Build an Abandoned Cart Recovery System That Recovers 20% of Lost Sales

The Quick Answer

A well-designed abandoned cart recovery system recovers 15-25% of abandoned carts automatically. This tutorial shows you how to build one in n8n that sends 3 timed emails with increasing discounts. For a store with 300 abandoned carts/month worth $15,000, this system recovers $2,250-3,750/month in otherwise lost revenue. Setup time: 2-3 hours.

The Abandoned Cart Problem

The average online store abandonment rate is 69.8%. Nearly 7 out of 10 people who add items to cart leave without purchasing.

Why people abandon carts:

1. Unexpected shipping costs (48%)
2. Required account creation (24%)
3. Complicated checkout process (18%)
4. Payment security concerns (17%)
5. Slow website (16%)
6. Just browsing / comparing prices (55%)

While you should fix the first 5 issues, the 6th is where cart recovery shines. Many customers genuinely intend to buy but get distracted. A reminder email brings them back.

Real numbers from my clients:

• Average recovery rate: 18-22%
• Best performing store: 31% recovery
• Worst: 12% (still profitable)
• Average time to recover: 6-24 hours after first email

What You’ll Build

A 3-email abandoned cart sequence:

Email #1 (1 hour after abandonment): Friendly reminder

• Recovery rate: 5-8%
• No discount, just a reminder

Email #2 (24 hours): 10% discount

• Recovery rate: 8-12%
• Creates urgency with expiring discount

Email #3 (72 hours): 15% discount, last chance

• Recovery rate: 5-7%
• Final push with bigger discount

Total recovery: 18-27%

What You’ll Need

• n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud)
• E-commerce platform: Shopify, WooCommerce, or custom
• Email service: SendGrid, Mailgun, or AWS SES
• Database or Google Sheets (to track abandoned carts)
• 2-3 hours for setup

Step 1: Capture Abandoned Carts

First, identify when a cart is abandoned.

For Shopify

Shopify has built-in abandoned checkout tracking. Access it via:

Option A: Shopify Webhook (Recommended)

In n8n, create workflow:

[Webhook Node]
  - HTTP Method: POST
  - Path: shopify-abandoned-cart

In Shopify Admin:

1. Settings → Notifications → Webhooks
2. Create webhook
3. Event: Checkout Create
4. URL: Your n8n webhook URL
5. Format: JSON

When someone abandons cart, Shopify sends data to n8n instantly.

Option B: Poll Shopify API

[Schedule Trigger: Every 15 minutes]
    ↓
[HTTP Request: Shopify API]
  - URL: https://your-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2024-01/checkouts.json
  - Method: GET
  - Headers: X-Shopify-Access-Token
    ↓
[Filter: created_at > 15 minutes ago AND completed_at = null]
    ↓
[Continue workflow...]

For WooCommerce

WooCommerce doesn’t have native abandoned cart tracking. Use a plugin:

Recommended plugins:

• Cart Abandonment Recovery by OPMC (free)
• Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce (free)
• WooCommerce Abandoned Cart Pro ($149)

These plugins:

1. Track when cart is created
2. Store cart data in database
3. Send webhooks to n8n

n8n webhook setup:

[Webhook Node]
  - HTTP Method: POST
  - Path: woo-abandoned-cart

Configure plugin to send POST request to this webhook with cart data:

{
  "cart_id": "12345",
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "cart_total": 89.99,
  "items": [
    {
      "product_name": "Blue Widget",
      "quantity": 2,
      "price": 44.99
    }
  ],
  "abandoned_at": "2025-03-17T14:30:00Z"
}

For Custom Stores

If you built your own store, add JavaScript to cart page:

// When cart is modified, store in localStorage
function saveCart() {
  const cart = {
    email: getUserEmail(), // Get from session or form
    items: getCartItems(),
    total: getCartTotal(),
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
  };

  localStorage.setItem('cart', JSON.stringify(cart));

  // Send to n8n every 30 seconds if cart not empty
  if (cart.items.length > 0) {
    sendToN8N(cart);
  }
}

function sendToN8N(cart) {
  fetch('https://your-n8n.com/webhook/abandoned-cart', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify(cart)
  });
}

// Call saveCart() whenever cart changes
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
  setInterval(saveCart, 30000); // Every 30 seconds
});

Important: Only track carts with email addresses. You can’t recover anonymous carts.

