Ecommerce email and SMS marketing platform with pre-built automation workflows for Shopify and WooCommerce stores.
Full ReviewThe Omnisend to Shopify workflow pairs an ecommerce-native marketing automation platform with the leading ecommerce platform. Omnisend is built specifically for ecommerce, offering email, SMS, and push notification marketing in a single platform with deep Shopify integration. This combination enables automated multi-channel marketing driven by real-time shopping behavior, order data, and customer lifecycle stages.
Omnisend offers a native Shopify app installed directly from the Shopify App Store. The one-click installation syncs customer profiles, order history, product catalog, and real-time browsing/cart events. Omnisend's tracking pixel is automatically installed on the Shopify storefront, capturing Viewed Product, Added to Cart, Started Checkout, and Placed Order events without any code modifications. The integration also supports Shopify's customer segmentation tags and discount code generation.
The business outcome is multi-channel revenue automation at a competitive price point. Omnisend combines email, SMS, and web push notifications in a single workflow builder, meaning abandoned cart recovery can send an email at 1 hour, an SMS at 4 hours, and a push notification at 24 hours — all from one automation. Shopify merchants using Omnisend's full automation suite typically see 25-35% of revenue attributed to automated messaging, with the multi-channel approach outperforming email-only by 30-50%.
| Step | Tool | Action | Connection to Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify | Customer browses, carts, checks out, or purchases | Real-time events sync to Omnisend via native integration |
| 2 | Omnisend | Multi-channel automations (email + SMS + push) triggered by Shopify events | Revenue attribution synced back to track ROI |
From the Shopify App Store, install the Omnisend app. Authorize the connection to grant Omnisend access to your Shopify customer data, order history, and product catalog. Omnisend begins an initial data sync that imports all existing customers, their order history, and your full product catalog including images, prices, descriptions, and variants. This sync typically completes within 1-4 hours depending on store size.
Configure Omnisend's subscriber collection forms for your Shopify storefront. Omnisend provides a drag-and-drop form builder that creates popups, embedded forms, landing pages, and gamified signup forms (spin-to-win wheels). These forms collect email and phone number (for SMS marketing) and automatically create Omnisend subscriber profiles linked to Shopify customer records. Set display rules for popups: show to new visitors after 10 seconds, exit-intent for cart abandoners, and scroll-depth triggers on product pages.
Verify Omnisend's on-site tracking by browsing your Shopify store and checking Omnisend's Activity Feed for real-time events. Confirm that Viewed Product, Added to Cart, and Checkout Started events appear with the correct product details. Test the full flow by completing a test order and verifying the Placed Order event triggers in Omnisend with accurate order data including line items, totals, and discount codes.
Omnisend provides pre-built automation workflow templates optimized for Shopify. Access these in Automation > Browse pre-built workflows. The essential automations include: Welcome Series (new subscriber signup), Abandoned Cart (checkout started without purchase), Browse Abandonment (product viewed without cart addition), Post-Purchase (order placed), and Customer Reactivation (no purchase in X days). Each template includes recommended timing, messaging, and channel configuration.
Customize the Abandoned Cart workflow for maximum recovery. Configure the trigger: Checkout Started, with no Placed Order event within the next 1 hour. Add the first step as an email with dynamic product blocks showing the exact cart contents. Add a 3-hour delay, then an SMS message (for subscribers with phone numbers) with a short, urgent message and checkout link. Add another 20-hour delay, then a final email with a Shopify discount code generated via Omnisend's coupon block. Use conditional splits to send higher-value carts (over $100) through a premium recovery path with free shipping offers.
Build a Post-Purchase workflow with multi-channel touchpoints. After a first purchase, send an immediate order confirmation email, a day-3 SMS checking satisfaction, a day-7 email with product usage tips (using conditional content based on product category), a day-14 review request email, and a day-30 cross-sell email with product recommendations. For repeat customers, modify the flow to include loyalty rewards and VIP offers. Use Omnisend's customer lifecycle stages to automatically segment first-time buyers, repeat customers, and at-risk churning customers.
From Shopify to Omnisend: customer profiles (name, email, phone, address, tags, total orders, total spent, account status), real-time events (product viewed, added to cart, checkout started, order placed, order fulfilled, order refunded), product catalog (titles, images, prices, descriptions, variants, collections, inventory status), and discount codes. Events sync in real-time; catalog updates sync every few hours.
From Omnisend to Shopify: subscriber consent status, marketing opt-in/opt-out for email and SMS, customer tags (applied via automations or segments), and Shopify discount codes generated by Omnisend's coupon feature. Revenue attribution data shows which Omnisend workflows drove which Shopify orders.
Health supplements brand: A supplements company uses Omnisend's multi-channel abandoned cart flow to recover 18% of abandoned checkouts. The SMS step alone (sent 4 hours after abandonment) converts at 12%, significantly outperforming email-only recovery. Replenishment reminders via SMS at the 25-day mark for 30-day supply products drive 35% subscription-like repeat purchasing.
Home goods retailer: A furniture and decor store uses browse abandonment emails with dynamic product blocks showing viewed items alongside "complete the look" product recommendations pulled from the Shopify catalog. Cross-sell automations drive 22% of repeat purchase revenue.
Pet supply store: A pet supply brand segments customers by pet type (dog, cat, small animal) using Shopify tags synced to Omnisend. Each segment receives species-specific product recommendations, care tips, and seasonal promotions. The personalized approach delivers 40% higher click rates compared to generic campaigns.
Omnisend's pre-built Shopify workflow templates reduce automation setup from days to hours — most stores can have core flows live within 4-6 hours. Multi-channel automation from a single platform saves 3-5 hours weekly compared to managing separate email, SMS, and push notification tools. Automated product recommendations replace 2-3 hours weekly of manual merchandising in email campaigns. For a Shopify store processing 1,000+ orders monthly, Omnisend's automations typically generate $2,000-$15,000 in additional monthly revenue with under 3 hours weekly of maintenance.
Klaviyo is the primary competitor, offering deeper predictive analytics and more advanced segmentation at a higher price point. Mailchimp's Shopify integration provides basic ecommerce email automation with broader brand recognition. Drip offers similar ecommerce-focused automation with a different approach to visual workflow building. Privy combines popup forms and basic email automation for early-stage Shopify stores. For SMS-specific needs, Postscript and Attentive are dedicated SMS platforms that integrate with Shopify alongside an email tool like Klaviyo or Mailchimp.
