Shopify Wishlist: The Complete Guide for 2025
Shoppers rarely buy everything they like in one session. A wishlist lets them save favorites, compare items later, and return to purchase—while giving you intent data to power emails and back‑in‑stock alerts.
You can build a basic wishlist in your theme or use an app for shareable lists, logged‑in syncing, reminders, and analytics. If you want a fast setup with best‑practice UX, try theBluepeacock Wishlist appto add a performant, brand‑matched wishlist in minutes.
Why Wishlists Matter for Online Stores
Wishlists reduce decision friction, capture intent from browsing sessions, and re‑engage shoppers through reminders. They’re particularly useful for higher‑consideration products, gifting seasons, and multi‑item purchases (bundles, outfits, sets).
Shopify’s Built‑In Options (and What’s Missing)
Shopify doesn’t ship a native wishlist. Some themes include a simple "save for later" experience, but advanced features—like account‑based syncing, sharing, email capture, and back‑in‑stock automations—require an app or custom code.
How to Add a Wishlist in Shopify
You’ve got three approaches: enable a theme feature (if available), install a wishlist app, or build a lightweight custom solution. Choose based on how much you need sharing, analytics, and marketing automation.
Theme route: Look for a "wishlist" or "save for later" setting. App route: Install a wishlist app, style the button and drawer/page UI, and enable account syncing and shareable links. Custom route: Add a button tied to a small wishlist store (local storage + optional customer account API) and expose events for analytics.
Must‑Have Wishlist Features
Before you decide on an approach, make sure these essentials are covered:
- One‑click add/remove from product and collection cards
- Account‑based syncing (or graceful guest fallback)
- Shareable lists (URL/email) and export options
- Back‑in‑stock and price‑drop notifications
- Analytics events for adds/removes and purchases
These features help wishlists drive real revenue instead of being a passive "favorites" widget.
UX and Performance Best Practices
Keep it fast and clear:
- Use a heart icon button with clear added/removed states
- Defer heavy scripts and avoid large libraries
- Make the wishlist accessible (focus states, ARIA labels)
- Expose clear CTAs: "Move to cart", "Share", "Notify me"
Adding a Wishlist via App: Quick Start
1. Log in to Shopify Admin.
2. Open the Shopify App Store and installBluepeacock Wishlist.
3. Enable the wishlist button on product and collection cards, and style it to match your theme.
4. Turn on account syncing and email/back‑in‑stock notifications.
5. Track wishlist events in your analytics and QA on mobile.
Testing Your Wishlist
Add a few products to the wishlist, verify added/removed states, try sharing the list, and confirm notifications and analytics events fire correctly. Test logged‑in vs guest behavior and across devices.
Avoiding Common Wishlist Mistakes
Heavy, render‑blocking scripts
Use lightweight widgets and defer non‑critical scripts so your wishlist doesn’t hurt Core Web Vitals.
No account sync or share options
Guest‑only lists don’t travel across devices. Enable customer accounts and shareable URLs to maximize return traffic.
No analytics or notifications
Without tracking and reminders, wishlists won’t move revenue. Fire events and connect email/back‑in‑stock flows.
Wrapping Up
A wishlist is more than a "nice to have"—it’s a low‑friction way to capture intent and bring shoppers back to buy. Keep it fast, enable sharing and notifications, and wire it to analytics so it contributes measurable revenue.
Want the fastest path? Add theBluepeacock Wishlist appand enable account sync, sharing, and notifications in a few clicks.