How to Recover Abandoned Carts on WhatsApp (Shopify & WooCommerce)

Most people who start a checkout never finish it. Some were comparing prices, some got distracted, some hit a surprise shipping charge. A short, helpful reminder on WhatsApp — the app your customers already open many times a day — brings a share of them back.

This guide walks through the whole flow: what you need before you start, the timing that works, message templates you can adapt, and how to prove the revenue.

What you need before you start

1. A store that shares checkout data. Shopify creates a checkout (with an email or phone and a recovery link) the moment a shopper enters contact details. WooCommerce needs a cart-capture plugin or your own checkout form to do the same.
2. WhatsApp Business API access. The regular WhatsApp Business app can't send automated messages. The API (through a platform such as MizUp CLM) sends approved templates automatically.
3. Opt-in. Add a clear checkbox at checkout — "Send order updates and offers on WhatsApp" — and keep a record of consent.
4. An approved template. WhatsApp only lets businesses start a conversation with a template that Meta has approved.

Connect the store

In MizUp, open App Store → Shopify and add the webhooks for Checkout creation, Checkout update and Order payment. Every checkout is saved with its value, items and recovery link. When a checkout sits unpaid for the time you choose (60 minutes by default), MizUp marks it abandoned, creates or updates the customer in your CRM and fires the Checkout is abandoned trigger. If the customer buys later, the cart is counted as recovered. The integrations page lists everything else you can connect.

The timing that works

A sequence of two or three messages is plenty:

Stop the sequence as soon as the customer replies or places an order. Nobody wants a "you forgot something!" message after they already paid.

Message templates you can adapt

Keep templates short, personal and useful. Variables are shown in double braces.

Reminder (marketing template)

"Hi {{1}}, you left {{2}} in your cart at {{3}}. Your items are saved — tap below to finish your order in one step." Button: Complete my order (links to the recovery URL).

Help message

"Hi {{1}}, any questions before you order? We deliver to {{2}} in about {{3}} days and returns are free within 7 days. Reply here and a real person will help."

Last nudge

"Hi {{1}}, your cart is still waiting. Use code {{2}} for free shipping until midnight."

Avoid all-caps, too many emojis and pressure language — they hurt approval and reply rates.

Build the automation

1. In Templates, submit the reminder template and wait for approval.
2. In Journeys, create a journey triggered by the event Checkout is abandoned.
3. Add a Send message step with the reminder template, mapping the customer's first name and the cart link.
4. Add a Wait of 24 hours, then a Branch: if the customer replied or has a paid order, exit.
5. Add the help message, and optionally the last nudge after another wait.
6. Publish. New abandoned checkouts enter automatically.

Measure what you recovered

Look at three numbers every week:

• Abandoned carts and their total value.
• Recovered carts — orders placed from the same checkout or by the same customer after the first reminder.
• Cost per recovered order — message spend divided by recovered orders.

In MizUp, Store data → Abandoned carts shows abandoned and recovered counts and values side by side, so you can judge the flow on real revenue rather than clicks.

Common mistakes

• Sending to people who never opted in. It risks your number's quality rating and customer trust.
• Discounting in the very first message. You teach shoppers to abandon carts on purpose.
• Forgetting to exit the journey when the order comes in.
• Using a generic link to the homepage instead of the saved cart.

Once cart recovery runs, the same connection powers order-paid thank-you messages, delivery updates and review requests — see how to build a customer lifecycle.

Frequently asked questions