--- title: Cart Rocket Documentation | Pre-loaded Cart Links Guide description: Official Cart Rocket documentation. Create pre-loaded cart links with products, discounts, bundles, options pages with countdown timers, subscriptions, reorder, personal and creator links, QR codes, Sidekick tools, customer rules, and UTM tracking. url: https://cartrocket.dev/docs/ --- Documentation · Last updated October 12, 2026 # Cart Rocket documentation How to build cart links that load the cart, apply discounts and send shoppers to checkout, plus options pages with a countdown, creator links, reorder links, QR codes and Sidekick. ## Overview Cart Rocket is a Shopify app that creates cart links, also called rocket links. A cart link is one URL that loads a cart with the products you chose and sends the shopper to the cart page, checkout or Shop Pay. Merchants use them in paid ads, email, SMS, creator bios and QR codes. A cart link can: - Add exact products, variants and quantities - Apply line-item, cart-wide and shipping discounts, and auto-apply Shopify discount codes - Combine several products into a bundle - Send shoppers to the cart page, straight to checkout, or to Shop Pay - Apply customer rules, purchase limits and active dates - Pass UTM parameters and custom tracking parameters for attribution - Add your tags to Shopify orders placed through the link, keeping the order's existing tags - Open an options page in your theme where shoppers choose a size or colour, with an optional countdown to the end of the offer - Add subscription products, rebuild a customer's last order, or fill in the shopper's checkout details from your email or SMS tool - Give each creator their own link and show their opens, orders and revenue - Produce a QR code you can download from the cart editor You don't need to edit theme code. Cart Rocket works with Dawn and other Shopify themes. ## Quickstart ### What is a cart link? A cart link (the app calls it a cart, and these docs sometimes call it a preset) is a saved setup: products, quantities, discounts, discount codes, customer rules, purchase limits, active dates, where the shopper lands, and tracking. Each one has its own link to share. ### Create your first cart link 1. **Install:** Install Cart Rocket from the Shopify App Store and open it in your Shopify admin. Setup runs automatically when you install. The **Quick start** guide on Home lists the next steps. 2. **Turn on the app embed:** Click `Open theme editor`, switch on **Cart Rocket** under **App embeds**, and click **Save**. Cart links need the embed to apply discounts and bundles. 3. **Create a cart:** Click `Create cart` and pick a [starter template](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#templates) or **Start from scratch**. You can also duplicate an existing cart and change it. 4. **Name it:** In **General**, give the cart a **Title** you'll recognise in Analytics, such as `bfcm-bundle`. Shoppers see the title when the link is shared. 5. **Add products and discounts:** In **Products**, add products and variants. Then set up **Discounts**. The sections below them are optional. 6. **Choose where shoppers land:** Shoppers go straight to checkout by default. To send them to the cart page or Shop Pay instead, open **Advanced** and then **Checkout options**. 7. **Save and copy the link:** Save the cart. The **Cart link** at the top of the right column has **Copy link**, **QR code** and **Open** buttons. 8. **Share it:** Paste the link into ads, email, SMS, automations or creator bios. ``` # A cart link on your store https://your-store.myshopify.com/apps/cart/bfcm-bundle?utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=creator-drop ``` ### The cart editor The editor has a main column for what the link does and a right column for sharing and checking it. Each section starts with a one-line explanation, and most have an info button beside the heading that shows an example. | Main column | What it's for | | --- | --- | | General | The cart's title. Shoppers see it when the link is shared. | | Products | What goes into the cart. **What this link adds to the cart** chooses between **Specific products** and **Customer's last order**, and **Bundles** explains how to sell several items as one cart line. | | Discounts | Money off the cart or shipping, and discount codes. They apply only to shoppers who check out through this cart link. | | Options page before checkout | A page in your theme where shoppers review the items, choose a size or colour, and can see a [countdown](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#countdown). | | Creators | A version of the link for each [creator](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#creator-links) or affiliate. | | Checkout details | Fills in the shopper's email, name, address or phone at checkout. See [Checkout details](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#checkout-details). | | Advanced | Customer rules, Purchase