Abandoned wishlist recovery emails target customers who created wishlists but haven’t returned to your store. This powerful re-engagement tool brings back inactive customers with personalized incentives.
Why Abandoned Wishlist Recovery Works
Customers abandon wishlists for many reasons:
- Life got busy
- They’re comparison shopping
- Waiting for a better time to buy
- Simply forgot about your store
A well-crafted recovery email with an optional incentive can bring them back.
Prerequisites
Before setting up abandoned wishlist recovery:
- Configure your SMTP settings in the Email Notifications tab
- Have customers with wishlists who haven’t visited recently
Accessing Abandoned Wishlist Settings
- Navigate to Wishlist in the main menu
- Click the Email Notifications tab
- Select Abandoned Wishlist panel

Configuration Options
Enable Abandoned Wishlist Notifications
Toggle the checkbox to enable automatic recovery emails.

Trigger Configuration
Send After
Choose when to consider a wishlist “abandoned”:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| 7 days | Send after 1 week of inactivity |
| 14 days | Send after 2 weeks of inactivity |
| 30 days | Send after 1 month of inactivity |
| 60 days | Send after 2 months of inactivity |
| Custom | Set your own days |

Custom Days: Enter any number of days that works for your business.
Minimum Items Required
Only trigger emails for wishlists with a certain number of items:
| Setting | Use Case |
|---|---|
| 1 | Any wishlist activity |
| 2-3 | Moderate interest shown |
| 5+ | High-intent shoppers only |

Tip: Customers with more wishlist items show higher purchase intent.
Max Notifications Per Customer
Limit how many recovery emails a customer receives:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | One recovery attempt only |
| 2 | Two attempts |
| 3 | Three attempts |
| 5 | Up to five attempts |
| Unlimited | No limit (not recommended) |

Customer Filtering
Exclude Recent Purchasers
Toggle this to skip customers who recently made a purchase.

Recent Purchase Window:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| 7 days | Exclude if purchased in last week |
| 14 days | Exclude if purchased in last 2 weeks |
| 30 days | Exclude if purchased in last month |
Why exclude? Customers who just bought don’t need recovery emails — they’re already engaged.
Incentive Settings
Sweeten the deal with an optional discount to encourage conversion.

Incentive Type
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| None | No incentive (reminder only) |
| Percentage Discount | e.g., 10% off |
| Fixed Discount | e.g., $10 off |
| Free Shipping | Waive shipping costs |

Discount Value
When using percentage or fixed discounts, set the amount:
- Percentage: Enter 10 for 10% off, 20 for 20% off, etc.
- Fixed: Enter the dollar amount (e.g., 15 for $15 off)
Best Practice: Start with 10% or $10 off — enough to motivate but not too generous.
Email Content
Email Subject
Create a compelling reason to return. Examples:
- “We miss you! Your wishlist is waiting”
- “Come back — here’s 10% off your wishlist”
- “Your {{item_count}} saved items miss you”

Email Template
Design your recovery email with the rich text editor.

Available Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{customer_name}} | Customer’s first name |
{{item_count}} | Number of wishlist items |
{{item_count_text}} | “item” or “items” (pluralized) |
{{days_since_last_visit}} | Days since last activity |
{{products_list}} | HTML list of wishlist items |
{{has_incentive}} | Boolean for conditional content |
{{incentive_text}} | Description of the offer |
{{discount_code}} | Generated discount code |
{{expiry_text}} | When the offer expires |
{{wishlist_url}} | Link to customer’s wishlist |
{{store_name}} | Your store’s name |
{{store_initial}} | First letter of store name |
{{address}} | Your store address |
Example Template:
<h2>Hi {{customer_name}},</h2>
<p>It's been {{days_since_last_visit}} days since your last visit, and you have {{item_count}} {{item_count_text}} waiting in your wishlist!</p>
{{products_list}}
{{#if has_incentive}}
<div style="background: #f5f5f5; padding: 20px; text-align: center; margin: 20px 0;">
<h3>Special Offer Just for You</h3>
<p>{{incentive_text}}</p>
<p style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">{{discount_code}}</p>
<p style="color: #666; font-size: 12px;">{{expiry_text}}</p>
</div>
{{/if}}
<p style="text-align: center;">
<a href="{{wishlist_url}}" style="background: #000; color: #fff; padding: 14px 28px; text-decoration: none;">
View My Wishlist
</a>
</p>
<p>We can't wait to see you again!</p>
<p>{{store_name}}</p>Testing
Before going live:
- Click Send Test Email
- Enter your email address
- Review the email with mock data
- Verify incentive details display correctly
- Test all links and discount codes

How It Works
- Customer creates wishlist and leaves
- Timer starts from last activity
- After trigger period, system checks:
- Has customer been inactive?
- Do they meet minimum items?
- Have they recently purchased? (if filtering)
- Have they hit max notifications?
- If all conditions pass, email is sent
- If incentive is set, unique discount code is generated

Best Practices
Timing Strategy
| Customer Type | Recommended Timing |
|---|---|
| New customers | 7 days |
| Returning customers | 14 days |
| Loyalty members | 30 days |
Incentive Strategy
| Approach | When to Use |
|---|---|
| No incentive | First recovery attempt |
| Small discount (5-10%) | Second attempt |
| Larger discount (15-20%) | Final attempt |
| Free shipping | Alternative to discounts |
Email Sequence
Consider a multi-email approach:
- Day 7: Friendly reminder (no incentive)
- Day 14: Gentle nudge with small discount
- Day 30: Final offer with best discount
Copy Tips
- Personalize with customer name
- Mention specific wishlist items
- Create urgency with time-limited offers
- Make the CTA button prominent
- Keep the tone warm, not pushy
Troubleshooting
Emails Not Sending
- Verify SMTP settings
- Check trigger timing is correct
- Confirm customers meet minimum items
- Review max notifications limit
Discount Codes Not Working
- Verify Shopify discount is properly created
- Check code hasn’t expired
- Ensure minimum purchase is met
Wrong Customers Receiving
- Review “exclude recent purchasers” setting
- Check minimum items threshold
- Verify inactivity period calculation
Analytics
Track your abandoned wishlist recovery performance:
- Emails Sent — Total recovery emails
- Open Rate — Percentage opened
- Click Rate — Percentage clicked through
- Recovery Rate — Customers who returned
- Revenue Recovered — Sales from recovered customers

What’s Next?
You’ve mastered wishlist email notifications! Explore more features:
- Creating Volume Discounts — Encourage bulk purchases
- BOGO Offers Made Easy — Buy X Get Y promotions
- Understanding Your Analytics — Track all performance
Abandoned wishlist recovery turns forgotten customers into returning buyers — don’t leave money on the table.