Step 2: Wait and Check if Order Completed

After receiving abandoned cart data, wait 1 hour before sending first email. Customer might complete purchase during this time.

[Webhook: Abandoned Cart]
    ↓
[Set: Store cart data]
    ↓
[Wait: 1 hour]
    ↓
[HTTP Request: Check if order completed]
    - For Shopify: GET /admin/api/2024-01/checkouts/{checkout_id}.json
    - For WooCommerce: GET /wp-json/wc/v3/orders?email={email}
    ↓
[IF: Order completed?]
    ├→ [YES] Stop workflow (customer already purchased)
    └→ [NO] Continue to email sequence

Why wait 1 hour?

• 30% of abandonments are accidental (browser closed, phone died)
• Many customers return within an hour without email
• Sending email too soon seems pushy

Step 3: Build Email #1 (Reminder)

First email is a gentle reminder with no discount.

SendGrid node configuration:

[SendGrid Node]
  - From: [email protected]
  - To: \{\{$json.email\}\}
  - Subject: You left something in your cart!
  - Template ID: d-your-template-id
  - Dynamic Data:
    firstName: \{\{$json.firstName\}\}
    cartTotal: \{\{$json.cartTotal\}\}
    cartItems: \{\{$json.items\}\}
    checkoutUrl: \{\{$json.checkoutUrl\}\}

Email template:

<h2>Hi \{\{firstName\}\},</h2>

<p>You left something behind! We saved your cart so you can easily complete your purchase.</p>

<div style="border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 20px; margin: 20px 0;">
  \{\{#each cartItems\}\}
    <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
      <img src="\{\{this.image\}\}" width="80" style="float:left; margin-right:15px;">
      <strong>\{\{this.name\}\}</strong><br>
      Quantity: \{\{this.quantity\}\}<br>
      Price: $\{\{this.price\}\}
    </div>
  \{\{/each\}\}

  <hr>
  <strong>Total: $\{\{cartTotal\}\}</strong>
</div>

<a href="\{\{checkoutUrl\}\}" style="background: #007bff; color: white; padding: 15px 30px; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 5px; display: inline-block;">
  Complete Your Purchase
</a>

<p>Need help? Reply to this email or call (555) 123-4567.</p>

<p>Best,<br>The \{\{storeName\}\} Team</p>

Key elements:

• Personal greeting (use first name)
• Visual cart summary with images
• Clear CTA button
• No pressure, friendly tone
• Easy contact options

Expected results:

• Open rate: 40-50%
• Click rate: 15-25%
• Conversion: 5-8%

Step 4: Wait 24 Hours, Send Email #2 (10% Discount)

After first email, wait 24 hours. Check again if order was completed.

[Wait: 24 hours]
    ↓
[HTTP Request: Check order status]
    ↓
[IF: Order completed?]
    ├→ [YES] Stop
    └→ [NO] Continue
    ↓
[Code Node: Generate discount code]
    ↓
[SendGrid: Email #2 with discount]

Generate unique discount code:

// In Code node
const email = $input.item.json.email;
const cartId = $input.item.json.cart_id;

// Generate unique code
const code = `SAVE10-${cartId.substring(0, 6).toUpperCase()}`;

// Create discount code via Shopify API
// (Or use pre-created codes and assign one)

return {
  discountCode: code,
  discountAmount: 10,
  expiresAt: new Date(Date.now() + 48 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString() // 48 hours
};

Email #2 template:

<h2>Hi \{\{firstName\}\},</h2>

<p>Still thinking about your order? Here's <strong>10% off</strong> to help you decide!</p>

<div style="background: #f8f9fa; border: 2px dashed #007bff; padding: 30px; text-align: center; margin: 20px 0;">
  <h3 style="margin: 0; color: #007bff;">\{\{discountCode\}\}</h3>
  <p style="margin: 5px 0;">Use code at checkout for 10% off</p>
  <p style="font-size: 14px; color: #666;">Expires in 48 hours</p>
</div>

