Answer
Where should an abandoned cart email button link?
An abandoned cart email button should link to a page that can show the shopper's cart on the device they click from. Started Checkout emails can use Klaviyo's checkout_url, which restores across devices. Added to Cart emails have no native saved-cart link, so the choice is between /cart, a product page or a cart recovery page.
October 31, 2026
An abandoned cart email button should link to a page that can show the shopper's cart on the device they click from. The right link depends on the flow: Started Checkout emails have a working option built in, and Added to Cart emails don't.
What are the options?
| Destination | Same device | Another device | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
/cart |
Shows the cart | Shows what that device holds, often nothing | Easy to set up |
| Product page | Shows one product | Shows one product | The shopper rebuilds any other items |
checkout_url |
Restores the checkout | Restores the checkout | Started Checkout only, and lands on a payment form |
| Cart recovery page | Shows the cart | Restores it when the cart is held and the clicker is known | Needs an app such as reOtter |
Good, better, best for Added to Cart emails
- Good: the product page. It shows the product on any device, but only that one product.
- Better:
/cart. It shows the whole cart on the same device. On another device it can be empty, which is worse than a product page, so this rung depends on where your shoppers click. - Best: a cart recovery page. It restores the latest saved cart on whichever device they use, when the cart is held and the clicker is known, and lets them edit it, choose subscribe & save and keep shopping.
One more option under /cart: a cart permalink or rebuild link can rebuild the items on another device. Most brands don't set one up, since it takes custom template work, and by default it sends the shopper straight to checkout with limited room to edit the cart.
Why does Added to Cart need a decision?
Klaviyo's Added to Cart event has no native saved-cart link. A 2022 Klaviyo community thread reaches the same conclusion, and its accepted fix is a custom permalink with "a fair bit of custom coding." Shopify's permalink documentation also calls them a legacy feature and limits line item properties.
So the real question is what happens when the shopper is on a different device. That's the moment an empty cart appears.
When is a simple link enough?
If your second-device test shows an acceptable result and most carts hold a single product, a product page may serve you well. If you want the shopper sent straight to checkout and don't sell subscriptions, a permalink can do the job. Cart permalinks vs cart recovery pages covers that trade-off.
Where does reOtter fit?
reOtter's cart recovery page replaces the button link in your Added to Cart flow, which stays in Klaviyo and keeps sending the email. When reOtter holds the shopper's cart and knows who clicked, the cart goes back into the real Shopify cart on that device. The page lets them change quantities, remove items and choose subscribe & save per line where the product has it, then adds suggested add-ons and a cart summary. When the click matches a customer, the page also greets them by name and shows Buy it again, with their past purchases and anything due. They don't need to log in.
If the cart isn't held or the clicker isn't known, they see the page with whatever cart that device has.
Key takeaways
- Keep
checkout_urlin Started Checkout flows, since it already restores across devices. - Added to Cart flows have no native saved-cart link, so test what
/cartor a product page shows on a second device. - Permalinks can suit simple carts, with limits on selling plans and a default path to checkout.
See how reOtter restores the cart → Abandoned cart recovery
Frequently asked questions
- Should an Added to Cart email link to /cart?
- It's the simple default, and it works when the shopper clicks in the browser where they built the cart. On another device or browser, they see whatever that browser holds. Run a second-device test to see what your shoppers get.
- Should an abandoned cart email link to the product page?
- A product page suits a cart with one item, because the shopper can add it again in a tap. A cart with several items has to be rebuilt from memory. That's a lot to ask on a phone.
- Can a cart permalink carry a subscription?
- It can't. Shopify's documentation says selling plans aren't supported in cart permalinks. A shopper who chose subscribe & save would need another way to get that option back.
- Should I change the link in my abandoned checkout flow?
- There's little reason to. Klaviyo's checkout_url restores across devices through Shopify's checkout link. It lands on a payment form, which suits someone who has already started checking out.