# Build a Journey for Abandoned Browse

Browse abandonment journeys help you re-engage customers who viewed products on your website or app but left without making a purchase or adding items to their cart. By using Bird's pre-built browse abandonment template, you can quickly set up an automated journey that reminds customers about the products they viewed and encourages them to return and complete their purchase.

This guide walks you through setting up a browse abandonment journey using Bird's template feature.

### Before you start

Here's what you need to know before you start:

* You'll need to have an e-commerce platform like Shopify installed as an integration. [Learn to install integration.](https://docs.bird.com/applications/integrations/integrations/quickstarts/find-and-install-an-integration)
* You'll also need to have one of the following channels installed, so you can send abandoned browse recovery messages to your customers:
  * [WhatsApp](/applications/channels/channels/supported-channels/whatsapp.md)
  * [SMS](/applications/channels/channels/supported-channels/sms.md)
  * [Email](/applications/channels/channels/supported-channels/email.md)

### Step one: Create an abandoned browse template

Start by creating an abandoned browse recovery *template* for either WhatsApp, SMS or Email etc.

This message template will be sent later, by the journey that we'll set up in [step two](#step-two-find-the-abandoned-cart-recovery-journey-template).

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="WhatsApp" %}

### 1. Go to the message template builder

1. Create a message template by clicking **Content** > **Message templates** in the sidebar.
2. From here, [create and design a WhatsApp message template from scratch](/applications/content/message-templates/concepts/whatsapp-message-templates.md) by clicking **Create new message project** and selecting **WhatsApp** as the platform.
3. Under 'Interaction', select **WhatsApp approved**. You can learn more about this interaction type in our [guide](/applications/content/message-templates/concepts/whatsapp-message-templates/whatsapp-approved-message-templates.md).
4. Under 'WhatsApp Business Account', check the box next to the account you want to link this template to.
5. Under 'Category', select **Marketing**.
6. Select your message type. We'd recommend starting with **Text** to keep it simple.
7. Name your template, then click **Get started now**.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**WhatsApp Business Accounts**

* If you have more than one WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) installed in Bird, you'll need to select one of them during the message template setup process.
* In [step six](#step-five-add-your-recovery-message-template-to-your-journey), you'll need to choose the WhatsApp number that you want to send your message from. This number must be connected to the WABA that you selected in step one.
  {% endhint %}

Here's an example of the type of abandoned browse WhatsApp message you could create:

<figure><img src="/files/jrxhxvsHxRfpIkEtid8O" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### 2. Add variables

To get your customers back to their product page as soon as possible, you'll need to provide them with a link.

To do this, add a variable to your WhatsApp template. You'll populate this later, when you set up your abandoned browse journey.

1. Click the **Settings** icon at the top of your screen.
2. In the panel on the right-hand side of your screen, click the **Variables** tab.
3. Click **Add new variable**.
4. In the 'Name' field, enter `product_url`.
5. \[Optional] Add a description for this variable.
6. In the 'Example values per locale' section, enter `https://yourstorename.myshopify.com/product`.
7. Click **Save variable**.
8. Go back to the message editor.
9. In the main text body, type two curly brackets `{{` where you want the Product URL to appear, then select your newly created `product_url`. \
   Your message should look like this in the **Editor** and the **Preview**:<br>

<figure><img src="/files/o0qrtkoLYCP6ncytllPu" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

1. You can also add other variables like `product_name`, `product_image_url`
2. Click **Publish** to set your WhatsApp message template live.

{% hint style="warning" %}
You'll need to wait for WhatsApp to approve your message template before you can use it in your abandoned browse recovery flow.
{% endhint %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="SMS" %}

### 1. Go to the message template builder

1. Create a message template by clicking **Content** > **Message templates** in the sidebar.
2. From here, [create and design an SMS message template from scratch](/applications/content/message-templates/how-to/create-an-sms-message-template.md) by clicking **Create new message project** and selecting **SMS** as the platform.
3. Select your message type. We'd recommend starting with **Text** to keep it simple.
4. Name your template, then click **Get started now**.

Here's an example of the type of abandoned cart SMS message you might create:

<figure><img src="/files/jeWNyGQCuqMHcbS3HkAR" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### 2. Add variables

To get your customers back to their shopping cart as soon as possible, you'll need to provide them with a link.

To do this, add a variable to your SMS template. You'll populate this later, when you set up your abandoned cart journey.

1. Click the **Settings** icon at the top of your screen.
2. In the panel on the right-hand side of your screen, click the **Variables** tab.
3. Click **Add new variable**.
4. In the 'Name' field, enter `product_url`.
5. \[Optional] Add a description for this variable.
6. In the 'Example values per locale' section, enter `https://yourstorename.myshopify.com/product`
7. Click **Save variable**.
8. Go back to the message editor.
9. In the main text body, type two curly brackets `{{` where you want the cart URL to appear, then select your newly created `product_url`. \
   Your message template should look like this in the **Editor** and when you **Preview** your message:

<figure><img src="/files/OU8NlN8NhatclUxmZ5bQ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

1. You can also add other variables like `product_name`, `product_image_url`
2. Click **Publish** to set your SMS message template live.
   {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Email" %}
For Abandoned Browse Email for Shopify you can use **Viewed Product** trigger which will give you the options to personalize your email with following dynamic elements:

