An abandoned cart flow is a sequence of automated reminder emails sent to creators who started a submission but never finished it. In Dapple, you build this using Draft Reminders — found in Project Settings → Messages and Reminders. A well-timed sequence of three reminders (24 hours, 3 days, and 7 days after the draft is created) is enough to recover a significant share of incomplete submissions. For paid programmes — especially those using a payment form plus access codes to unlock a second form — every recovered draft is income you would otherwise lose.
Why do abandoned carts matter?
In e-commerce, an abandoned cart is when a shopper adds items to their cart but never checks out. The same thing happens in open calls and award programmes: a creator starts filling in a form, gets distracted, and never comes back. Research consistently shows that e-commerce abandoned cart emails recover 5–15% of those lost transactions. The same logic applies here.
For arts and creative programmes the stakes are just as real:
Every incomplete submission is a potential creator who wanted to apply but didn't.
For paid entry programmes, an unfinished draft is lost revenue.
Creators often abandon forms not because they changed their mind, but because life got in the way — a well-timed nudge brings them back.
Last-minute form fatigue is real — breaking the journey into a sequence of nudges keeps momentum alive.
A three-reminder sequence is the sweet spot: enough to recover most people without becoming annoying.
When is this especially important?
Draft reminders matter for every programme, but they're critical when your entry journey spans more than one form — for example, when you're using a payment form to gate access to a submission form via access codes.
In this flow, a creator:
Fills in a payment form and completes their transaction.
Receives a unique access code by email.
Uses that code to unlock and complete the main submission form.
If a creator abandons either form — the payment form or the submission form — the reminder sequence catches them at both points.
See: What are Access Codes for a full explanation of how the payment-to-form journey works.
What does the recommended reminder cadence look like?
Set up three reminders per project. Each one uses a relative trigger — meaning it fires a set number of days and hours after the draft was first created.
The timing of your abandoned cart sequence matters more than most people realise. Industry best practice — backed by data from major email platforms — points to a three-email sequence sent at roughly one hour, 24 hours, and 72 hours after abandonment. The first email is the most important: sent within the hour, it catches people while their intent is still warm and consistently delivers the highest open and conversion rates. For creative sector entries like open calls and exhibitions, you can afford to stretch the sequence slightly — applicants often need time to select work, prepare images, and gather materials — so a final email at five to seven days still makes sense. What matters most is that you send more than one and that each one adds something new rather than repeating the same nudge.
Reminder | Trigger | Subject line (example) | Tone |
Reminder 1 | 0 days, 24 hours after draft created | You're almost there — finish your entry | Friendly, helpful. Reassure them their progress is saved. |
Reminder 2 | 3 days, 0 hours after draft created | Your draft is still waiting for you | Gentle. Mention the deadline if it's approaching. |
Reminder 3 | 7 days, 0 hours after draft created | Last chance — your draft closes soon | Clear urgency. One call to action, no fluff. |
You can adjust the timing based on how long your programme runs. For a two-week window, compress the cadence — try 12 hours, 2 days, and 5 days. For a three-month open call, the 1/3/7 cadence works well.
How do I set up the reminders in Dapple?
Open the project → Project Settings.
Click the Messages and Reminders tab.
Click Add Reminder.
Under Send timing, select Schedule for later.
Under Trigger type, select Days since draft was created.
Set Days to 0 and Hours to 24 for the first reminder. Set Days to 3 and Hours to 0 for the second. Set Days to 7 and Hours to 0 for the third.
Under Message source, choose Use a template (recommended) or Write custom message.
If using a template, select it from the dropdown. Templates are managed in Organisation Settings.
Click Schedule reminder.
Repeat for each reminder in the sequence.
Once scheduled, a reminder can't be edited — only cancelled and recreated. Send yourself a test via Actions → Send me a test email before scheduling.
What's the difference between Days and Hours in the trigger?
The Days and Hours fields combine to set the total delay after a draft is created. They work together — 1 day and 12 hours means the reminder fires 36 hours after the draft was started.
Target timing | Days setting | Hours setting |
24 hours after draft created | 0 | 24 |
3 days after draft created | 3 | 0 |
7 days after draft created | 7 | 0 |
1.5 days after draft created | 1 | 12 |
48 hours before deadline (fixed) | Use Fixed date and time instead | — |
For the final reminder, if you want to send it a fixed time before the deadline rather than relative to when the draft was created, switch Trigger type to Fixed date and time and set the date and time manually.
Best practice for abandoned cart reminders
Keep each email short — one paragraph, one call to action. The goal is to get them back to the form, not to sell them on applying.
Include the deadline in every email. Creators often abandon because they think they have more time than they do.
Use merge tags like /CreatorName to personalise — personalised subjects consistently outperform generic ones.
Don't guilt-trip. "You haven't finished your application" lands worse than "Your progress is saved — pick up where you left off.".
Don't add more than three reminders — beyond that, you're in spam territory.
Where to go next
How to send draft reminder messages to creators in Dapple — step-by-step setup guide for draft reminders.
What are Access Codes — how to use payment forms and access codes to gate your submission form.
How to Create and Use Message Templates — create reusable email templates for your reminders.
What Are Merge Tags and How to Use Them — personalise your reminder emails with creator name, programme name, and more.