limits, Active dates, Checkout options and [Link address](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#link-address). | Most carts don't need the groups in **Advanced**, so they stay closed until you click **Show**. A group you've set up gets an **In use** badge, so you can see what's on without opening it. The right column starts with the **Cart link** and its **Copy link**, **QR code** and **Open** buttons. Below it are **Status** (the **Link active** switch), **Summary** (what a shopper pays), **Link preview** (the image, title and description shown when the link is shared in messages and social apps; see [Link preview](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#link-preview)) and **Tracking**, which is open by default. > ℹ️Prices and totals in the app and on the options page use your store's currency format from your Shopify settings. > 💡You can also ask Sidekick to create or find a Cart Rocket link. See [Sidekick](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#sidekick). ## Managing products ### Add products In the cart editor, click `Add product`, select one or more products, choose variants and set quantities. When a shopper opens the link, these products are added to their cart. The **Products** section also sets **What this link adds to the cart**. Leave it on **Specific products** for a link that always adds the items you pick, or choose **Customer's last order** for a [reorder link](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#reorder-links). ### Edit quantities You can set a quantity for each product, for example three of the same item for a multipack, a larger quantity for a wholesale order, or one of each item in a gift set. ### Remove products Click the trash icon next to a product to remove it from the cart. ## Discounts Cart Rocket applies its discounts when the link opens, using Shopify's discount engine. Line-item, cart-wide, shipping and Shopify code discounts can be combined on one link. ### Line-item discounts Take a percentage or a fixed amount off specific products. For example, 25% off the snowboard and full price on the wax. To limit how many units get the discount, set **Max discounted quantity for this item**. ### Cart-wide discounts Take a percentage or a fixed amount off the whole cart, for a sale, a flash offer or an ad campaign. You can require a minimum subtotal or a minimum number of items before it applies. ### Shipping discounts Offer free or reduced shipping to shoppers who use the link, with an optional minimum subtotal or minimum number of items. ### Automatic discount codes Add one or more Shopify discount codes to apply automatically, such as `SAVE10` or `WELCOME20`. The shopper doesn't type anything. > ⚠️A discount code must already exist in Shopify before you can add it to a cart link. ## Bundles A bundle sells several items as one cart line with one price. You don't need to change your theme. In **Products**, select the items, choose **Create bundle**, name it and set its price. Shoppers then see one bundle in their cart instead of separate items. Use bundles for holiday kits, creator drops, product sets and add-on packs. If the items should stay as separate lines, skip **Create bundle** and use a cart-wide discount instead. > 💡To discount the main product and keep accessories at full price, use a line-item discount on the main product. > 📖Playbook: [Holiday gift bundles in one link](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/holiday-gift-bundles.html) shows a gift set built as one bundle, with size and colour choice on the options page. ## Checkout options Choose where shoppers land after they open the link. By default they go straight to checkout. | Mode | Behavior | Good for | | --- | --- | --- | | Checkout (default) | Opens Shopify checkout with the cart already loaded | Paid traffic, SMS, campaigns where shoppers are ready to buy | | Redirect to cart | Opens the cart page first so shoppers can review the items | Bundles, gift sets, carts with several discounts | | Shop Pay checkout | Opens Shop Pay checkout | Creator traffic, Instagram and TikTok, SMS | > ℹ️In the cart editor, open **Advanced** and then **Checkout options** to find **Redirect to cart instead of checkout** and **Use Shop Pay checkout**. The same section has [Empty the shopper's cart before adding these items](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#empty-cart). To stop shoppers changing an offer, see [Lock offer cart](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#lock-offer-cart). ## Starter templates When you click `Create cart`, Cart Rocket asks **How do you want to start?