By the Dropship Stair team. Last reviewed: November 2026.
Key takeaways
- A wishlist saves products a shopper wants to buy later. How to add a wishlist to Shopify starts with one fact: Shopify has no built-in wishlist.
- Most shoppers are not ready to buy on the first visit, so a wishlist gives them a reason to come back.
- Swym Wishlist Plus is the best-known option, rated 4.7 with about 1,479 reviews, with multiple lists, sharing, and price-drop and back-in-stock alerts.
- A wishlist only pays off if you follow up, so plan reminder emails before you install anything, and test the flow on a phone.
How to add a wishlist to Shopify: install a wishlist app from the Shopify App Store, add the heart button to product pages, create a wishlist page, style it to match your theme, then send price-drop and back-in-stock reminders to bring shoppers back.
What is a Shopify wishlist and why does it matter?
A wishlist is a list of products a shopper saves for later. The shopper taps a heart icon on a product page, the item lands on their own list, and they can open that list days later and buy. It suits shoppers who like a product but are not ready to pay yet.
That waiting period is where stores lose sales. A shopper finds a jacket they like, gets pulled away, and never finds it again. A wishlist fixes that, because the product stays saved on your store. It also shows what visitors want: when ten shoppers save the same product and none buy it, price, photos, or shipping may be holding them back. That shortlist is what follow-up emails are for, and it is the first reason to learn how to add a wishlist to Shopify.
How to add a wishlist to Shopify
Shopify has no wishlist feature, so here is how to add a wishlist to Shopify in seven steps: pick an app, install it, place the button, build the page, style it, set up emails, and test on mobile.
Step 1: Pick a wishlist app that fits your store
The first move in how to add a wishlist to Shopify is comparing apps on the Shopify App Store. Look for a clear save button, multiple lists, sharing, and price-drop and back-in-stock alerts. Read recent reviews, and check how the app handles guests, since many visitors save items before creating an account.
The best-known option is Swym Wishlist Plus, rated 4.7 with about 1,479 reviews. It covers saving, multiple lists, sharing, price-drop and back-in-stock alerts, plus Klaviyo. Check current plan prices on the listing page before you commit.
Step 2: Install the app and connect it to your theme
Installing the app is the easy part of how to add a wishlist to Shopify. Install it from the Shopify App Store and follow its setup guide in your admin. Most apps add the button to Online Store 2.0 themes on their own, so no theme code is needed. Older themes may need a small code snippet, and support can walk you through it.
During setup, decide two things. First, should guests save items without an account? Letting guests save brings in more activity. Second, add the wishlist page to your header or footer menu.
Step 3: Place the wishlist button where shoppers will see it
Good placement is half of how to add a wishlist to Shopify well. The button belongs on every product page, close to the buy button, where the decision happens. A small heart icon with the word Save or Wishlist next to it works well, because shoppers already know what a heart means. Keep it visible on mobile, and check that it does not cover the price or the add to cart button.
Collection pages can carry the button too, if your catalog is large. Skip the cart and checkout pages, since those shoppers are already buying.
Step 4: Build a wishlist page shoppers can actually use
Next, create the page where saved items live. Most apps generate this page for you. Check three things: it shows the photo, name, and price for each saved item; it moves an item to the cart in one tap; and it lets the shopper remove items they no longer want.
Add a share button so a shopper can send their list to a friend, which turns one saved list into a gift guide. Treat the page like a product page, not an afterthought.
Step 5: Style the button and page to match your theme
Styling is a small but visible part of how to add a wishlist to Shopify. A wishlist that looks pasted on will get ignored, so style it to match your store. Use your theme colors for the heart icon and buttons, and keep the font and spacing in line with your product pages. Most apps offer color, size, and position settings in the app dashboard, so no code is needed.
Check the result on your real theme before you move on. Save an item on your phone and on a desktop, and check the filled heart against the empty heart. If the icon is too small or blends into the background, shoppers will not notice it.
Step 6: Set up wishlist reminder emails
This step turns a wishlist into sales, and most stores skip it. A saved item is a warm lead, and a short email can bring that shopper back. Set up price-drop alerts for saved items that get cheaper, and back-in-stock alerts for sold-out favorites that return. Both go out only to shoppers who asked for them.
Add one gentle nudge email, sent a few days after a shopper saves an item without buying. Keep it short: show the saved product and link straight to the wishlist page. Our guide to email marketing for Shopify stores shows how to build these flows. Send the nudge once, and stop it the moment the shopper buys.
