How to set up Shopify transactional emails: 5 steps & examples

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Running a successful Shopify store means mastering every customer touchpoint — even the automated emails after purchases and account changes. These Shopify transactional emails receive high engagement, so they have to look the part as a result.

Shopify has built-in order confirmation emails, and you can add the Shopify Email app for additional transactional messages, such as abandoned carts. 

However, Shopify’s limited email customization and triggers mean you’ll eventually outgrow it and need a tool like Omnisend to create more advanced workflows.

Join us below to learn how to set up transactional emails in Shopify using Omnisend, with tips and examples to maximize their effectiveness.

What are Shopify transactional emails?

Shopify transactional emails are automated messages your email marketing tool sends when synced with your store for essential communications like order confirmations, shipping updates, and password resets in direct response to customer actions.

These transactional communications cover the critical touchpoints in your customer journey. They build trust, provide vital information when expected, reduce support inquiries, and generate sales via abandoned cart and checkout recovery.

Types of transactional emails in Shopify

Transactional emails fall into two primary categories:

• Post-purchase communications that support completed transactions (e.g., order confirmations)
• Engagement communications that respond to customer actions throughout their journey (e.g., abandoned cart reminders)

Here’s a guide to the different types:

Order confirmation

An order confirmation email arrives in your customer’s inbox within minutes of their purchase, confirming that their payment was processed and their order is in your system. 

Your message will include order numbers, item details, pricing breakdowns, and delivery estimates, preventing “Did my order go through?” support tickets.

Payment confirmation

Payment confirmations follow successful transactions, providing customers with official records that detail charges, payment methods, and billing information.

These digital receipts support accounting needs while reinforcing purchase confidence during the post-payment moment. Order confirmation emails can also serve as payment confirmations, so there’s an opportunity to reduce the number of transactional emails you send.

Password reset notification

Triggered when customers forget passwords, these time-sensitive emails contain secure reset links that expire quickly for security reasons.

Customers regain immediate account access, preventing frustration and potential store abandonment while maintaining robust security protocols.

Account activation and updates

Account emails verify new registrations or confirm changes to existing profiles, strengthening security by alerting customers to modifications.

Transparency builds trust through these notifications, allowing customers to identify and report unauthorized account changes quickly.

Cart abandonment recovery

Abandoned cart reminders arrive hours after customers leave items unpurchased. They showcase their selected products with compelling imagery, often with limited-time discount incentives such as 10% off.

These automations help you recover lost sales by guiding customers back to complete their purchases, turning abandonment into a conversion opportunity.

Customer feedback or survey requests

Product review emails arrive a few days after customers receive their products and ask for honest feedback about their purchase experience and satisfaction with what they bought. 

Collecting these insights will help you improve your offerings while building a collection of social proof for your marketing.

How to set up transactional emails for Shopify

We will use a shipping confirmation email for this tutorial and set it up with Omnisend rather than Shopify Email. Omnisend has more customization scope than Shopify Email to ensure your transactional emails match your brand and fit into your customer journey.

Step 1: Connect Shopify and Omnisend

Connect your store through Shopify by going to your Shopify admin panel, clicking Apps, searching for Omnisend, and clicking the result:

The official Omnisend app page will then load. Select Install, and the Omnisend app will download to your store without any technical steps:

If you’ve registered with Omnisend, you can connect from there by entering your myshopify.com URL during setup, even if you use a custom domain.

Step 2: Choose a workflow for automation

Access your Omnisend dashboard and navigate to the Automation tab. Select + Create workflow and filter by Transactional to view essential communication templates. 

Choose Shipping Confirmation to begin customization:

The Shipping Confirmation workflow triggers automatically when an order status changes to “Fulfilled” in your Shopify store.

Step 3: Add the subject line, preheader, and sender name

The first thing that loads is the Edit trigger menu. This workflow has pre-set triggers, so you can go ahead and click the second element in the visual editor labeled Shipping confirmation:

The Edit email section will then load. Create a subject line stating “Your order has shipped” with your brand name, and check out the template design.

