# Converting to Draft Orders

This guide walks through the complete process of converting abandoned checkouts into customized draft orders for maximum recovery potential.

### Before you start

#### Review abandoned checkouts

1. Open Draft Order Magic
2. Navigate to **Abandoned Checkouts**
3. Review the list of abandoned checkouts
4. Look for:
   * High-value carts (worth the effort)
   * Recent abandonments (< 7 days)
   * Real customer emails (not <test@example.com>)
   * Multiple items (indicates serious interest)

\[Screenshot: Abandoned checkouts list sorted by value]

#### Prioritize strategically

**High priority (convert first):**

* Value > $200
* Abandoned < 24 hours ago
* 3+ items in cart
* Recognized customer email
* All items in stock

**Medium priority:**

* Value $50-$200
* Abandoned 1-7 days ago
* 1-2 items
* New customer
* Some items in stock

**Low priority (maybe skip):**

* Value < $50
* Abandoned > 7 days ago
* Single item
* Suspicious email
* Items out of stock

### Conversion process

#### Step 1: Select abandoned checkout

1. Click on the abandoned checkout you want to convert
2. Review the details:
   * Customer email and name
   * Items in cart
   * Original total
   * Time since abandonment
3. Verify products are still available
4. Check customer looks legitimate

#### Step 2: Convert to draft order

1. Click **Convert to draft order** button
2. Draft Order Magic creates a new draft order with:
   * Customer assigned (if email provided)
   * All cart items added
   * Quantities preserved
   * Addresses populated (if entered)
3. Draft order opens in the editor

\[Video: Conversion process - 30 seconds]

{% hint style="info" %}
Conversion creates a NEW draft order. The original abandoned checkout remains in Shopify's system.
{% endhint %}

#### Step 3: Review and customize

Now you're in the draft order editor. Customize the order:

**Set recovery pricing**

Offer an incentive to close the deal:

**Options:**

* **Fixed discount** - "$50 off your order"
* **Percentage discount** - "10% off"
* **Free shipping** - Reduce shipping to $0
* **Bundle pricing** - Reduce total for buying multiple
* **Round number** - $497 → $450 (clean number)

[Learn about custom pricing →](https://github.com/horselditty/draft-order-docs/blob/main/product/editor/custom-pricing/README.md)

**Recommended discounts:**

* High-value ($500+): 5-10% off
* Medium-value ($100-$500): 10-15% off
* Low-value (< $100): Free shipping or 15-20% off

{% hint style="success" %}
**Calculate profitably** - Ensure your discount still maintains acceptable margins. A small profit is better than no sale.
{% endhint %}

**Add line item properties**

Include helpful details:

```
Special Offer: Recovery discount applied
Valid Until: 2026-05-12
```

Or personalization:

```
Engraving: [Customer can specify]
Gift Wrap: Available upon request
```

[Learn about properties →](https://github.com/horselditty/draft-order-docs/blob/main/product/editor/line-item-properties/README.md)

**Add order attributes**

Track the recovery:

```
Source: Abandoned Checkout
Original Checkout ID: 987654321
Abandoned Date: 2026-05-08 14:30
Converted Date: 2026-05-10 10:15
Recovery Offer: 10% discount
Campaign: Spring Recovery 2026
```

[Learn about attributes →](https://github.com/horselditty/draft-order-docs/blob/main/product/editor/order-attributes/README.md)

**Adjust items (optional)**

* Remove out-of-stock items
* Add complementary products
* Adjust quantities if needed
* Reorder for better presentation

**Review shipping and taxes**

* Verify shipping address is complete
* Confirm tax calculation is correct
* Adjust shipping charges if offering free shipping

#### Step 4: Save the draft order

1. Review everything one more time
2. Click **Save** button
3. Draft order is now in Shopify
4. You'll see a confirmation message

#### Step 5: Get the invoice link

1. After saving, click **Send invoice** or **Get invoice link**
2. Copy the Shopify invoice URL
3. This is the link customer will use to pay

Alternatively:

1. Go to draft order in Shopify admin
2. Copy the invoice URL from there

### Communication strategies

#### Email template

```
Subject: [Name], your cart is waiting! Plus a special offer just for you

Hi [Customer Name],

I noticed you were looking at [specific products] on [Your Store]. 
I wanted to reach out personally to see if I can help!

I know sometimes timing isn't quite right, so I've created a special 
offer just for you: [discount amount] off your order.

Here's your personalized quote:
[Draft Order Invoice Link]

This special pricing is valid for the next 48 hours.

Items in your quote:
• [Product 1]
• [Product 2]
• [Product 3]

Total with discount: $[Amount] (regularly $[Original Amount])

Questions? Just reply to this email or call me at [Phone Number]. 
I'm here to help!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Store]
[Phone] | [Email]

P.S. These items are in stock and ready to ship!
```

\[Screenshot: Example recovery email]

#### Best practices for communication

**Personalize it:**

* ✅ Use customer's name
* ✅ Mention specific products
* ✅ Reference their cart value
* ❌ Generic "You left items" message

**Add urgency:**

* Time limit on discount (24-48 hours)
* Low stock warning (if true)
* Sale ending soon
* Limited-time offer

**Make it easy:**

* Direct link to invoice
* One-click to pay
* No hoops to jump through
* Your direct contact

**Offer help:**

* Reply to email
* Phone number
* Live chat
* "Questions? Let me know!"