** A template fills in suggested settings you can change, opens the product picker so you can add products, and shows a short tip at the top of the editor. Nothing is saved until you click **Save**. | Template | What it sets up | | --- | --- | | Influencer | A cart with UTMs, the order tag `creator`, a 10% cart discount and an empty **Creators** list. Add a creator for each person to give them their own link. | | Free gift | UTMs and the order tag `free-gift`. It sets no discount: add the gift product and give it a 100% item discount so it's free. | | Bundle deal | UTMs, the order tag `bundle-deal` and a 15% cart discount for products sold together. | | Product launch | UTMs, the order tag `launch`, and the [options page before checkout](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#options-page) turned on so shoppers choose size and colour first. | | Reorder | A link set to **Customer's last order**, with UTMs and the order tag `reorder`. It refills a logged-in customer's most recent order. | For a blank cart with no suggested settings, choose **Start from scratch**. > 💡The post on [the five starter templates](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/cart-link-starter-templates.html) lists every value each template fills in and what to change before you save. ## Options page before checkout The options page is a page in your store's theme that shoppers see before checkout. It lists the products in the cart with their prices, and its button takes shoppers to checkout (or to the cart). Shoppers can choose a size or colour there. Your discounts and tracking still apply, and the discount follows the variant the shopper picks. You can also add a [countdown](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#countdown) to the end of the offer. This page was formerly called the picker page. 1. **Turn it on:** In the cart editor, go to **Options page before checkout** and tick **Show the options page before checkout**. 2. **Write the page:** Fill in **Heading**, **Description** and **Button label**, or leave them blank to use the defaults. 3. **Allow a choice:** In the Products list, tick **Let shoppers choose size/colour** on each product shoppers may change. The variant you picked is selected first. 4. **Add a countdown (optional):** Tick **Show a countdown until this offer ends**. See [Countdown timer](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#countdown) for the settings. 5. **Save and share:** The link stays the same and now opens the options page first. In your list of carts, this cart shows an **Options page** badge. > ℹ️Reorder links don't have an options page, because the products come from the customer's last order. ### Countdown timer The options page can show how long the offer has left. The timer counts down to a fixed deadline that is the same for every shopper, and it doesn't restart for a new visitor. 1. **Turn it on:** In **Options page before checkout**, tick **Show a countdown until this offer ends**. 2. **Choose the deadline:** Under **Count down to**, pick **When this cart link ends** to use the end date in [Active dates](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#active-dates). Or pick **A date and time I choose** and fill in **End date (UTC)** and **End time (UTC)**. If your store isn't on UTC, the time field also shows that moment in your store's time zone. 3. **Set an end date if asked:** If you count down to the link's end and the link has no end date, a warning says there's nothing to count down to. Click **Set an end date**. It turns on the end date (the start date at 23:59 UTC, unless you had already entered one) and opens Active dates so you can change it. 4. **Write the label:** **Label** is the line above the timer. It defaults to _Offer ends in_ and takes up to 40 characters. 5. **Save:** The countdown appears on the options page as soon as you save. Shoppers see your label and a timer above the cart summary, in days, hours, minutes and seconds, updated every second. Screen readers announce the time left at most once a minute. If a shopper's browser doesn't run JavaScript, the page shows the end date and time as text, in UTC. When the timer reaches zero, the page says _This offer has ended_ and the button stops working. If someone submits a page that was left open past the deadline, Cart Rocket refuses it and shows the same notice as for an expired link. If the time you chose has already passed, the editor tells you. > 💡A date you choose ends the offer on the options page only. To stop the link itself at the same moment, use **When this cart link ends** so the timer and the link share one end date. > 📖Playbook: [Add a real countdown to your cart link offers](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/cart-link-countdown-timer.html) walks through the countdown step by step and what shoppers see at zero. ## Subscriptions Products that sell on subscription can go into a cart link on a subscription plan. 1. **Add the product:** Add a product that has subscription plans in your store. 2. **Pick the plan:** Use the **Purchase option** menu under that product. Choose a subscription plan, or leave it on **One-time purchase**. 