What is cart abandonment?

Cart abandonment is when a shopper adds products to their cart, or starts checkout, and then leaves without placing an order.

How it's measured

Cart abandonment rate = (carts created − orders placed) ÷ carts created × 100

Some stores measure from checkout starts instead of carts, which gives a lower rate. Say which one you use.

WooCommerce Analytics doesn't report abandoned carts. Its reports count orders, and a cart that never became an order doesn't appear in them. To measure abandonment you need a tool that records carts or checkout starts, such as a web analytics tool with ecommerce events or an abandoned-cart plugin. Recovery emails also come from plugins or email marketing services rather than from WooCommerce's reports.

Related but different: orders that were placed but never paid show up with a Pending payment or Failed order status. They're worth watching too, but they aren't the same as carts left behind.

A worked example

Say your analytics tool shows 1,200 carts created in a week and WooCommerce recorded 300 orders.

• Cart abandonment rate: (1,200 − 300) ÷ 1,200 × 100 = 75%

If that rate rose after you changed shipping prices, the new prices are the first thing to check.

Why it matters

Abandoned carts are shoppers who were close to buying. Common causes are unexpected shipping costs, forced account creation, a long checkout or payment problems. Fixing one of those can lift orders without any new traffic, which also lifts your conversion rate. Askshelf doesn't see carts, only placed orders. For what WooCommerce does report, start with the WooCommerce sales reports guide, and see mobile vs desktop orders if you suspect mobile checkout.