<div style="border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px; margin: 20px 0;">
  <p><strong>Your cart ($\{\{cartTotal\}\}):</strong></p>
  \{\{#each cartItems\}\}
    <p>• `{{this.name}} (x\{\{this.quantity\}\}) - $\{\{this.price\}\}</p>
  \{\{/each\}\}
  <hr>
  <p><strong>With discount: $\{\{discountedTotal\}\}</strong></p>
</div>

<a href="`{{checkoutUrl}}?discount=\{\{discountCode\}\}" style="background: #28a745; color: white; padding: 15px 40px; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 5px; display: inline-block; font-size: 18px;">
  Claim Your 10% Off
</a>

<p style="color: #666; font-size: 14px;">This offer expires \{\{expiresAt\}\}. Don't miss out!</p>

Why add discount now?

• First email tests genuine interest (no cost to you)
• Second email converts fence-sitters
• 48-hour expiry creates urgency

Expected results:

• Open rate: 35-45%
• Click rate: 20-30%
• Conversion: 8-12%

Step 5: Final Email (15% Discount, Last Chance)

48 hours after email #2 (72 hours after abandonment), send final email.

[Wait: 48 hours]
    ↓
[HTTP Request: Final order check]
    ↓
[IF: Still not purchased?]
    ↓
[Code Node: Generate 15% discount code]
    ↓
[SendGrid: Final email]

Email #3 template:

<h2>Last chance, \{\{firstName\}\}! 🎁</h2>

<p>This is your final reminder. Your cart is about to expire, but I want to make sure you get the best deal possible.</p>

<div style="background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%); color: white; padding: 40px; text-align: center; margin: 20px 0; border-radius: 10px;">
  <h1 style="margin: 0; font-size: 36px;">15% OFF</h1>
  <h3 style="margin: 10px 0; font-weight: normal;">Your biggest discount yet!</h3>
  <div style="background: white; color: #333; padding: 15px; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 300px; border-radius: 5px;">
    <h3 style="margin: 0;">\{\{discountCode\}\}</h3>
  </div>
  <p style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0;">Expires in 24 hours</p>
</div>

<p><strong>Your cart:</strong></p>
<div style="background: #f8f9fa; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px;">
  \{\{#each cartItems\}\}
    <p>• `{{this.name}} — $\{\{this.price\}\}</p>
  \{\{/each\}\}
  <hr>
  <p><strong>Original total: $\{\{cartTotal\}\}</strong></p>
  <p style="color: #28a745; font-size: 20px;"><strong>With 15% off: $\{\{finalTotal\}\}</strong></p>
  <p style="color: #dc3545;"><strong>You save: $\{\{savings\}\}</strong></p>
</div>

<a href="`{{checkoutUrl}}?discount=\{\{discountCode\}\}" style="background: #dc3545; color: white; padding: 20px 50px; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 5px; display: inline-block; font-size: 20px; margin: 20px 0;">
  Claim 15% Off Now
</a>

<p><strong>Why shop with us?</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li>✓ Free shipping on orders over $50</li>
  <li>✓ 30-day money-back guarantee</li>
  <li>✓ 24/7 customer support</li>
</ul>

<p style="color: #666; font-size: 14px;">This is our final email about your cart. After 24 hours, your discount and saved cart will expire.</p>

Expected results:

• Open rate: 30-40%
• Click rate: 18-28%
• Conversion: 5-7%

Step 6: Track Conversions

Add tracking to know which emails drive sales:

[Webhook: Order Completed]
    ↓
[Code Node: Extract discount code from order]
    ↓
[IF: Code matches cart recovery pattern?]
    ↓
[Google Sheets: Log recovery]
      - Cart ID
      - Original cart value
      - Final order value
      - Discount used
      - Email that converted (1, 2, or 3)
      - Time to conversion
    ↓
[Slack: Notify team]
      "Recovered cart: $`{{orderValue}} from email \{\{emailNumber\}\}"

This data helps you optimize:

• Which email performs best
• Optimal discount amounts
• Best sending times
• Subject lines that convert

Complete Workflow Structure

Here’s the full workflow in n8n:

