Marketing template
Abandoned cart WhatsApp template
An abandoned cart WhatsApp template filed as marketing, a version with a cart link and a second reminder, when to send each, and when to stop sending them.
The short answer
An abandoned cart reminder is a marketing template. It asks for a purchase the person has not made, and Meta's utility category excludes anything with persuasive intent. Filing it as utility to pay less invites re-categorisation. Send it as marketing, to people who opted in, and stop the moment the order is placed.
10:24 am
Category: Marketing Name: cart_reminder
Hi {{1}}, you left {{2}} in your cart at {{3}}. It is still available. Reply here if you need help completing the order.Buttons: Complete order (quick reply)
What each variable holds
- {{1}}
- The customer's first name
- {{2}}
- The item left in the cart, or a short description of it
- {{3}}
- Your store's name
Meta needs an example value for each variable when it reviews the template. The ones in the preview are examples.
Variants
10:24 am
With a link back to the cart
The website button carries the cart's code at the end of the link.
Category: Marketing Name: cart_reminder_link
Hi {{1}}, you left {{2}} in your cart at {{3}}. It is still available if you want it.Buttons: View my cart (website: https://example.com/cart/{{1}})
10:24 am
The second reminder
Two days later, asking what stopped them rather than repeating the first message.
Category: Marketing Name: cart_reminder_second
Hi {{1}}, {{2}} is still in your cart at {{3}}. If something stopped you, reply here and we will help.Buttons: Complete order (quick reply)
When to send it
- The first reminder on the day the cart is left, a second two days later, and then stop.
- Stop the sequence the moment the order is placed, so nobody is reminded about something they bought.
- Only to people who agreed to marketing messages on WhatsApp, not only to order updates.
What gets it rejected or re-categorised
- Filing it as utility. Meta re-checks approved templates and can move a utility template to marketing.
- More than two reminders. Each unwanted message is a chance of a block or a report, and those lower the number's quality rating.
- Ending the body with a variable, such as the store name. Close the sentence with fixed text.
In our platform the retail pack includes an abandoned cart journey: a reminder the day a cart is left and one more two days later, enrolled from your store through the API, with an exit when the order converts.
Chatbot flows and journeysQuestions
Is an abandoned cart message marketing or utility?
Marketing. It asks for a purchase that has not happened, and Meta's utility category is limited to messages with no promotional or persuasive intent. Meta can move a miscategorised template to marketing after approval.
When should I send an abandoned cart reminder on WhatsApp?
The first on the day the cart is left, while the person still remembers it, and at most one more a couple of days later. Stop as soon as they order.
Can I include a discount in a cart reminder?
Yes. It is already a marketing template, so an offer does not change its category. Many stores keep the offer for the second reminder, so customers do not learn to leave carts to get a discount.
Talk to us.
In a forty-minute call we go through what you send today, what it costs you, and what a flagged number would cost you. Then we set up a workspace on your own Meta app and build the first campaign with you.