Shopify pre-filled carts let you create links that add products to a customer’s cart and take them straight to checkout. Here’s what you need to know:
- What they are: Special URLs that add products to cart and go to checkout
- Why use them: Fewer clicks to buy, better conversion rates, perfect for targeted marketing
- How to create: Use this format:
http://yourstore.com/cart/#{variant_id}:#{quantity}
- Where to use: Email marketing, social media, reorders, product bundles, abandoned carts
Key strategies:
- Add discounts to links
- Pre-fill customer info
- Specify payment methods
- Create custom landing pages
Common issues and fixes:
- Update links if product IDs change
- Check for app conflicts
- Handle multiple currencies carefully
Use Case | Benefits | Example |
---|---|---|
Email Marketing | Direct checkout | Abandoned cart recovery |
Social Media | Quick purchases | Limited-time offer |
Product Suggestions | Higher order value | Complementary items |
Lost Sales Recovery | Less abandonment | Cart reminder |
Product Sets | Easier decisions | Holiday gift bundle |
Pre-filled carts can boost sales and simplify shopping. Use them in your marketing, keep links updated, and watch your conversions improve.
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What Are Pre-filled Carts?
Pre-filled carts are a Shopify feature that speeds up buying. They’re links that add products to a customer’s cart and send them straight to checkout. Fewer clicks = faster purchases.
How They Work
Pre-filled carts use a special URL:
http://yourstore.com/cart/#{variant_id}:#{quantity}
This link adds products and goes to checkout. Want multiple products? Just use commas:
http://yourstore.com/cart/70881412:1,70881382:1
Why Use Pre-filled Carts?
- Faster checkout
- Higher conversion rates
- Targeted marketing
Where to Use Them
Use Case | Description |
---|---|
Email Marketing | Direct purchase links in newsletters |
Social Media | Product links on Instagram or Facebook |
Reorders | Easy options for repeat customers |
Product Bundles | Links for pre-selected combinations |
Abandoned Carts | Reminders to finish purchases |
Pre-filled carts are great for businesses with lots of return customers. They make repeat buying a breeze.
Want to make the most of pre-filled carts? Try these:
- Use in email campaigns
- Add "Buy Now" buttons to blog posts
- Offer quick reorder links
- Include in paid ads
Making Pre-filled Cart Links
Want to boost sales and make shopping easier? Let’s talk about pre-filled cart links in Shopify.
Here’s the basic structure:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/[VARIANT-ID]:[QUANTITY]
For example:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1
This adds one item (variant ID 70881412) to the cart. Simple, right?
To find the variant ID:
- Go to Shopify admin
- Click Products > All products
- Select your product
- Look for the variant ID in the URL
Want to add multiple products? Use commas:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1,70881382:1
Need more than one of a product? Change the number after the colon:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:3
This adds 3 units to the cart.
Parameter | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
Variant ID | Product variant identifier | 70881412 |
Quantity | Number of items | 1, 2, 3, etc. |
You can even add extras:
- Discounts: Add
?discount=CODE
at the end - Customer info: Include email and shipping details
- Payment method: Specify preferred option
For a discount code:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1?discount=SUMMER10
Now you’re ready to create pre-filled cart links like a pro!
More Link Options
Let’s dive into some advanced cart link tricks to boost your Shopify store’s performance.
Spice Up Your Links with Discounts
Want to drive more sales? Throw in a discount code:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1?discount=SUMMER10
This link adds an item and applies "SUMMER10" discount. Easy peasy.
Streamline Payments
Guide customers to your preferred payment method:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1?payment=shop_pay
This nudges them towards Shop Pay for a quicker checkout.
Pre-fill Customer Info
Make life easier for your customers:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1?checkout[email][email protected]&checkout[shipping_address][city]=New York
This link pre-fills their email and city. You can add other shipping details too:
Parameter | What It Does |
---|---|
checkout[shipping_address][first_name] | Adds first name |
checkout[shipping_address][last_name] | Adds last name |
checkout[shipping_address][address1] | Adds street address |
checkout[shipping_address][zip] | Adds ZIP code |
checkout[shipping_address][country] | Adds country |
Custom Landing Pages
Send customers to a specific page after adding items:
https://your-store.myshopify.com/cart/70881412:1?redirect=/pages/thank-you
This whisks them off to a "thank you" page post-cart-add.
Ways to Use Pre-filled Carts
Pre-filled carts in Shopify can boost your sales and make buying easier. Here’s how to use them:
Email Marketing
Pre-filled cart links are perfect for email campaigns. Instead of sending customers to a product page, give them a direct path to checkout.