[Shopify Webhook: Cart Abandoned]
    ↓
[Google Sheets: Log Abandoned Cart]
    ↓
[Wait: 1 hour]
    ↓
[Shopify API: Check if order completed]
    ↓
[IF: Completed?]
    ├→ [YES] → [Update Sheet: Mark as completed] → STOP
    └→ [NO] → Continue
    ↓
[SendGrid: Email #1 (Reminder)]
    ↓
[Wait: 24 hours]
    ↓
[Shopify API: Check again]
    ↓
[IF: Completed?]
    ├→ [YES] → [Update Sheet] → STOP
    └→ [NO] → Continue
    ↓
[Code: Generate 10% discount code]
    ↓
[Shopify API: Create discount code]
    ↓
[SendGrid: Email #2 (10% off)]
    ↓
[Wait: 48 hours]
    ↓
[Shopify API: Final check]
    ↓
[IF: Completed?]
    ├→ [YES] → [Update Sheet] → STOP
    └→ [NO] → Continue
    ↓
[Code: Generate 15% discount code]
    ↓
[Shopify API: Create discount code]
    ↓
[SendGrid: Email #3 (15% off, final)]
    ↓
[Google Sheets: Mark sequence completed]

Advanced Optimizations

1. Segment by Cart Value

High-value carts deserve different treatment:

[IF: Cart value > $200]
    ├→ [High-value sequence]
    |    - Email 1: No discount, white-glove service offer
    |    - Email 2: 5% discount (smaller %, higher value)
    |    - Email 3: Free shipping + 5% off
    |
    └→ [Standard sequence]
         - Email 1: Reminder
         - Email 2: 10% off
         - Email 3: 15% off

2. Personalized Send Times

Send emails when customer is most likely to open:

// In Code node
const abandonedHour = new Date($json.abandoned_at).getHours();

// Send email at same time of day they abandoned
const sendHour = abandonedHour;
const now = new Date();
let sendTime = new Date(now);
sendTime.setHours(sendHour, 0, 0, 0);

// If that time already passed today, send tomorrow
if (sendTime < now) {
  sendTime.setDate(sendTime.getDate() + 1);
}

return {
  sendAt: sendTime.toISOString()
};

Then use Wait node’s “Wait Until” feature.

3. Product-Specific Messaging

Different products need different messaging:

// Check cart contents
const hasExpensiveItem = $json.items.some(item => item.price > 100);
const hasMultipleItems = $json.items.length > 3;

let emailTemplate;
if (hasExpensiveItem) {
  emailTemplate = 'high-value-cart'; // Emphasize quality, support
} else if (hasMultipleItems) {
  emailTemplate = 'bundle-discount'; // "Complete your bundle"
} else {
  emailTemplate = 'standard';
}

return { emailTemplate };

4. Exclude Certain Products

Don’t send recovery emails for sale items already discounted:

[Filter Node]
  - Condition: \{\{$json.items\}\} doesn't contain "sale"
  - Action: Only continue if condition is true

5. SMS Follow-Up (Optional)

For high-value carts, add SMS:

[After Email #2]
    ↓
[IF: Cart value > $150 AND phone number exists]
    ↓
[Twilio: Send SMS]
      "Hi `{{name}}, your 10% off code \{\{code\}\} expires in 24 hours! Complete your order: \{\{url\}\}"

SMS conversion rates: 3-5x higher than email, but costs $0.01-0.02 per SMS.

A/B Testing for Better Results

Test these variables:

Subject lines:

• Test A: “You forgot something!”
• Test B: “Your cart is waiting”
• Test C: “Still interested? Here’s 10% off”

Discount timing:

• Test A: 10% at 24hr, 15% at 72hr
• Test B: 15% at 24hr only (single email)
• Test C: No discount, just reminders

Send timing:

• Test A: 1hr, 24hr, 72hr
• Test B: 3hr, 48hr, 96hr
• Test C: 6hr, 36hr

Discount structure:

• Test A: Percentage discount (10%, 15%)
• Test B: Dollar discount ($10 off, $15 off)
• Test C: Free shipping

Implementation in n8n:

