A wishlist lets a shopper save a product to come back to later. On a store with variants, the useful version saves the exact choice: the Small, Red, Cotton T-shirt, not just "the T-shirt". Pair that with a back-in-stock alert and a shopper who found their size sold out has a reason to return instead of leaving for good.
Shopify does not include a wishlist in its themes, so you add one with an app. Here is what to look for, how it interacts with variants and personalization options, and a simple setup plan.
Popular wishlist apps
These come up most often when our merchants ask for recommendations. Features and pricing change, so check each listing on the Shopify App Store before you install.
- Wishlist Plus: a dedicated wishlist app with saved lists and reminder features.
- Growave: a bundle of wishlist, reviews and loyalty tools in one app, useful if you want all three.
- Wishlist Hero: a straightforward wishlist with sharing options.
Back-in-stock alerts are often handled by a separate tool. Klaviyo, for example, has back-in-stock flows that many stores already use for email. Check whether your wishlist app can trigger alerts itself or hands them off to your email platform.
Per-variant wishlist
This is the feature that matters most on a store with options. When the shopper taps the heart icon, the app should record the selected variant, so the wishlist shows "Small / Red / Cotton" with that variant's image and price, and the link opens the product with that variant already selected.
Test it before you commit. Pick a non-default variant, add it to the wishlist, then open the wishlist page. If it shows the first variant or just the product name, the app is saving at product level only.
What about personalization fields?
Most wishlist apps save the product and variant, not the custom text or photo a shopper typed. That is expected. Personalization is saved as line-item properties when the item goes into the cart, and wishlists generally do not store those. If you want to understand why the two behave differently, our guide to variants vs line-item properties explains the data model.
In practice this is fine. A shopper who wishlists a personalized cutting board comes back, opens the product, and types the name again with the live preview in front of them. Just make sure your wishlist page links back to the product page, not straight to checkout, so the personalization fields are filled in before purchase.
Guest wishlist
Asking shoppers to create an account before they can save something stops a lot of them. Guest wishlists store the list in the browser, so anyone can use it. When the shopper later signs up or logs in, a good app merges the guest list into their account. The downside: a guest list stays on that one device and browser.
Back-in-stock via wishlist
When a wishlisted variant sells out and then comes back, the shopper gets an email or text. This only works well if alerts are per variant. A shopper waiting for a Medium does not want an alert when only the XL restocks.
Before relying on alerts, decide how you handle sold-out variants on the product page. You can hide them, show them crossed out, or keep selling with a delay. Our guides to continuing to sell when out of stock and hiding sold-out variants cover the trade-offs.
If you are sending alerts through Klaviyo, our Klaviyo email marketing guide has flow ideas.
A simple setup plan
- Install one wishlist app and turn on its theme app embed.
- Check where the heart icon appears on product pages and collection cards, on desktop and on a phone.
- Test per-variant saving with a non-default variant.
- Turn on guest wishlists.
- Connect back-in-stock alerts per variant, either in the app or through your email platform.
- Add a reminder email for items left on a wishlist for a week or two, and keep it short.
Wishlists for gifting
For gift stores, shareable wishlists double as gift lists. A shopper builds a list for a birthday and sends the link to family. If you sell personalized gifts, add a note on the wishlist page explaining that names and messages are added at checkout time. Our playbook on selling personalized gifts on Shopify covers the rest of the gift-buyer journey.
Frequently asked questions
Best wishlist app for Shopify with options?
Wishlist Plus, Growave and Wishlist Hero are common choices. Whichever you try, test that it saves the selected variant, not just the product.
Per-variant wishlist support?
Many wishlist apps save the exact variant the shopper selected. Test with a non-default variant to confirm the wishlist shows the right size, color and image.
Guest wishlist?
Most apps offer guest wishlists stored in the browser, so shoppers can save items without an account. Look for an app that merges the guest list into the account when the shopper signs up.
Back-in-stock notification for wishlist item?
Yes, if your wishlist app or email platform supports it. Make sure alerts are tied to the specific variant, so shoppers only hear about the size or color they wanted.
Wishlist share via social?
Some apps let shoppers share a wishlist link by email, message or social media. This is useful for gift lists around birthdays and holidays.
Multi-list support (birthday, holiday)?
Some apps support several named lists per shopper, while simpler ones offer a single list. Check the app listing if you expect shoppers to keep separate gift lists.
Wishlist cost?
Many wishlist apps have a free tier, with paid plans for features like reminders, multiple lists and analytics. Check current pricing on each app's Shopify App Store listing.
Does wishlist affect conversion?
A wishlist gives shoppers who are not ready to buy a way to come back, especially when paired with back-in-stock and reminder emails. Watch how many wishlisted items turn into orders to judge whether it is working for your store.
Related reading
Sources & further reading
Primary sources referenced in this article. We link to official platform documentation and standards bodies rather than secondary summaries so you can verify claims directly.
- Shopify Help Center: Product variants
- Shopify.dev: Product variant limits
- Shopify Help Center: Line item properties (customization)
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