Marketing Cloud collect.js - what counts as an abandoned cart?

Question

We are in the process of implementing collect.js via the Commerce Cloud to Marketing Cloud cartridge connector.

We have most of the events working (product views, page views, profiles, etc) and can see these logged in the Web & Mobile Analytics dashboard. However, Abandoned Cart seems to be sporadic. There are some that have been logged, but when I "try" to abandon a cart (add a product to cart, do a bit more browsing, leave the site/close the browser, and wait a few hours), it doesn't seem to log it.

I know that it is part of the PI layer in Marketing Cloud, but I can't find the logic of how it is triggered. Is there some documentation that explains how does this works? Or is it custom based on how it is coded within the connector cartridge?

Thanks

Answer 1

This might be "too little, too late", but this can now be done within the SFMC platform, with a new released (July 2020 Release) feature, called Behavior Triggers. In those, you can configure the session timeout that "should" determine the site's ability to identify the cart as abandoned.

Behavior Triggers

Set Behavioral Trigger Session Timeout Limit

In doing so, you'll be able to toggle the amount of time for a session timeout. Currently, this can be set in 15 minute increments, from 15 min through 3 hours. The session timeout configuration applies to all triggers that are created, which currently three (AB Cart, AB Browse, and AB Wishlist).