3. **Save:** Shoppers who open the link get that product on the plan you chose. ## Reorder links A reorder link adds a customer's most recent order back to their cart, so one link works for every customer in a "buy again" email. 1. **Choose the link type:** In the **Products** section, set **What this link adds to the cart** to **Customer's last order**. Or start from the **Reorder** template. 2. **Add extras:** Discounts, order tags and tracking on the cart still apply. 3. **Share it:** Put the link in your emails. Shoppers who aren't logged in are asked to log in first, then their last order is added to the cart. Items that are no longer available are skipped and the rest of the order is still added. > 📖Playbook: [The New Year sale playbook](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/new-year-sale-playbook.html) uses reorder links in buy-again emails with Shopify Flow reminders. ## Checkout details The **Checkout details** section fills in the shopper's email, name, address or phone at checkout, so they only need to pay. It has two parts: details that come from your email or SMS tool, and details you fill in once for everyone. ### Fill in from your email or SMS tool Your email or SMS tool puts each person's details into the link when it sends the message, so each shopper sees their own details at checkout. Cart Rocket doesn't store these details. 1. **Choose the details:** Tick the ones you want to fill in: **Email**, **Name**, **Shipping address**, **Phone**. A link accepts only the details you turn on for it. 2. **Copy the link format:** The section shows the link format to use. 3. **Swap in your tool's tags:** Replace each part in curly brackets with your email or SMS tool's personalisation tag for it. ``` # Link format (Email and Name turned on) https://your-store.com/apps/cart/spring-kit?email={email}&first_name={first_name}&last_name={last_name} ``` If a tag doesn't fill in (for example, the link still contains `{email}` when it's opened), Cart Rocket ignores it and the shopper enters that detail at checkout. > ⚠️Only use these links in messages sent to one person. Anyone who opens the link sees those details at checkout. ### Fill in the same details for everyone This part stays closed until you click **Show**. It sets one email and shipping address for every shopper who opens the link, so use it only for a link you send to one customer. Choose **Existing customer** to find a customer by email address, or **Enter details** to type the email, name and address yourself. Once it's set, the part shows an **In use** badge. ### When you use both A detail in the link replaces the same detail filled in for everyone. Anything the link leaves out keeps what you filled in. For example, if you filled in a shipping address for everyone and the link carries an email, checkout gets the email from the link and the address you filled in. > 📖Playbook: [Abandoned cart email timing during Black Friday](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/abandoned-cart-email-timing-bfcm.html) shows how to restore the exact cart from a recovery email. ## Creator links Give each creator their own version of one cart link. Orders from a creator's link are tagged for that creator, and Analytics shows opens, orders and revenue per creator. 1. **Add a creator:** In the **Creators** section of the cart editor, click `Add creator` and enter a **Name** (only you see it) and a **Code** (lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens, up to 40 characters). 2. **Pick an order tag:** **Order tag (optional)** defaults to `creator-`. Enter your own tag to use that instead. 3. **Send them their link:** Save the cart, then copy the creator's link or QR code from the **Their link** column. ``` # A creator link is your cart link plus ?ref= https://your-store.com/apps/cart/summer-kit?ref=mia # Orders are tagged creator-mia (or the tag you chose) ``` To gift products to a creator, put the gift in a cart link, give each gift product a 100% item discount, and send them the link so they can enter a shipping address at checkout. > 💡The **Influencer** template sets up a creator cart with tracking, an order tag and a 10% cart discount. > 📖Playbook: [Creator drops for the holidays](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/holiday-creator-drops.html) covers one cart link with a code per creator, and when a creator needs a separate link. ## Empty the cart first Under **Advanced** and then **Checkout options**, **Empty the shopper's cart before adding these items** decides what happens to items the shopper already has in their cart. - On: the cart is emptied first, so it holds only this link's items. - Off: this link's items are added to what's already in the cart. Those other items count as extra items, so a discount that doesn't allow extra items won't apply. ## Lock offer cart A locked cart link can only be paid for with exactly the products and quantities you built. Use it for fixed-price offers, where a changed cart shouldn't get the offer price. 