* **Product Image:** To add dynamic product image from the browsed product, you can add an image element and in place of Image URL Source, you can type in `{{event.properties.product_image_url}}`
* **Product Link:** To add dynamic product link to the product image from the browsed product, you can add an image element and in place of Image URL Link, you can type in `{{event.properties.product_url}}`
* **Product Name:** To add dynamic product name from the browsed product, you can add a text element and type in the variable `{{event.properties.product_name}}`
* **Product Currency:** To add dynamic product price currency from the browsed product, you can add a text element and type in the variable `{{event.properties.currency}}`
* **Product Price:** To add dynamic product price value from the browsed product, you can add a text element and type in the variable `{{event.properties.price}}`
* **Product Link:** To add personalized product link which was viewed, you can add a button element and type in the variable `{{event.properties.product_url}}` in the link field

To preview how the email would like live when sent from a journey with Cart Updated trigger, you can do the following steps:

* Switch to **Preview** section in Email editor
* Toggle to **Event** under Preview info
* In the event dropdown, select **Product Viewed** to preview how the email would look based on latest event received through the integration.&#x20;

<figure><img src="https://docs.bird.com/applications/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F3861485111-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%252Fuploads%252Fs7lrIl8hH064CV0RhNH8%252FScreenshot%25202025-03-26%2520at%25202.03.13%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D55e25640-eada-40dc-951d-465e71956b22&#x26;width=768&#x26;dpr=4&#x26;quality=100&#x26;sign=682578a&#x26;sv=2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Step two: Find the Abandoned Browse journey template

Now that you've created your recovery message, it's time to set up your *journey*. This is where the automation happens!

{% hint style="info" %}
We've set up abandoned browse recovery journey templates for Email but you can also add other channels with Send Message step.

Choose the correct journey template for the channel you're using.
{% endhint %}

1. In the sidebar, click **Journeys**.
2. Click **Create journey**.
3. Click the **Abandoned Browse recovery** journey template that you want to use (SMS or WhatsApp).
4. Give your journey a name.&#x20;
5. Click **Use Journey.**<br>

<figure><img src="/files/kHcqsXUhQA2vBvpVda6n" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Step three: Configure the 'Product Viewed' journey trigger

<figure><img src="/files/YGHFLvJYvpDuPb7ir7PP" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The journey is automatically set up to run when a 'Product Viewed' event is received from your Shopify store.

If you have multiple Shopify stores installed in Bird, you may need to click the trigger and use the 'Connector instance' dropdown to select the specific store that you want to use to trigger this journey.

{% hint style="info" %}
Want to set up abandoned browse reminders for every Shopify store you own? You'll need to set up a new journey for each of your stores.
{% endhint %}

### Step four: Decide how long to wait before sending the recovery message

<div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/9GsS7biHGsjZgjQpUYmR" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

By default, the journey will wait for 2 hours after it receives the 'Product Viewed' before sending a recovery message to the customer.

This is a good starting point, but you can customize the wait time if you want to. You can even choose to send the reminder at a specific time of day.

<div align="left" data-full-width="false"><figure><img src="/files/2nm86dXLyBweRYLb0Zy4" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For example, if your store sells lower-value products that don't require much of a consideration time, a shorter wait time may work for you. Likewise, if your products are higher-value, and your customers take longer to consider making a purchase, you may want to give them some more time before sending a recovery message.

#### Don't rush your customers

How many times have you viewed a product, only to be distracted by the doorbell ringing? If your customers get a reminder message every time they leave the product page for longer than ten minutes, you'll risk annoying them.

#### Don't wait until they completely forget

On the flip side, you don't want to wait until your customers have completely forgotten why they even needed a new frying pan. If you wait too long, they might go to a competitor instead, and you'll miss out on valuable revenue.

### Step five: Add your message template to your journey

The email template is by default added to the Send Message step

<figure><img src="/files/Aa2mF2y3RMlOOO5irTD6" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

If you want to change it or add more Send Message steps with other channels, you can do so.

Remember the recovery message template you made in [step one](#step-one-create-an-abandoned-cart-recovery-message)? Now's the time to add it to your journey, and populate the `product_url`.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="WhatsApp" %}

1. Select the 'Send a message' step.
2. Choose the WhatsApp channel you want to send your recovery message from. If you have multiple channels/channel instances installed, you might have to scroll a little to find the right one.<br>

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/c6ieG6JZskvcO9V01znf" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
3. From the 'Template' dropdown, select the template that you made in step 1.
4. In the 'Template variables' section, click the curly brackets (`{}`).
5. Select the Shopify event, then click **Product URL and other variables.**
6. In the 'Default' field, which is used as a fallback, enter the URL of your Shopify store.
7. Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="/files/p1UgQZKSrZtVd4G2tJrP" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="SMS" %}

1. Select the 'Send a message' step.
2. Choose the SMS channel you want to send your recovery message from. If you have multiple channels/channel instances installed, you might have to scroll a little to find the right one.<br>

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/tDE1IkcJKFZY5mUA0q2q" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
3. From the 'Template' dropdown, select the template that you made in step 1.<br>

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/9ujm9DlawjmFBVdDic1Y" alt="" width="297"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
4. In the 'Template variables' section, click the curly brackets (`{{}}`).
5. Select the Shopify event, then click **Checkout URL**.<br>

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/29mf4pwQEeKweSbeSL41" alt="" width="551"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/f3B37di3ShxyiP7EiDwz" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
6. In the 'Default' field, which is used as a fallback, enter the URL of your Shopify store.<br>

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/zfS3CT3Jor4tAtnluNvb" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
7. Click **Save**.
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

### Step six: Publish your abandoned browse recovery journey

Ready to set everything live? Click **Publish** in the top right hand corner to set your journey live.

{% hint style="success" %}
Success! You've just published your abandoned browse recovery journey. Now, customers who view the product pages will receive a browse recovery message, reminding them to return to the product.
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.bird.com/applications/journeys/journeys/quickstarts/build-a-journey-for-abandoned-browse.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.