Step 7: Test the whole flow on mobile, then promote it
Before you tell anyone about the wishlist, test it the way a shopper would. On your phone, save three products, open the wishlist page, move one item to the cart, and check out. Then do the same on a desktop. Watch for slow loading, overlapping buttons, or saved items that vanish when you close the browser.
Once the flow works, tell shoppers it exists with a short note on your homepage or in your welcome email. A small Save this for later next to the heart icon is enough. Shoppers cannot use a feature they do not know about, so this last part of how to add a wishlist to Shopify matters as much as the setup.
Wishlist app vs custom code vs built-in theme feature: which route fits your store?
An app is the usual choice for how to add a wishlist to Shopify, but some themes include a wishlist already, and a developer can build one from scratch. The right route depends on budget, theme, and follow-up plans.
| Method | Cost | Skill needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wishlist app | Monthly app fee | None, setup takes minutes | Most stores, since it adds alerts and follow-up |
| Custom code | Developer time, then upkeep | Developer | Stores with needs an app cannot meet |
| Theme with built-in wishlist | Included in the theme price | None, turn it on in theme settings | Stores whose theme already has it |
For most stores, an app wins because the follow-up is the point. A built-in theme feature rarely sends price-drop or back-in-stock alerts, and custom code costs more than the problem is worth.
How do you get shoppers to actually use the wishlist?
A wishlist button is a start, not a finish. Once you know how to add a wishlist to Shopify, give shoppers a reason to save something. A short line near the button, such as Save it for later, tells a first-time visitor what the heart does. A note in your welcome email can do the same for new subscribers.
Gift-giving seasons are the best time to push the feature, since gift-list shoppers save more items, and a shared list turns one visitor into two. Reviews help too, and our guide on how to get customer reviews on Shopify shows how to collect them.
What does a wishlist cost and what should you watch out for?
Every wishlist app charges a monthly fee, so check the listing for current figures and start on the lowest plan that covers your catalog. An app also adds scripts to your pages, which can slow them slightly, so check page speed before and after install.
The other honest warning is about the data. A wishlist hands you a list of products shoppers want, but that list is useless if nobody follows up. Set up the reminder emails in step 6 before you judge the app, and give it a month of real traffic. Pair it with a solid abandoned cart recovery setup, since both chase shoppers who liked a product and left without buying.
How do you measure whether the wishlist is working?
Watch three numbers. First, how many shoppers save at least one item, which tells you whether the button is visible and understood. Second, how many saved items turn into orders, which tells you whether the follow-up emails do their job. Third, which products get saved most, which tells you what your visitors want even when they do not buy right away. Together, these three numbers show whether your work on how to add a wishlist to Shopify is paying off.
Most apps show these numbers in their dashboard, so check them weekly for the first month. If saves are low, the button may be too small or too far from the buy button. If saves are high but orders are low, the reminder emails need work. A wishlist that lifts your average order value is doing its job.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify have a built-in wishlist?
No, Shopify has no built-in wishlist feature, so you need an app from the Shopify App Store. The app adds a save button to product pages and creates a wishlist page with alerts. Some themes include a basic wishlist, so check your theme settings first.
How much does it cost to add a wishlist to Shopify?
It costs whatever your chosen app charges each month, since Shopify has no built-in wishlist and no extra platform fee. Prices vary by app and plan, so check the current price on the App Store listing. Start on the lowest plan that covers your catalog.
What is the best wishlist app for Shopify?
Swym Wishlist Plus is the best-known option, rated 4.7 with about 1,479 reviews on the Shopify App Store. It supports multiple lists, sharing, price-drop and back-in-stock alerts, and Klaviyo integration. Compare a few apps on features and price before you pick one.
Do shoppers need an account to use a wishlist?
It depends on the app setup, since most wishlist apps let guests save items without an account. Guest wishlists are usually saved in the browser, so they can be lost if the shopper clears cookies or switches devices. Signed-in wishlists stay saved across devices.
Can a wishlist help a small Shopify store?
Yes, a wishlist can help a small store, since it keeps shoppers connected to products they like but are not ready to buy. Saved items give you warm leads for reminder emails and show which products attract interest. The value depends on follow-up, so set up alerts first.
Learning how to add a wishlist to Shopify takes an afternoon, and the follow-up is what makes it pay. Pick an app, place the button where shoppers can see it, style it to match your store, and set up reminder emails first. Then watch which products get saved.
Sources: Swym Wishlist Plus listing on the Shopify App Store, checked November 2026; the Dropship Stair guides linked in this article.