You could:
- Add a "Buy Now" button in abandoned cart emails
- Create personalized offers based on past purchases
Social Media Sales
Social platforms are great for pre-filled cart links:
- Post time-limited offers with one-click buying
- Make shoppable posts on Instagram or Facebook
Suggesting Extra Products
Use pre-filled carts to increase order value:
- Send follow-up emails with complementary items
- Create product bundles with direct cart links
Bringing Back Lost Sales
With over 69% of carts abandoned, pre-filled carts can help:
- Send reminders with a link to their exact cart
- Offer a small discount to encourage completion
Product Sets
Group items to make buying easier:
- Create "starter packs" for new customers
- Bundle seasonal items for holiday shoppers
Use Case | Benefits | Example |
---|---|---|
Email Marketing | Direct checkout | Abandoned cart recovery |
Social Media | Quick purchases | Limited-time Instagram offer |
Product Suggestions | Higher order value | Post-purchase complementary items |
Lost Sales Recovery | Less abandonment | Reminder with cart contents |
Product Sets | Easier decisions | One-click holiday gift bundle |
Improving Pre-filled Cart Results
Want to boost your pre-filled cart game on Shopify? Here’s how:
Test Different Links
Not all links are created equal. Try these:
- Buttons vs. text links
- Various colors and sizes
- Different spots on the page
Track what works best and run with it.
Check Your Numbers
Keep an eye on these:
Metric | What It Tells You |
---|---|
Conversion rate | Clicks turning into sales |
Average order value | Are pre-filled carts upping purchase amounts? |
Cart abandonment rate | Are fewer people dropping off? |
Use this info to tweak and improve.
Speed Things Up
Slow pages = lost customers. Try:
- Optimizing images
- Trimming code
- Using a CDN
"40% of people bail if a page takes over 4 seconds to load."
Speed matters. A lot.
Make It Mobile-Friendly
People shop on phones. Make sure your pre-filled carts work on all devices:
- Use responsive design
- Test on different screens
- Keep mobile checkout simple
"Mobile add to cart rates (7.45%) lag behind desktop (8.45%)."
Close this gap. Your sales will thank you.
Focus on these areas, and watch your Shopify store’s performance soar.
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Using Pre-filled Carts in Marketing
Pre-filled carts can supercharge your Shopify marketing. Here’s how:
Partner Marketing
Team up with other brands for killer pre-filled cart campaigns:
- Cross-promote with complementary brands
- Use unique links for affiliate tracking
The Last Upsell app uses pre-filled cart links on their preview store. It’s a quick way to show off post-purchase offers.
Influencer Collaborations
Pre-filled carts make influencer partnerships pop:
Benefit | How It Works |
---|---|
Track easily | Unique links per influencer |
Boost conversions | One-click buy from influencer posts |
Custom bundles | Special product sets for each influencer |
Moonboon‘s influencer program? $1 million in sales with a 6.5x ROI using Shopify Collabs.
"Influencers create relatable content that resonates with followers, making endorsements feel more personal and trustworthy." – Kate Ross, Irresistible Me
Paid Ads
Pump up your ad game with pre-filled carts:
- Skip the product page for impulse buys
- Retarget with cart links for abandoned products
- Create urgency with time-limited discount links
Pro tip: Slap UTM parameters on those pre-filled cart links. You’ll know which ads are crushing it.
Fixing Common Problems
Pre-filled cart links are great, but they can hit snags. Let’s fix the most common issues:
Old Links Not Working
If your links stop working, check these:
- Is your theme’s JavaScript up-to-date?
- Are your product IDs still valid?
- Is your link structure correct?
One user fixed their link by removing the quantity:
Old: /cart/12345678:2
New: /cart/12345678
Product Stock Changes
Keep links accurate when stock changes:
- Use dynamic links that check inventory
- Set up low stock alerts
- Regularly audit your links
Different Currency Issues
Multiple currencies can be tricky. Here’s how to handle it:
Problem | Fix |
---|---|
Wrong currency shown | Add currency to link |
Prices not converting | Use app or API for dynamic links |
Checkout currency mismatch | Match store settings to link currency |
App Conflicts
Other apps can mess with pre-filled carts. To fix:
- Turn off new apps one by one
- Look for apps that change cart or checkout
- Test links in a clean theme version
"Check for apps that might affect the cart drawer." – Olivia, Shopify Support
Still stuck? Share your store URL and screenshots with the Shopify community.
Tips for Using Pre-filled Carts
Pre-filled carts can boost sales, but they need to be done right. Here’s how:
Be Clear with Customers
Show what’s in the cart and how much it costs right away. No surprises = happy customers.
Show This | Why |
---|---|
Product names | So they know what they’re getting |
Quantities | No mix-ups |
Individual prices | Clear costs |
Total cost | No shock at checkout |
Make Checkout a Breeze
Keep it simple, but give enough info. The easier it is, the more likely they’ll buy.
