Omnisend has built-in abandoned cart automations. Checkout Links makes them better by adding tiered promotions based on cart value.
Why Use Checkout Links
Omnisend's default abandoned cart link takes customers back to their cart - that's it. With Checkout Links, you can:
- Offer tiered discounts - 10% off for carts over $50, 15% for carts over $100
- Add free shipping thresholds - Free shipping on orders over $75
- Include free gifts - Bonus item for high-value carts
- Combine incentives - Stack discounts, free shipping, and gifts based on cart value
Quick Setup
Add the ?li= parameter with this Omnisend variable to load cart items:
[% for item in event.lineItems %][[ item.productVariantID ]],[[ item.productQuantity ]][% unless forloop.last %]:[% endunless %][% endfor %]
Your final link:
https://yourstore.com/abandoned-cart?li=[% for item in event.lineItems %][[ item.productVariantID ]],[[ item.productQuantity ]][% unless forloop.last %]:[% endunless %][% endfor %]
Omnisend uses a modified Liquid syntax: [[ ]] for output (instead of curly braces) and [% %] for tags (instead of curly braces with percent signs). Make sure to use Omnisend's bracket syntax exactly as shown.
Create Your Abandonment Link
Create a new link — Go to **Checkout Links** and click **Create Link**.
Name your link — Give it a descriptive name like "Abandoned Cart - Omnisend" so you can easily identify it later.
Set a custom slug — Enter a custom slug such as `abandoned-cart` or `recover`. This will be part of your URL.
Enable Dynamic mode — Toggle on **Dynamic** to enable dynamic URL parameters. This allows the link to accept cart items via the `?li=` parameter.
Your link is now configured to load cart contents from Omnisend's line item data.
Add Tiered Promotions (Optional)
Common mistake: Do NOT create a separate link for each tier. You configure all tiers on a single link. Checkout Links automatically applies the right tier based on the customer's cart value at checkout.
How It Works
You create one abandonment link and add multiple promotion tiers to it. When a customer clicks the link in your Omnisend email, their cart contents are loaded via the ?li= parameter. Checkout Links evaluates the cart total and automatically applies the matching tier's promotions — no separate links needed.
Setting Up Tiers
Enable Promotions — In your link editor, toggle on the **Promotions** section.
Add your first tier's promotions — Click **Add discount** and select your promotion type (e.g., free shipping).
Set a threshold condition — Change the condition from **No threshold** to **Cart total**.
Set the value range — Enter the minimum and maximum values for this tier. For example, $0 to $50.
Add another tier — Click **Add promotion** to create a new tier. Set a higher threshold range and add different promotions.
Repeat for additional tiers — Continue adding tiers until you've covered all cart value ranges. Higher tiers typically get better offers.
Example Configuration
All of these tiers are configured on one link:
| Cart Total |
Offer |
| Up to $50 |
Free shipping |
| $50 - $150 |
Free shipping + 10% off |
| $150 - $300 |
Free shipping + 15% off + free gift |
| $300+ |
Free shipping only (no percentage discount) |
For the complete promotions reference, see Promotions.
Consider adding a ceiling tier for high-value carts. You probably don't want to give 15% off a $500 order — set a top tier that offers free shipping only, or a smaller flat discount. This protects your margins on large orders.
Combine with Pre-checkout extensions to let customers modify their cart before checkout - great for fashion brands where customers might need to change sizes, or for adding optional upsells.
Copy Your Link
Save your link — Click **Save** to create your abandonment link.
Copy the URL — Copy the link URL. It will look something like: `https://yourstore.com/abandoned-cart`. You'll add the `?li=` parameter with Omnisend variables in the next step.
Add the Link to Your Omnisend Automation
Open your Abandoned Cart automation — In **Omnisend**, navigate to **Automations** and find your Abandoned Cart workflow. If you don't have one, create a new automation using Omnisend's built-in abandoned cart template.
Edit your email template — Open the email in your abandoned cart workflow that you want to add the recovery link to.
Find your call-to-action button — Locate the CTA button (e.g., "Complete your order" or "Return to cart").
Replace the link URL — Replace the current link (usually `[[ abandoned_cart.recover_url ]]`) with your Checkout Links URL.
Add the Omnisend variable — Add `?li=` to your URL followed by this Omnisend variable:
[% for item in event.lineItems %][[ item.productVariantID ]],[[ item.productQuantity ]][% unless forloop.last %]:[% endunless %][% endfor %]
Your final link will look like:
https://yourstore.com/abandoned-cart?li=[% for item in event.lineItems %][[ item.productVariantID ]],[[ item.productQuantity ]][% unless forloop.last %]:[% endunless %][% endfor %]
Omnisend's Liquid syntax uses square brackets instead of curly braces. Double-check that you're using [[ ]] and [% %] — not {{ }} and {% %}. The wrong syntax will break the template.
Test Your Automation
Save your template — Save your changes in Omnisend.
Send a test email — Use Omnisend's preview feature to send yourself a test email. Note that test emails may not populate dynamic variables — you may need to trigger a real abandoned cart event for full testing.
Trigger an abandoned cart — Add items to your cart in your store and leave without completing checkout. Wait for the automation to trigger.
Click the CTA button — Open the email and click your call-to-action button.
Verify cart contents — Confirm that the abandoned cart items are loaded into checkout with your promotions applied.
If the template variables aren't rendering correctly, verify that your Omnisend Shopify integration is syncing cart events with line item data. Go to Omnisend > Settings > Integrations > Shopify to check the connection.
Related Resources