1. **Turn it on:** In the cart editor, open **Advanced** and then **Lock offer cart**, and tick **Lock this cart**. 2. **Save:** Saving turns on a checkout rule called **Cart Rocket: locked offer carts** in Shopify under **Settings** > **Checkout** > **Checkout rules**. If Cart Rocket asks you to approve a new permission, approve it, then save the cart again. 3. **Share the link:** The link address doesn't change. ### What shoppers can and can't do - They can pay for the cart exactly as you built it. - If they add a product, remove one, swap one for another variant or change a quantity, checkout shows a message and they can't pay. To check out, they undo the change or open the link again. - Shopify runs this check on its own servers during checkout, including express checkouts such as Shop Pay, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay. - Items already in the shopper's cart aren't included in the offer checkout. - The cart page itself isn't locked, so shoppers can still edit it. A changed cart just can't be paid for. - If they remove every product from the offer, the cart counts as a normal cart again and they can shop as usual. ### Choices To let shoppers pick a size or colour, use the [options page before checkout](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#options-page) and tick **Let shoppers choose size/colour** on those products. The cart then locks to what the shopper picked. Shoppers can choose between variants of the same product, not between different products. > ⚠️Carts with bundles can't be locked. If you use Shopify discount codes for the offer price, limit each code to the offer's products in Shopify, so the code can't be used on anything else. > ℹ️If you turn the checkout rule off in Shopify, locked carts aren't checked, and the cart editor shows a warning. If Shopify can't run the check (for example, an error on Shopify's side), the order isn't blocked, so a problem with the check never stops every checkout in your store. ## Share cart block The **Share cart** theme block adds a button that lets shoppers share their own cart. Whoever opens the link gets a copy of that cart. 1. **Add the block:** In the theme editor, open your cart page and add the **Share cart** block from Cart Rocket. 2. **Style it:** Set the **Button label** and **Button style** (Solid, Outline or Text link), then click **Save**. Shared links last 30 days and include items only, with no discounts and no personal details. Analytics shows how many shared carts were created this month. ## Customer rules Customer rules control who can use a cart link. They're in **Advanced**, under **Customer rules**. ### All customers Anyone with the link can use it. Use this for public campaigns, ads and email marketing. ### Specific customer segments Limit the link to Shopify customer segments, such as VIP customers, loyalty tiers or wholesale buyers. ### Specific customers Pick individual customers for private drops, early access or one-off offers. > ℹ️When a link is limited to segments or specific customers, logged-out shoppers are asked to log in first. Shoppers who aren't eligible are sent to the product or home page with a short notice. ## Purchase limits Purchase limits cap how many times a cart link can be used. They're in **Advanced**, under **Purchase limits**. ### Max purchases overall Cap total purchases across all customers, for example 100 in total. Use this for limited drops and limited stock. ### Max purchases per customer Limit how many times each customer can buy through the link, for example once per customer. > ℹ️Per-customer limits only work when the customer is logged in to their account. ### Reset usage You can reset the purchase counters from the cart editor at any time. When a link reaches its limit, shoppers are sent to the product or home page with a short notice. ## Active dates Active dates set when a cart link works. They're in **Advanced**, under **Active dates**. - Start date and time: when the link starts working. Before then, shoppers are sent to the product or home page with a notice that the offer hasn't started yet - End date (optional): after it passes, the link stops working and shoppers get a short notice Use them for midnight launches, flash sales, or a link that should go live at the same time as an email or ad. If your store isn't on UTC, each time field also shows that moment in your store's time zone. The end date here is also what the [countdown](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#countdown) uses when you choose **When this cart link ends**. > 🕐All times are entered and enforced in UTC. > 📖Playbook: [Cyber Monday flash sales that don't melt down](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/cyber-monday-flash-sales.html) combines UTC go-lives, purchase limits and a countdown. ## Tracking & attribution Every cart link supports UTM tracking. Set it up in the **Tracking** section of the editor. Supported UTM parameters are `utm_source`, `utm_medium`, `utm_campaign`, `utm_term` and `utm_content`. You can also add your own query parameters. ``` # One cart link with different UTMs per channel https://your-store.com/apps/cart/summer-kit?utm_source=tiktok&utm_campaign=creator-mia https://your-store.com/apps/cart/summer-kit?utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=creator-jules ``` For creators, [creator links](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#creator-links) (`?ref=code`) are simpler: one cart, one code per creator, and orders are tagged for you. Use UTMs to compare revenue from Facebook ads, Google ads, email, influencers and SMS. Results appear in [Analytics](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#analytics). ### Tag orders Turn on **Tag orders** in the editor's **Tracking** section to add your own tags to Shopify orders placed through that cart link. The tags go on the order, not on the customer profile. Cart Rocket adds your tags to the order after checkout and keeps the order's existing tags. Name tags after the campaign or channel so you can filter orders in your Shopify admin: - `bfcm-bundle` for Black Friday or offer-specific reporting - `sms-launch` for SMS or email launch traffic - `meta-retarget` for paid ads and retargeting A link can add up to 20 tags, each up to 40 characters. You can also add an **Order note**, a short note that appears in the order details, for example a fulfilment or campaign note. Orders are tagged only when the cart came from a Cart Rocket link. Tags that are copied or faked by hand are ignored. > ℹ️Tagging needs permission to write order tags. If Shopify asks you to approve the app again after you turn this on, accept the prompt. ## Analytics Analytics shows how your cart links perform, with date filters. Counts are totals per day, cart, campaign and creator. No shopper-level history is kept. | Tab | What it shows | | --- | --- | | Overview | Orders, revenue and average order value from your cart links, top campaigns, and **Shared carts this month** | | Cart links | Orders and revenue per cart link | | Campaigns | Results by UTM source, medium and campaign | | Custom parameters | Results by your custom tracking parameters | | Checkout funnel | **Link opened** → **Checkouts started** → **Checkouts completed**, with the completion rate | | Creators | Opens, orders and revenue per creator code | > 💡A large drop between Link opened and Checkouts started usually means the offer or the products need another look. A drop after Checkouts started often points to shipping costs or payment. ## Sharing & QR codes Each cart link is a short link on your store's own domain. You can use it in: - Meta and Google ads - Email campaigns and SMS messages - Creator links and bios - Reorder links in "buy again" emails - Recovery and retention automations ### QR codes In the cart editor, click **QR code** to preview a code for the link and download it as a high-resolution PNG. Use it on packaging, in-store signs, inserts or event print. Scanning it opens the same cart as the link. > 💡For QR codes on packaging and retail displays, consider sending shoppers to Shop Pay, since scans happen on a phone. ### Link address The link address is the last part of your cart link, the `summer-kit` in `your-store.com/apps/cart/summer-kit`. Cart Rocket makes it from the cart's title until you change it. To change it, open **Advanced**, then **Link address**, and edit the **URL handle**. It can use lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores, and no other cart can already use it. > ⚠️Change the link address before you share the link, not after. Links already shared with the old address stop working and send shoppers to the product or home page with a notice. Analytics for the new address start from zero, and per-customer purchase limits start counting again. ### Link preview In the right column, **Link preview** sets what people see when the link is pasted into a message or social app: an image (from your Shopify Files or a URL), a title and a description. ## Automations The **Automations** page in Cart Rocket has 14 ready-made recipes for Shopify Flow, Shopify's free automation app. Each recipe sends shoppers one of your cart links by email. You build the workflow in Shopify Flow from the recipe's steps and paste your cart link into the email action. The recipes are grouped into three categories: | Category | Recipes | | --- | --- | | Cart recovery | Bring shoppers back to checkout · Recover high-value carts · Restock alert for saved products · Price drop alert for saved products · Low stock alert for saved products | | Repeat purchase | Reorder reminder (30 days) · Win back inactive buyers · Reach cancelled subscribers · Welcome first-time buyers · Follow up after a form · Suggest add-ons after purchase | | Rewards & gifts | Send a VIP reward link · Scheduled VIP gift claim · Send creator product gift | Example links in the recipes use your cart link's address on your store, such as `https://your-store.com/apps/cart/recover-10`. Swap in your own cart's handle. The saved-product alerts need a wishlist app (or wishlist metafields), and the cancelled-subscriber recipe needs Shopify Subscriptions or another subscription app with Flow triggers. Each recipe lists what it needs under **Requirements**. ### How to use a recipe 1. **Create the cart link:** Build the link in Cart Rocket (products, discount, checkout option, UTMs, order tags). For "buy again" emails, use a [reorder link](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#reorder-links). 