How to write your own abandoned cart text in CartBoss
To write your own abandoned cart text in CartBoss, go to Messaging → Abandoned cart, click Add custom message, write it, save it, and switch it On. Texts are paid from your balance; prices are on the pricing page.
Before you begin
- Connect at least one store. See How to add a store and choose its settings in CartBoss.
- Look at the messages you already have: How to set up abandoned cart text messages. Your new message joins that series.
Start a new message
- Click Abandoned cart in the left menu, under Messaging.
- Click Add custom message at the top right. The page Abandoned cart > New message opens.
Set when it is sent (Delay)
- Under Delay, choose Enable delay (recommended), or Send instantly to send as soon as the cart is abandoned.
- Under Wait for, type a number and pick Minute/s, Hour/s, Day/s or Month/s. Minutes go from 15 to 59, hours from 1 to 23, days from 1 to 31.
The delay counts from the moment the cart was abandoned, not from the previous text.
Add a discount (optional)
- Under Discount, choose Enable special offer (recommended).
- Pick a Discount type: Percentage, Fixed amount, Free shipping or Custom coupon, and fill in the value or code.
Details: How to add a discount to your abandoned cart texts and How to send your own coupon code.
Choose the stores (Website targeting)
- Under Website targeting, keep Active on all my websites (default), or choose Include selected websites or Exclude selected websites.
- If you include or exclude, click the box and pick the stores.
More: How to send different texts for each store.
Set sending rules (optional)
- Under Order value limit, keep Always send, or choose Only send at or above a value or Only send below a value. Move the slider (20 € to 500 €). The amount is converted from euro into the order's currency.
- Under Smart sending, keep Always send, or choose Skip if messaged recently and move the slider (3 to 90 days).
Smart sending looks at any text the shopper got from you, from any of your stores. Both rules are checked when the cart arrives.
Write the text
- Type your text in the Default message box (marked English). Shoppers whose language has no translation get this text.
- Click a shortcode button under the box to insert it, for example FirstName or CheckoutUrl. Click 🙂 to add an emoji.
- Add {CheckoutUrl}. It is the link back to the shopper's cart, and any discount travels on it.
- Check the phone preview on the right. It fills shortcodes with sample values and shows the length meter.
If the text has no cart link, a NOTE under the box tells you so:
Keep it short: see How to keep a CartBoss text to one SMS part. All shortcodes: How to personalize CartBoss texts with shortcodes.
Add translations (optional)
- Under Message translations, click a language.
- Type the translated text. Keep the shortcodes as they are, and include {CheckoutUrl}.
- Repeat for each language you sell in.
More: How to send texts in your customer's language.
Save and switch it on
- Click Save at the top right.
- If the text or a translation has no {CheckoutUrl}, the window Save this message without the cart link? lists the versions without it. Click Back to editing to add the link, or Save without cart link.
- Go back to Messaging → Abandoned cart. Your message is saved Off.
- Click its switch in the Status column so it shows On.
What happens next
- The message is used for carts abandoned after you switch it on.
- When you later change the text, texts already waiting go out with the new text. A new delay, targeting or rule applies to new carts only.
Questions
I get the error: "Firstname" is not a valid shortcode. Check the spelling or remove it.
A shortcode is misspelled. Shortcodes are case-sensitive: {FirstName} works, {Firstname} does not. Click the shortcode buttons instead of typing them.
I get the error: Turn off the discount or add a link. The discount code is created when the customer opens a link.
A discount needs a link in the default message: {CheckoutUrl}, or a web address that starts with http:// or https://.
How do I delete a custom message?
Open it with the pencil, click Delete, and type the number CartBoss shows to confirm. Preset messages can't be deleted; switch them off instead.
Can I write Win-Back texts the same way?
Yes. Go to Messaging → Win-Back and click Add custom message. See How to set up Win-Back texts after a purchase in CartBoss.