remove_from_cart Event

The remove_from_cart event is used to track when a user removes a product from their shopping cart. Capturing this behavior helps you identify friction points, product disengagement, and inform remarketing strategies.

The remove_from_cart model

The event model defines all properties needed to describe a user action of removing a product from the cart. It includes user and session identifiers, product metadata, and optional hashed user data for privacy-safe matching.

Properties

Name
event
Type
string
Description
Must be set to remove_from_cart.
Name
user_id
Type
string
Description
Unique identifier for the user performing the action.
Name
session_id
Type
string
Description
Unique identifier for the user's current session.
Name
ecommerce.currency
Type
string
Description
Currency code (ISO 4217), e.g., USD.
Name
ecommerce.value
Type
float
Description
Value of the items being removed (after discount).
Name
ecommerce.tax
Type
float
Description
Tax associated with the removed items.
Name
ecommerce.items
Type
array
Description
Array of item objects that were removed from the cart.
Name
ecommerce.items[].item_id
Type
string
Description
SKU or product ID.
Name
ecommerce.items[].item_name
Type
string
Description
Product name.
Name
ecommerce.items[].item_brand
Type
string
Description
Brand or manufacturer name.
Name
ecommerce.items[].item_category
Type
string
Description
Main category the product belongs to.
Name
ecommerce.items[].item_variant
Type
string
Description
Specific variant info such as color, size, or edition.
Name
ecommerce.items[].price
Type
float
Description
Original item price.
Name
ecommerce.items[].discount
Type
float
Description
Discount applied to the item.
Name
ecommerce.items[].tax
Type
float
Description
Tax on this specific item.
Name
ecommerce.items[].quantity
Type
int
Description
Number of units removed.
Name
user_data.external_id
Type
string
Description
Optional external user identifier for cross-system mapping.
Name
user_data.email_hash
Type
string
Description
Hashed email (SHA-256, lowercase, trimmed).
Name
user_data.phone_hash
Type
string
Description
Hashed phone (SHA-256, lowercase, trimmed).

Push event to the dataLayer

Here is an example of how to structure and push the remove_from_cart event to the dataLayer:

dataLayer.push example

dataLayer.push({
  event: 'remove_from_cart',
  user_id: '12345678-abcd-1234-efgh-1234567890ab',
  session_id: 'abcd1234-efgh-5678-ijkl-0987654321zx',
  ecommerce: {
    currency: 'USD',
    value: 49.99,
    tax: 4.00,
    items: [
      {
        item_id: 'SKU-00123',
        item_name: 'GlowMaster Smart Lamp',
        item_brand: 'LumaTech',
        item_category: 'Home & Living',
        item_variant: 'Matte Black',
        price: 59.99,
        discount: 10.00,
        tax: 4.00,
        quantity: 1
      }
    ]
  },
  user_data: {
    external_id: '12345678-abcd-1234-efgh-1234567890ab',
    email_hash: 'abc123examplehashedemail0987',
    phone_hash: 'def456examplehashedphone6543'
  }
});

Best Practices

Fire this event immediately when the user removes the item.
Keep event structure consistent with your add_to_cart event for compatibility.
Include currency, value, and hashed identifiers for audience targeting and analytics.

Use Cases

This remove_from_cart implementation supports:

Cart abandonment analysis
Product friction detection
Retargeting users with specific product interest
Improving checkout UX and flow