### Timing strategies

#### Immediate follow-up (1-2 hours)

**Pros:**

* Highest conversion rate
* Customer still interested
* Fresh in their mind

**Cons:**

* May feel pushy
* Not always realistic

**Best for:**

* High-value carts
* B2B customers
* Custom products

#### Same-day follow-up (4-8 hours)

**Pros:**

* Still very timely
* Less pushy feeling
* Time to craft message

**Cons:**

* Some urgency lost

**Best for:**

* Most abandoned checkouts
* Standard products
* Balanced approach

#### Next-day follow-up (24 hours)

**Pros:**

* Professional timing
* Good balance
* Sustainable for team

**Cons:**

* Conversion rate lower than same-day

**Best for:**

* Large volume
* Limited resources
* Systematic approach

#### Multi-touch sequence

**Day 0:** Abandoned **Day 1, 9 AM:** Convert to draft, send email 1 (10% off) **Day 3:** Follow-up email 2 (same offer, different angle) **Day 7:** Final email 3 (15% off, last chance)

### After conversion

#### If customer pays

1. Convert draft to order (Shopify does this automatically)
2. Fulfill the order
3. Send thank you email
4. Note the recovery in your metrics
5. Consider thank-you gift for high-value orders

#### If customer doesn't respond

**After 48 hours:**

* Send follow-up email
* Ask if they have questions
* Offer to adjust quote

**After 1 week:**

* Send final email
* Increase discount slightly (optional)
* "Last chance" messaging

**After 2 weeks:**

* Move on
* Keep draft order for reference
* Customer might return later

### Bulk conversion

For high-volume stores:

#### Strategy 1: Daily batch

1. Set aside 30 min each morning
2. Convert 10-20 abandoned checkouts
3. Customize each
4. Send all emails
5. Track responses

#### Strategy 2: Value threshold

Only convert checkouts above $X:

* Example: Only $100+ carts
* Maximize ROI of your time
* Focus on high-value recoveries

#### Strategy 3: Automated triggers

Use Shopify Flow (Plus) or other automation:

* Trigger on checkout abandoned
* Wait 4 hours
* Create draft order automatically
* Tag for manual review
* You customize and send

### Measuring results

#### Track these metrics

**Per checkout:**

* Original value
* Final draft order value
* Discount given
* Time to conversion (if paid)
* Outcome (paid, ignored, declined)

**Overall:**

* Conversion rate: % of converted drafts that paid
* Recovery rate: Recovered revenue / Abandoned value
* Average discount: Total discounts / Conversions
* ROI: Recovered revenue vs. time invested

**Example spreadsheet:**

| Date | Customer | Original | Discount | Final | Status  | Days to Close |
| ---- | -------- | -------- | -------- | ----- | ------- | ------------- |
| 5/8  | John     | $500     | -$50     | $450  | Paid    | 1             |
| 5/8  | Jane     | $300     | -$30     | $270  | Ignored | -             |
| 5/9  | Bob      | $750     | -$75     | $675  | Paid    | 2             |

### Advanced techniques

#### Segmented offers

Different discounts by:

* **Cart value**: Higher value = smaller % discount
* **Customer type**: New vs. returning
* **Product category**: High-margin = higher discount
* **Time of year**: Seasonal adjustments

#### A/B testing

Test different approaches:

* **Test A**: 10% discount, immediate email
* **Test B**: 15% discount, next-day email
* **Test C**: Free shipping only, multi-touch sequence

Measure which converts best.

#### Upsell opportunity

When converting:

* Add complementary products
* Suggest upgrades
* Bundle deals
* "Frequently bought together"

Customer may spend even more than abandoned cart.

### Troubleshooting

#### Conversion fails

**Error creating draft order:**

* Check products still exist
* Verify customer can be created
* Try converting different checkout
* Contact support if persistent

#### Customer doesn't receive email

**Possible issues:**

* Email went to spam
* Wrong email address in checkout
* Customer blocked promotional emails
* Try different subject line

#### Discount too aggressive (low margin)

**Adjust strategy:**

* Smaller discount percentage
* Free shipping instead
* Gift with purchase
* Bundle without discount

#### Low conversion rate

**Improve by:**

* Faster follow-up
* More personalization
* Better offer
* Clear value prop
* Easier payment process

[More troubleshooting →](https://github.com/horselditty/draft-order-docs/blob/main/support/troubleshooting/README.md)

### What's next?

Set recovery discounts effectively Master all editor features Track recovery campaigns Create recovery offer templates


---

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