Add a preheader with delivery timing details to improve open rates. For better recognition, set your sender name to your store name or use a personal approach, like “Sarah from (Your Store).”

Step 4: Customize the email design

Select Edit content below the email preview to access the visual editor:

The template contains placeholders for order details, product information, and shipping addresses that populate automatically for each customer.

Customize any element with your brand colors, fonts, and logo. Include prominent tracking information and delivery estimates to reduce customer service inquiries.

Your stock email will look like this:

Step 5: Save and activate

After previewing and editing your design, click Finish editing, and then Start workflow to activate it immediately, or Save & Close if you want to edit it later.

You can track performance in the Automation tab, where you’ll find metrics on open rates, clicks, and revenue generated from these communications.

Examples of transactional emails from Shopify stores

Check out these Shopify transactional email examples to inspire your own:

Order confirmation email

The official Coldplay store uses a minimalist order confirmation template with its colorful logo taking center stage at the top:

Coldplay’s email content reinforces its intent by including a “THANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE” heading after the logo. It then follows up with the customer’s billing and shipping addresses (a common anxiety point for online orders).

A product image with quantity and total numbers confirms the order. The template’s simplicity, including its use of white space, ensures crucial information is easy to find, giving the customer all the information they need about their order.

Shipping confirmation

Merchandise store Watcher Stuff uses a left-aligned shipping confirmation template to give information a structured and legible appearance:

Its logo confirms the source, and a “Your order is on the way” heading with text below discussing shipment clarifies the order has shipped.

A CTA button, “View your order,” and a linked tracking number provide customers with two ways to check their shipment, helping to reduce support requests. An “Items in this shipment” list makes it clear what to expect upon delivery.

Account activation email

Account activation emails are some of the simplest transactional messages you’ll send, with nail art brand Holo Taco providing an excellent example:

Holo Taco’s email states “ACCOUNT ACTIVATED!” in branded typography at the top of the email and immediately addresses the customer by name.

A light blue CTA button, “Shop Now,” encourages shopping sessions, and there’s an email address (with a mailto: link) for if the customer has any questions.

Abandoned cart email

To’ak Chocolate’s abandoned cart email uses an idyllic image of Ecuador and a “COMPLETE YOUR ORDER” CTA button to encourage its customers to pick up where they left off:

Customers can click a “See your cart >” text link at the top of the email to jump straight to the website. The bottom half of the email includes the product left behind, in this case Caramelized Pop Amaranth, with a CTA button to “VIEW PRODUCT.”

There’s also an inline feature list for Express Shipping, Gift Wrap, Satisfaction Guarantee, Great Reviews, and Concierge Shopping to appeal to different customers.

Password reset

Men’s clothing retailer Taylor Stitch uses a highly effective password reset email with a “Reset your password” heading and “RESET PW” CTA button:

There’s a two-sentence explanation between these elements, clarifying that following the link lets you reset the password. If the email is a mistake, it also says you can safely delete it. It’s a simple transactional email, but for password resets, it’s all you need.

Customer review request

Non-alcoholic beer brewery Best Day Brewing makes leaving a review via email as easy as clicking a button on a scale of 0-10:

Its email template has a beige background, and the review element has light grey buttons with a blue border and blue numbers to draw attention.

The sentence “On a scale of 0 to 10…” clarifies the email’s purpose, while the large heading “Thanks For Being Your Best Self” motivates engagement.

Summary

Shopify transactional emails are critical touchpoints in your customer journey and often your most-read communications. They build brand recognition, reduce support inquiries, and create additional sales opportunities.

While Shopify handles order confirmations by default, these and its other transactional messages, such as shipping notifications and abandoned carts, lack customization potential.

Connect Omnisend to your store to overcome these limitations. Add clear subject lines that convey purpose, personalize content with your brand elements, and include information in a scannable format to make your transactional messages professional.