Automations · 7 min read · October 7, 2026

Automate Follow-Ups for Every Cart Link with Shopify Flow

A cart link does its job when someone opens it. Shopify Flow can handle what comes after: the reminder when a checkout stalls, the restock nudge a month later, the gift link for a new creator. Here is how Cart Rocket's order tags and the recipes on its Automations page fit together in Flow.

What Cart Rocket writes on each order

Flow works on what it can see in Shopify, so start with what Cart Rocket leaves behind on an order.

Order tags from Tag order

In the cart editor's Tracking section, turn on Tag orders and type your tags into Order tags, separated by commas (for example bfcm-bundle, sms-launch). After checkout, Cart Rocket adds those tags to the Shopify order. Tags already on the order stay where they are. Orders are tagged only when the cart really came from a Cart Rocket link, so a shopper can't copy a tag onto their own cart and land in your filters.

If you started from a template, a tag is already filled in: creator, free-gift, bundle-deal, launch or reorder. Rename it to something that matches the campaign before you save. bfcm-bundle will mean more to you in January than bundle-deal.

Creator tags

When a cart link has creators, each one gets a code and their own version of the link:

https://your-store.com/apps/cart/summer-kit?ref=mia

Orders that come through Mia's link get the tag creator-mia, or a tag you typed in Order tag (optional) when you added her. The cart's own order tags still apply, so one order can carry both creator-mia and summer-kit.

Tags go on the order. Cart Rocket doesn't tag the customer record, which matters when you pick a Flow trigger later on.

The Automations page

Open Automations in the Cart Rocket app and you'll find 13 recipes for Shopify Flow, grouped under Cart recovery, Repeat purchase and Rewards & gifts. Each recipe sends shoppers one of your cart links by email.

Click View steps on a recipe. Under Steps to build in Shopify Flow you get the trigger, conditions, waits and actions in order, then the values you need to decide on (a wait time, a cart value threshold, a tag), and what the recipe needs installed. Copy steps puts the checklist on your clipboard so you can keep it beside the Flow editor. Open Shopify Flow takes you to Flow in your admin.

You build each workflow in Flow yourself, following the checklist. The recipes are written instructions, and there's no file to import. Flow is free from Shopify; if it isn't on your store yet, install it from the App Store first.

Here are four of the recipes, with the cart link to build for each one.

1. Bring shoppers back to checkout

This is the basic recovery workflow. Someone leaves checkout, Flow waits an hour, and if they still haven't ordered, it emails them a cart link that's ready to check out.

1. Trigger: checkout abandoned, for checkouts that have a customer email.
2. Condition: the customer has an email address and accepts marketing.
3. Wait: 1 hour, so people who were only distracted can come back by themselves.
4. Condition: the checkout is still abandoned. Stop if they've placed an order since.
5. Action: send a marketing email with your cart link in the button.

For the link, make a recovery cart in Cart Rocket with the products you want to bring back and, if you like, a small discount set on the link so nobody has to type a code. Add UTMs so the traffic shows up under Analytics → Campaigns:

https://your-store.com/apps/cart/recover-10?utm_source=flow&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cart-recovery

Turn on Tag orders with a tag like recovered and you can filter recovered orders in the Orders list.

2. Recover high-value carts

A €40 cart and a €400 cart don't need the same offer. This recipe sits beside the first one and handles the big carts with a stronger link.

1. Trigger: checkout abandoned.
2. Condition: the checkout total is above your threshold (the example in the app is 150 in your store currency).
3. Wait: 45 minutes. It's shorter than the standard recipe because these shoppers are usually closer to buying.
4. Action: send a marketing email with the high-value cart link.
5. Optional action: add the customer tag abandoned-high-value, so you can follow up or keep them out of weaker offers.

You'll need two cart links: the everyday recovery link from recipe 1 and a second one with more on it, such as 15% off or free shipping. Add a condition to recipe 1 so carts above the threshold skip it, otherwise those shoppers get both emails.

3. Reorder reminder (30 days)

For anything people run out of, like coffee, skincare or pet food, this recipe asks customers to restock about a month after their order arrives.

1. Trigger: order fulfilled.
2. Optional condition: the order contains products with a tag such as replenishable, so one-off gifts don't trigger it.
3. Wait: 30 days. Change this to match how long your product lasts.
4. Condition: the customer hasn't ordered again during the wait.
5. Action: send a marketing email with your reorder link.

A reorder link means one link works for every customer in this email. Create a cart, and under Products set What this link adds to the cart to Customer's last order (or start from the Reorder template). When a logged-in customer opens it, their most recent order is rebuilt in the cart. Shoppers who aren't logged in are asked to log in first, and items that are no longer available are skipped. The recipe suggests an optional perk, such as 5% off set on the link.

If most customers buy a single hero product, a normal cart link with that product works too. Keep one link per product.

4. Send creator product gift

When you sign a new creator, this recipe emails them a gift link where they pick up their free products and enter a shipping address.

1. Trigger: customer tags added. Here you tag the creator's customer record yourself, for example with creator-partner.
2. Condition: the tag that was added is creator-partner.
3. Action: send the creator an email with the gifting link.
4. Optional action: send your team an internal email saying a gift link went out.
5. Action: add the customer tag creator-gift-sent.

Build the gift link from the Free gift template. Add the products and give each one a 100% item discount so the cart comes to zero, apart from any shipping. Put an order tag on it, such as creator-gift-spring, so your fulfilment team can spot gift orders and you can count what the program costs.

Using Cart Rocket's tags in your own workflows

The recipes above are what the Automations page gives you. Once orders carry Cart Rocket's tags, you can also build your own Flow workflows that start from them. Two examples:

• Tell your team about creator sales. When an order gets the tag creator-mia, send an internal email or Slack message so whoever manages Mia knows her link is selling.
• Mark customers who came in through a launch. When an order gets the tag launch, add a customer tag like launch-buyer so you can build a segment for the next drop.

Cart Rocket adds its tags shortly after Shopify creates the order. A workflow that starts on Order created and checks the tags straight away can run before they're there, so start these workflows from Flow's Order tags added trigger.

Before you turn a workflow on

• Create and save the cart link first, then copy it from Cart Rocket. If you edit the cart later, copy the link again before you paste it anywhere new.
• Open the link on your phone. Check that the products, discount and landing page (cart, checkout or Shop Pay) are what the email promises.
• After you turn the workflow on, go through it once yourself with a test checkout or order and check the email that arrives.
• Give sale-only recovery links an end date. Once it passes, shoppers who open an old email see a short notice on the product or home page instead of an expired price.

The Automations section of the docs has the same steps for reference, and Tag order explains how tagging works. If you're setting this up for the holidays, read abandoned cart email timing for Black Friday next.