Stop Writing Abandoned Checkout Copy from Scratch
Writing abandoned checkout emails from a blank screen is slow, expensive, and completely unnecessary. I have saved thousands of dollars on copywriting costs and shaved roughly 80% off our initial drafting time by building a structured prompting system in ChatGPT.
Here is the thing: most people use AI poorly. They type in a lazy prompt like "write an abandoned cart email" and end up with robotic fluff that nobody reads. That is a mistake.
To get usable copy that actually converts, you have to prime the model properly before you ask it to script a single line. We use this exact workflow to build version 1 drafts for our Klaviyo flows before handing them over for final creative polish.
Priming ChatGPT with Your Brand Data First
The biggest reason AI copy sounds generic is a lack of context. Before you ask for subject lines or body text, you need to feed ChatGPT the specific data points that define your brand.
I start a fresh chat and feed it our website URL along with three specific tasks. First, I have it identify our top-selling collections and primary value propositions. Second, I instruct it to extract genuine customer reviews and testimonials. Third, I have it confirm any active promotional offers or discount structures.
- Store URL: Gives the model baseline context on the brand voice and niche.
- Best-sellers: Gives the AI specific products to cross-sell in dynamic content blocks.
- Customer proof: Pulls real customer feedback into the copy to build trust.
Always double-check what the model returns in this initial discovery phase. ChatGPT can occasionally pull inaccurate product claims, so spend 60 seconds verifying the facts before moving forward.
Structuring Email 1: The Initial Hook and Incentive
Once the model understands the brand, you can prompt it to script Email 1 of your checkout flow. In my books, this first email should go out within 1 to 2 hours of checkout abandonment.
For non-customers, I prefer leading with a direct incentive (such as a 10% discount code like WELCOME10) combined with clear dynamic product reminders. You want to prompt ChatGPT with explicit guidelines: define the primary goal, set the required discount code, specify 2 or 3 cross-sell collections, and request a structured layout.
The output gives you a complete framework: subject line options, preview text, a placeholder for the Klaviyo dynamic product block, primary body copy, and social proof sections. It is not final copy yet, but it gives you a rock-solid skeleton in about 15 seconds.
Layering Urgency in Follow-Up Emails
An abandoned checkout flow needs depth to catch shoppers at different stages of consideration. We typically build a 3-part sequence where each follow-up email shifts its messaging angle.
When prompting Email 2 (typically sent 24 hours after abandonment), instruct the AI to reference the previous message and build gentle urgency around the expiring discount. Instead of repeating the same benefits, prompt it to pull in a different customer review and highlight alternative value propositions, like free shipping or return policies.
Email 3 can then lean into final scarcity or customer support, asking if technical issues prevented the order. Because ChatGPT retains the context of the chat thread, each follow-up feels like a natural continuation rather than a repetitive broadcast.
Polishing Version 1 with Human Eyes
Let me be clear about one limitation: ChatGPT copy should never go straight into a live Klaviyo template untouched. AI copy is an incredible version 1, but it remains a draft.
Once we generate the sequence, our team steps in to review the copy. We inject brand personality, tighten the rhythm, and adjust the Klaviyo merge tags (like adding proper first-name fallback filters). Generic AI copy falls flat.
Think of AI as your junior copywriter who handles the heavy lifting of structure, layout suggestions, and baseline messaging. Your job is simply to refine it into an email that genuinely sounds like your brand.
Final Thoughts
Using structured ChatGPT prompts turns hours of flow copywriting into a streamlined 10-minute setup. Prime the tool with real store data, layer your incentives logically across the sequence, and always refine the final output with human eyes before hitting publish.
Ready to Optimise Your Email Automations?
If you want high-converting abandoned checkout sequences and automated flows built and optimised for your ecommerce store, explore our email automations service to see how we can help scale your revenue.