2. **Read the steps:** On the Automations page, click **View steps**. Under **Steps to build in Shopify Flow** you'll see the trigger, conditions, waits and actions, followed by **Values to fill in** and **Requirements**. **Copy steps** copies the checklist so you can keep it beside the Flow editor. 3. **Build it in Shopify Flow:** Click **Open Shopify Flow**, create a workflow, and add the same trigger, conditions, waits and actions. 4. **Paste the link and test:** Put your Cart Rocket link in the email action, add [checkout details](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#checkout-details) if you want checkout filled in, then test before you turn the workflow on. ### Start your own workflows from Cart Rocket's tags Orders from a cart link carry the tags you set in [Tag orders](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#tag-order), and orders from a [creator link](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#creator-links) carry the creator's tag (for example `creator-mia`). You can use these tags in your own Shopify Flow workflows, for example to alert your team about creator sales. Cart Rocket adds the tags shortly after the order is created, so start these workflows from the **Order tags added** trigger. > ℹ️Recipes are step-by-step instructions you follow in Shopify Flow. There's no file to import. For a walkthrough of four recipes, read [Automate follow-ups with Shopify Flow](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/shopify-flow-cart-link-automations.html). ## Sidekick Cart Rocket works with Shopify Sidekick, the assistant in your Shopify admin. You can ask Sidekick to: - Search for existing cart links by name or handle - Create a cart link, with products and discounts filled in when Sidekick knows them - Edit products, the title, UTM source and campaign, cart-level discounts, shipping discounts and order tags on a saved link - Turn on the options page before checkout, add creators, make a reorder link, or set whether the shopper's cart is emptied first Try requests such as "create a Black Friday link with 20% off" or "find my creator-mia checkout link." Discounts can go directly on the link as a percentage, a fixed amount or a shipping discount, so you only need a Shopify discount code if you want one. Line-item discounts, discount codes, customer rules, purchase limits, active dates, the link address, the countdown, subscriptions and the other UTM fields are set in the cart editor, not through Sidekick. > 💡Sidekick opens Cart Rocket's create or edit screen so you can review the link and save it before it goes live. ## Best practices ### Paid ads - Send shoppers straight to checkout, or to Shop Pay on mobile - Put the discount on the link so shoppers don't need a code - Use different UTMs for each ad set - Create a separate cart link for each campaign ### Influencers - Start from the **Influencer** template and add each creator in **Creators**, so everyone shares one cart with their own `?ref=` code - Compare creators in Analytics under **Creators** - Add an order tag that matches the drop so you can filter those orders in your admin - Auto-apply a discount code or a Cart Rocket cart discount ### Flash sales - Set active dates in UTC - Cap total and per-customer purchases - Add a [countdown](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#countdown) to the options page that ends with the link - Mention the end time in the ad or SMS ### Bundles - Set quantities and variants in advance - Use a line-item discount on the main product - Turn on the options page before checkout when shoppers need to pick a size or colour ### Automations - Follow an Automations recipe in Shopify Flow, then paste the cart link into the email action - Keep a recovery link with a smaller discount and a separate link with a larger discount for high-value carts - Use a reorder link for "buy again" emails and Checkout details to fill in checkout - Add UTMs so automated traffic shows up in Analytics under **Campaigns** ### QR codes and retail - Download the PNG from the cart editor - Send scanners to Shop Pay for quick mobile checkout - Use one QR code per offer, so a BFCM link isn't reused in January ### Campaign playbooks - [The Black Friday checkout playbook](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/black-friday-checkout-playbook.html): email, SMS and ad clicks to a loaded