---
title: How RocketCart works
date: "2026-11-06"
author: RocketCart
url: "https://getrocketcart.com/docs/getting-started/how-rocketcart-works/"
type: docs
---

RocketCart picks up the checkouts Shopify lists as abandoned, once an hour, and sends each shopper a short series of recovery messages by email and, if you connect it, WhatsApp. When the shopper places the order, RocketCart marks the cart as recovered and stops sending.

![The How RocketCart works banner on the Dashboard, with the Detect, Recover and Convert tiles](/docs-media/en/getting-started/how-it-works-banner-800.webp)

## What happens after a shopper leaves checkout?

1. **Detect.** Every hour, RocketCart imports new abandoned checkouts from your Shopify store. It needs an email address or a phone number on the checkout to follow up. Read more in [how Shopify tracks abandoned carts](/docs/recovery/cart-tracking/).
2. **Recover.** RocketCart plans up to 3 messages for the cart: First touch, Follow up and Last chance. A shopper with only an email gets 3 emails. If WhatsApp is connected and the shopper left a phone number, RocketCart can send one of the 3 by WhatsApp, or send a single WhatsApp message on its own.
3. **Convert.** Each message links back to the shopper’s checkout. When they complete the order, the cart counts as recovered and any messages still waiting are cancelled.

## What is automatic and what do you control?

Email recovery runs on its own. There are no email templates, subject lines or send times to set up. The subject line is fixed per language. The rest RocketCart chooses for each cart, and it sends more of what wins back carts:

- which channel goes first, email or WhatsApp;
- how long to wait before each message;
- which email layout and content blocks to use;
- which of your active WhatsApp messages to send.

You control a few things:

| What you set | Where | Read more |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your logo, links and business address in the emails | **Settings** > **Branding** | [Logo and branding](/docs/settings/logo-and-branding/) |
| A discount code in the third reminder email | **Settings** > **Email Settings** | [Discount](/docs/settings/discount/) |
| Your WhatsApp recovery message (up to 3 active) | **Recovery** | [WhatsApp recovery messages](/docs/recovery/whatsapp-recovery-messages/) |
| Sending from your own domain (Pro plan) | **Settings** > **Email Settings** | [Set up a sending domain](/docs/sending-domain/set-up-sending-domain/) |

Note

RocketCart never sends recovery messages between 00:00 and 08:00 Berlin time. A message due in that window goes out at 08:00.

## What else is in the app?

Recovery is the core. The app menu also has:

- **Campaigns**: WhatsApp broadcasts to your customers. See [WhatsApp broadcasts](/docs/campaigns/whatsapp-broadcasts/).
- **Back in stock**: a “Notify me when available” button on sold-out products, and a WhatsApp alert you send when the item is back. See [set up back in stock](/docs/back-in-stock/set-up-back-in-stock/).
- **Settings**, **Plans** and **Request a Feature**.

For the bigger picture on recovery tactics, read our guide to [Shopify abandoned cart recovery](/shopify-abandoned-cart/).

## Next step

[Install RocketCart on Shopify](/docs/getting-started/install-rocketcart-on-shopify/).