Wishlists on ecommerce stores: when they help and when they do not
A wishlist lets shoppers save products for later. See which stores benefit, how it supports repeat visits and how to add one.
2 min read
Area
CRO & UX
Severity
Low
Fix effort
Medium
Stores failing
79%
Of 99 stores we scanned where this check applies, 79% fail it and 21% pass. See all benchmarks.
A wishlist lets a shopper save products to look at again, share, or buy later. It suits stores selling considered or gift purchases. This check looks for a wishlist feature on the home page.
Why it matters
Many visitors are not ready to buy on the first visit. A wishlist gives them somewhere to put an item, and gives the store a reason to remind them. It matters less for low-priced, one-off purchases.
What the audit looks at
The audit looks for a wishlist link or icon in the header or on product cards.
What usually causes it
- No wishlist app or feature installed
- A wishlist installed but not shown on the home page
- A feature restricted to logged-in users that is hidden otherwise
- Theme styling that hides the icon
How to fix it
Offer a wishlist from the home page. The effort is medium, a theme or template edit that takes an afternoon.
- Add a heart or wishlist link in the header so shoppers can find their saved items, and a heart on product cards to save them.
- This only matters if you also have a way to save items: see the cart and product page findings.
On Shopify
- Install a wishlist app from the Shopify App Store and place its link in the header via the app embed in Customize > App embeds.
On WooCommerce
- Add a wishlist plugin and enable its header link; check the page weight afterwards.
How to check it yourself
- Look for a heart or list icon on the home page and on a product card.
- Try saving a product as a guest.
- Check where saved items appear.
Frequently asked questions
Does every store need one?
No. It fits fashion, home and gift stores more than quick-buy consumables.
Does it need an account?
Many apps store the list in the browser, and offer an account for sync.
Related checks
Check your own store
See whether your store passes this check
Paste your store URL. The audit loads your pages in a real browser and shows the result for this check with the evidence behind it.