- Short forms
- Guest checkout option
- Progress steps
- Clear error messages
Let Customers Choose (But Keep It Simple)
Give control without making it complicated:
- Change quantities
- Easy add/remove
- Product options (size, color)
- "Keep shopping" button
"You can edit the quantity when you add a product to your cart." – Beardbrand
Play by the Rules
Stay legal and build trust:
- Show taxes and shipping costs early
- Link to policies
- Use trust badges
- Follow data protection laws
"48% of people feel safer when they see trust badges." – Cart Optimization Study
IMPORTANT: Speed matters. If your page takes more than 4 seconds to load, 40% of shoppers will leave. Keep those pre-filled cart pages FAST.
What’s Next for Pre-filled Carts
Shopify’s upping their game with smarter pre-filled carts. Here’s what’s coming:
New Developments
Shopify’s new checkout system will spot buyers before they hit the cart page. What does this mean?
- Faster checkouts
- Less typing for customers
- Fewer abandoned carts
Plus, Shopify’s working on a "one-page" checkout. It’ll auto-fill customer info, making the process even quicker.
Possible Shopify Updates
But wait, there’s more:
- Checkout Editor: Customize your checkout page, no coding needed
- AI Shopping Assistants: Help customers find products faster
- Voice-Enabled Search: Shop by talking, not typing
These updates? They’re all about boosting sales and making shopping a breeze.
Changing Shopping Habits
Shoppers are switching things up. Here’s what’s trending:
Trend | What It Means for You |
---|---|
Mobile Shopping | Make your site mobile-friendly |
Voice Shopping | Optimize for voice search |
Social Commerce | Sell directly on social media |
Sustainability | Show your eco-friendly side |
Keep an eye on these trends. They’ll shape how you use pre-filled carts down the road.
Speed’s key here. Shopify’s new system? It can handle 100,000 checkouts per minute. Make sure your site keeps up!
"The look and feel and consistency of the experience for the buyer journey is important. But so too, are the elements that make that checkout unique to the business needs and business processes of that merchant." – Mani Fazeli, Director of Product at Shopify
These changes are coming. They’ll make pre-filled carts even more powerful for your Shopify store. Get ready!
Conclusion
Pre-filled carts are a game-changer for Shopify stores. They make buying easier and boost sales. Here’s why they’re so powerful:
1. Higher conversion rates
Pre-filled carts can bump up your store’s conversion rate. The global average add-to-cart rate for ecommerce was 7.9% in August 2023. Pre-filled carts give you an edge.
2. Marketing Swiss Army knife
These carts fit into all kinds of marketing plans. Use them for email campaigns, social media sales, suggesting extra products, and recovering lost sales.
3. Smoother shopping
By cutting checkout friction, pre-filled carts make shopping a breeze. It’s all about making ecommerce faster and easier.
Don’t just take our word for it. Check out what this expert says:
"For one of our first acquisitions, before buying the brand it was posting 12% of revenue attributed to email. After we implemented flows and customer segmentations with Klaviyo campaigns, we’ve seen that figure skyrocket to 20%. What’s even better is that now roughly half that retention revenue is coming from automated emails called ‘flows’." – Seijin Jung, Marketing Expert at OpenStore
While this isn’t about pre-filled carts specifically, it shows how streamlined, automated processes can supercharge ecommerce. That’s exactly what pre-filled carts do.
To squeeze the most out of pre-filled carts:
- Plug them into your email marketing
- Mix them into your social media strategy
- Use them to suggest related products
- Deploy them to rescue abandoned carts
And don’t forget: a slick checkout page is key. Top brands like Allbirds and Glossier use Shopify checkout pages with quick options and clear pricing to seal the deal.
FAQs
How to create a cart permalink in Shopify?
Creating a cart permalink in Shopify is easy. Here’s how:
- Go to Shopify admin > Products
- Click on your product
- Select "Create checkout link" from More actions
- Pick the product variant
- Click "Copy link"
That’s it! You’ve got a pre-filled cart link for marketing.
Want to level up? Add checkout query parameters. You can include discount codes or pre-fill customer info.
Here’s a quick guide for cart permalinks with multiple products and discounts:
Scenario | URL Format |
---|---|
One product | https://YOURSTORE.com/cart/VARIANTID1:1?discount=DISCOUNTCODE |
Two products | https://YOURSTORE.com/cart/VARIANTID1:1,VARIANTID2:1?discount=DISCOUNTCODE |
Just swap out YOURSTORE, VARIANTID, and DISCOUNTCODE with your details.
Cart permalinks can boost your:
- Email campaigns
- Social media promos
- Product bundles
- Influencer marketing
They’re a simple way to smooth out the buying process. Less friction = more sales and happier customers.