From there, you can review recorded incomplete checkout sessions and open individual records for more details.
Does Shopify show abandoned carts?
Shopify provides an Abandoned checkouts view for checkout sessions that were started but not completed. It does not necessarily provide an identifiable record for every shopper who simply added products to a cart and left.
Can I see who abandoned their cart on Shopify?
You may be able to see customer information when a shopper provided identifying details during checkout. Anonymous shoppers may not be associated with enough information to identify them.
Can I recover abandoned carts in Shopify?
Yes. Shopify provides abandoned checkout recovery features for eligible checkouts, and additional Shopify apps can provide more advanced recovery, automation, and segmentation options.
What is the difference between an abandoned cart and an abandoned checkout?
An abandoned cart generally refers to a shopper adding products without completing a purchase, while an abandoned checkout refers to a shopper who started the checkout process but did not complete the order. Shopify’s admin specifically uses the term Abandoned checkouts.
Why can’t I see abandoned carts in Shopify?
You may be looking for the wrong Shopify section, or the shopper may not have reached checkout. If the shopper left before starting checkout or did not provide identifying information, you may not have a corresponding abandoned checkout record that you can view.
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