How to add product recommendations to your online store
In the AlFinder dashboard, open Recommendations and click Add section. Choose the page (home page, product page or cart) and what the section shows (automatic, AI, or products you choose), then set its title and number of products and save. The section goes live right away, and you can switch it off at any time.
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- Recommendations
Why product recommendations matter
Most visitors see only a few pages before they decide. If the product they open is not quite right, or the cart holds a single item, there is nothing to keep them browsing. A recommendation section gives them the next step without having to search.
Each page gets its own sections. The dashboard shows them page by page, with live sections, sections that need attention, and sections you have turned off, so you always know what shoppers see.
The three kinds of sections
When you add a section, you choose what it shows from three groups. Not sure which one fits? The i on each card explains how it picks products and the pages it suits best.
- Automatic: picked from your store's sales and browsing data, with nothing to maintain. Best sellers, New arrivals, Trending, Recently purchased, Most viewed and Recently viewed.
- AI: Complementary products, items that go with the product being viewed or with what is in the cart, like a case for a phone or an incense burner for oud oil. Available on product pages and the cart.
- You choose the products: Related products, Fixed products and Related categories. Nothing shows to shoppers until you add your products or links.
Which section to put on which page
The home page is seen by every visitor, so it suits sections that show what your store is about: Best sellers, New arrivals, Trending and Most viewed. A fashion store that adds new pieces every week gets a lot from New arrivals here.
The product page sits under the product a shopper is viewing, so Complementary products and Recently viewed work well there. The cart is the last chance to add before checkout: small add-ons and complementary items, like batteries for an electronics order, fit naturally.
Good to know before you start
Some sections need data. Trending follows orders from the last 7 days, so a store with few weekly orders shows fewer products, and Recently viewed stays empty for a first-time visitor until they open a few products.
Some section types depend on your plan; the dashboard marks them as not in your plan. Settings on the Recommendations page apply to every section, for example whether out of stock products can show and the product card style.
How to set it up
- 1In the dashboard, open Recommendations and click Add section.
- 2Under "Where should it appear?", choose Home page, Product page or Cart.
- 3Under "What should it show?", choose a type from Automatic, AI or You choose the products, then click Create section.
- 4Under Basics, write the title in each language your store uses and set the number of products.
- 5Check the Preview on Desktop and Mobile, then click Save changes. Use Show to shoppers to switch the section on or off.
- 6To use the same section on another page, click Duplicate and choose the page.
Common questions
Do I have to place the section on my theme myself?
No. Placement is automatic by default and finds the right spot for your store's theme. A developer can attach a section to a specific element of the theme instead, from the section's Placement on the page settings.
Does the preview show my real products?
Yes. It uses your real products and your product card style, on desktop and mobile. The title and appearance follow your edits as you type, while the products follow your saved settings.
What does Duplicate copy?
All of the section's settings, including its own product list. Save first, because unsaved changes are not copied. If the section uses a custom placement, the copy uses automatic placement, since the custom spot belongs to the original page.
Can out of stock products appear in recommendations?
Only if you allow it. Open Settings on the Recommendations page and use Show out of stock products in recommendations. The choice applies to every section.