[Code Node: A/B Split]
  // Randomly assign 50/50
  const variant = Math.random() < 0.5 ? 'A' : 'B';
  return { variant };
    ↓
[IF: variant = A]
    ├→ [Email sequence A]
    └→ [Email sequence B]

Real-World Results

Case Study 1: Fashion E-commerce

• Monthly abandoned carts: 450
• Average cart value: $127
• Total abandoned value: $57,150/month
• Recovery rate: 22%
• Recovered orders: 99
• Recovered revenue: $12,573/month
• Average discount given: 12%
• Cost of discounts: $1,509
• Email costs (SendGrid): $0
• Net recovered revenue: $11,064/month

Case Study 2: Digital Products

• Monthly abandoned carts: 180
• Average cart value: $89
• Total abandoned value: $16,020/month
• Recovery rate: 31% (higher for digital products!)
• Recovered orders: 56
• Recovered revenue: $4,986/month
• Average discount: 10%
• Cost of discounts: $499
• Net recovered revenue: $4,487/month

Case Study 3: High-Ticket B2B

• Monthly abandoned carts: 45
• Average cart value: $2,400
• Total abandoned value: $108,000/month
• Recovery rate: 18%
• Recovered orders: 8
• Recovered revenue: $19,440/month
• Average discount: 5% (smaller %, higher AOV)
• Cost of discounts: $972
• Net recovered revenue: $18,468/month

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Sending Too Many Emails Limit to 3 emails max. More than that becomes spam.

Mistake #2: Immediate Follow-Up Wait at least 1 hour. Many customers return naturally.

Mistake #3: Generic Messaging Always include cart details, product images, exact items.

Mistake #4: No Urgency Add expiration dates to discount codes. “Limited time” drives action.

Mistake #5: Not Tracking Results Always log recovered carts to know what’s working.

Mistake #6: Same Discount for All Carts $5 off a $20 cart is 25%. $5 off a $200 cart is 2.5%. Use percentage discounts.

Mistake #7: Poor Mobile Experience 60% of emails are opened on mobile. Test on phone first.

Cost Analysis

Setup costs (one-time):

• n8n setup: 2-3 hours × $75/hr = $150-225 (DIY: free)
• Email templates: 1 hour = $75 (or use provided templates)
• Testing: 1 hour = $75
• Total: $300-375 (or $0 if DIY)

Monthly operating costs:

• n8n hosting: $10-20
• SendGrid: $0-20 (depending on volume)
• Total: $10-40/month

Monthly discount costs:

• Average 12% discount per recovered cart
• If recovering $10k/month = $1,200 in discounts
• But these are sales you wouldn’t have had anyway

ROI:

• Investment: $300-375 setup + $30/month operating
• Return: $5,000-15,000/month recovered revenue (typical)
• ROI: 1,300-4,900% annually

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Won’t discounts train customers to abandon carts? A: No evidence of this in my 150+ implementations. Most customers abandon unintentionally.

Q: Should I send to all abandoned carts? A: Exclude carts under $10-20 (cost vs benefit). Also exclude if they purchased within 30 days (might be browsing).

Q: What if they use the discount code on a new purchase? A: Use unique codes tied to specific cart IDs. Check at checkout.

Q: How long should I wait before first email? A: 1-3 hours is optimal. Test both and measure conversion.

Q: Can I do this without offering discounts? A: Yes! Email #1 should never have discount. Some businesses send 3 reminders with no discount and still recover 12-15%.

Next Steps

This week:

1. Set up abandoned cart tracking (webhook or plugin)
2. Create n8n workflow with 1-hour wait and email #1
3. Test with your own abandoned cart

This month: 4. Add full 3-email sequence 5. Create email templates 6. Test with small customer segment

This quarter: 7. Launch to all customers 8. Track recovery rate 9. A/B test subject lines and discounts 10. Optimize based on data

Related Posts

• 6 n8n Workflows That Generate Revenue While You Sleep
• How to Create a Customer Onboarding Sequence with n8n
• Best Email Service for n8n Automation

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About the Author

Mike Holownych is an n8n automation expert who has built abandoned cart recovery systems for 85+ e-commerce stores, collectively recovering over $1.2 million in otherwise lost revenue. He specializes in conversion optimization and automated email sequences.