Add to cart

What does ‘add to cart’ mean?

Add to Cart means a shopper has selected a product on an ecommerce website and wants to save it for purchase by placing it in their virtual shopping cart. It’s a key step in the buying journey, the digital equivalent of placing an item in a physical cart at a store.

Why is the ‘add to cart’ action important in ecommerce?

Clicking the add to cart button signals a strong intent to buy. It shows the shopper is interested in the product and is considering checkout. For store owners, tracking this behavior helps measure product interest, forecast demand, and optimize sales funnels. It also allows for retargeting if the shopper doesn’t complete the purchase.

How does the add to cart process work?

When a shopper clicks the add to cart button, the product along with its selected options like size or quantity is added to a virtual cart stored in the browser or backend session. From there, the customer can continue shopping or proceed to checkout. In subscription models, the cart may also include billing frequency or plan selections.

What is the add to cart rate?

The add to cart rate measures how many visitors click ‘add to cart’ compared to the total number of visitors. A higher rate means your product pages are doing a great job, they are convincing people to take action. If your rate is low, it might be time to tweak your product descriptions, pricing, or images.

Example of add to cart in action

A person sees a product he likes on an ecommerce store. He clicks the ‘Add to Cart’ button under the product on that page, reviews his selections, and continues to checkout. That single click starts his journey from interest to conversion.

Driftcharge Tip

Make your add to cart button stand out and work seamlessly across devices. Clear labels and fast loading speeds can boost your add to cart rate, and ultimately, your revenue.

Ganesh Pawar

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Ganesh Pawar is the founder of Driftcharge, a subscription management app designed to help Shopify merchants streamline and scale their subscription businesses. With a deep focus on solving real-world pain points—like legacy account page support, flexible subscription options, and advanced analytics—Ganesh is passionate about building tools that drive growth and retention.