"Added to cart" denotes an instance where a product has been included in the cart, indicating that a user has interacted with an "Add to Cart" button on your website.
On the other hand, "abandoned cart" refers to products that have been placed in the cart, and the user progressed to the checkout phase but did not finalize the transaction. An example scenario for an abandoned cart is when a user navigates to checkout, enters their information, encounters the shipping cost, and then pauses to consider their decision.
It's important to note that a cart is only considered "abandoned" when a user reaches the checkout stage but does not complete the process. Therefore, adding a product to the cart does not signify cart abandonment. The act of abandoning occurs when a user enters the checkout phase and decides not to proceed. This concept underlies the possibility of cart recovery, where you can attempt to reclaim abandoned carts by contacting users who entered their email during checkout.