cart - [What's new in October 2026](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/whats-new-october-2026.html): options pages, creator links, subscriptions and reorder links - [All posts on the blog](https://cartrocket.dev/blog/) ## Troubleshooting ### Discount not applying For auto-applied Shopify discount codes, check that the code exists in Shopify, is active, and that its conditions are met. For Cart Rocket cart, line-item and shipping discounts, check that they're saved on the cart link, and copy the link again after editing so you share the current version. Also check that the Cart Rocket app embed is on in the theme editor. ### Shoppers see a notice instead of the cart When a link is turned off, expired, at its purchase limit, or limited to certain customers, shoppers are sent to the product or home page with a short notice instead of an error page. Restricted links ask logged-out shoppers to log in first. Check that **Link active** is on, the active dates are right (in UTC), and the purchase limit hasn't been reached. ### Per-customer limit not enforced Check that a per-customer limit is set on the cart link and that the customer is logged in. ### Automated email opens but the cart is empty Check that you pasted the full Cart Rocket link (including the handle), the link is still active, and any discount codes on it are still valid. For reorder links, the shopper must log in and have at least one past order. ### Checkout details don't show at checkout Check that the detail is ticked under **Checkout details**, in **Fill in from your email or SMS tool**, and that your email or SMS tool replaced the curly-bracket part with its own tag. Parts that weren't filled in are ignored. If you also filled in details for everyone, the link's details replace those one detail at a time. ### The countdown doesn't show The countdown appears only on the options page, so **Show the options page before checkout** must be on. With **When this cart link ends**, the link needs an end date in Active dates. With **A date and time I choose**, fill in both the date and the time. ### A locked cart link doesn't block changes Check that **Lock this cart** is ticked and saved, that the cart has no bundles, and that **Cart Rocket: locked offer carts** is on in Shopify under Settings > Checkout > Checkout rules. Then open the link again: carts created before you saved aren't locked. For links that open the cart page, the Cart Rocket app embed must be on in the theme editor. ### Discounts don't apply when the cart has other items If **Empty the shopper's cart before adding these items** is off, items already in the cart count as extra items. Turn the setting on, or allow extra items on the discount. > ✉️If you're still stuck, email [hello@cartrocket.dev](mailto:hello@cartrocket.dev). ## Security & compatibility - Uses Shopify's native checkout - Works with Shop Pay - Doesn't modify your theme, and works with Dawn and other Shopify themes - Applies discounts through Shopify's discount engine - Builds the cart on the server and applies discounts from data only the app can write, so editing a link's URL can't change its items or discounts - Tags orders only when the cart came from a Cart Rocket link - Locked offer carts are checked by Shopify on its servers during checkout, including express checkouts, using data only the app can write - The storefront embed appears as **Cart Rocket** under App embeds in the theme editor ## Why Cart Rocket Cart Rocket shortens the path from a campaign click to Shopify checkout. One link loads the products, applies the discounts and sends shoppers to the cart, checkout or Shop Pay, without theme edits. Merchants use it to raise conversion and average order value on bundled offers, reduce drop-off after ads, email and SMS, see which UTMs drive revenue, and control VIP drops and flash sales. Basic is $9/month for one cart link with every feature. Pro is $15/month for unlimited cart links. Both plans start with a 7-day free trial. Billing goes through Shopify, and you can cancel anytime. Development stores can create unlimited cart links for free while you build and test. Comparing options? See [Shopify cart link apps compared](https://cartrocket.dev/compare/shopify-cart-link-apps.html), [Cart Rocket vs Checkout Links](https://cartrocket.dev/compare/cart-rocket-vs-checkout-links.html) and [Shopify cart permalinks vs Cart Rocket](https://cartrocket.dev/compare/shopify-cart-permalinks-vs-cart-rocket.html). On Basic, only one cart link works at a time: your oldest active cart. If you move from Pro to Basic, your other links stop working until you upgrade again or turn the older one off. [← Back tocartrocket.dev](https://cartrocket.dev/) [Start here →Quickstart](https://cartrocket.dev/docs/#getting-started) Cart Rocket is a Shopify app by [Thoughtbulb](https://thoughtbulb.dev) · [llms.txt](https://cartrocket.dev/llms.txt) · [hello@cartrocket.dev](mailto:hello@cartrocket.dev)