Shopify related products
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Each one fills in a sample page and catalogue. Change them in step 2 and the plan updates as you go.
Pick one of the three stores above. Which products to show, the layout, how many, the name above the row and a live preview of the app’s row appear here.
The parts of a related products row
A related products row on Shopify is a strip of other products shown with the one a shopper is viewing, such as a toner and a cream under a cleanser, named for the reason they are there, and this tool picks which products to show, the layout, how many and the name above the row from your catalogue and pages before you publish the Product row widget in the Nudgesmart app.
The sources, layouts and limits are the ones the Product row widget uses in the Nudgesmart app, and Goes well with and similar products are Shopify’s own product recommendations. Every widget layout the app offers is on the store widgets page, and the steps to add the row to your store are in the product row help article.
A row earns the click when shoppers can tell why each product is there. These are the choices the tool weighs, in the words the app and Shopify use for them.
- Goes well with
- Products you set as complementary to a product in Shopify’s free Search and Discovery app, such as a case for a phone. The row shows them under the product you set them on, and stays hidden on products with none set.
- Similar products
- Products Shopify finds similar to the one on the page, worked out on its own from your products and your sales. Good for another option if this one is not right. New stores and new products often have none yet.
- Automatic
- The app default. It shows Goes well with products when the product has them, and similar products when it does not.
- Products I pick
- Up to 12 products you choose, shown in the order you pick them. It works on any page and from day one.
- Recently viewed
- The products this shopper opened, newest first. It needs the Nudgesmart site widgets app embed and records only after a shopper allows cookies.
- Bundle — add together
- A layout with a tick box on each product, a running total and one Add all button that adds the ticked products at their normal prices. It gives no discount.
- Most products to show
- The most the row will show, from 1 to 12, 8 if you leave it empty. The slider shows up to 8, the cart page up to 4, and Shopify’s suggestions up to 10.
Nudgesmart adds widgets like this one to your store from the theme editor, in your theme’s fonts and colours by default, and is available on the Shopify App Store. See every widget layout or see what it costs.
Seven stores and the row each one needs
Invented stores with typical setups. Every source, layout, count and flag comes from the same plan the tool above builds.
| Scenario | Typed | Products to show | Layout and count | What the tool says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skincare brand, cleanser with a toner and cream | product pages, a set, 40 products | Goes well with | Bundle — add together, up to 3 | Nothing to flag |
| Clothing store, another style on each product | product pages, another option, 300 products | Similar products | Slider, up to 8 | Nothing to flag |
| New store, best sellers on the home page | home page, my picks, 12 products, 4 picked | Products I pick | Grid, up to 4 | Nothing to flag |
| Coffee roaster, add-ons on the cart page | cart page, add-ons, 80 products | Goes well with | Grid, up to 4 | On products with no Goes well with products set, this row stays hidden, which is better than loose matches under a Goes well with heading. Add them for your best sellers first. The cart page shows 4 at most. Keep it light there; shoppers are checking what they already chose. |
| Bookshop, recently viewed on the home page | home page, viewed before, 2000 products | Recently viewed | Slider, up to 8 | Nothing to flag |
| Gift shop with a borrowed heading | product pages, add-ons, 150 products, named Frequently bought together | Automatic (recommended) | Slider, up to 8 | Until you set Goes well with products for a product, Automatic shows similar ones instead, which are alternatives rather than add-ons. Set them up for your best sellers in the Search and Discovery app. Frequently bought together is either vague or says other shoppers bought these together, which this row cannot back: it shows Shopify’s suggestions, your picks or this shopper’s browsing, never buying data. Name the reason instead, such as Goes well with. |
| Jewellery store, ten picks in a slider | collection pages, my picks, 60 products, 10 picked | Products I pick | Slider, up to 8 | You would pick 10, but the slider shows 8 at most. Use the grid, or keep your best 8. |
What the plan cannot see
It cannot see Shopify’s suggestions for your products
Which products Shopify suggests depends on your catalogue and your sales, and they change as you sell. Open the row on a few real products after you publish, and switch to products you pick where the suggestions miss.
It cannot see your theme’s own related products section
Many themes already show a row of recommended products on the product page. Two rows with the same reason read as clutter, so keep one, or give each a different job, such as Goes well with and Recently viewed.
Cookie choices decide what Recently viewed can show
Recently viewed records only after a shopper allows it, so shoppers who decline, and anyone on their first visit, see no row. Plan for the row to be missing for some visitors.
Fewer products may show than you set
Sold-out and unavailable products, duplicates and the product being viewed are always left out, so a row of eight can show five. The row never fills itself up with anything else.
Related products questions
How do I add related products to Shopify without code?
In the Nudgesmart app, create a Product row widget, choose which products to show and a layout, then publish it. Add to store then opens the Shopify theme editor on your product page or cart page with the block already added, ready to save.
Why is my related products row empty?
Usually because the row has nothing true to show. Shopify may have no suggestions yet for a new product, Goes well with stays hidden until you set complementary products, and suggestions need a product, so they never show on the home page. Pick products yourself, or use Recently viewed there.
What is the difference between Goes well with and Similar products?
Goes well with shows add-ons you choose for each product, such as a lens cloth for glasses. Similar products shows alternatives Shopify finds on its own, such as another style of the same shirt. One adds to the order; the other replaces the choice.
Is the bundle a frequently bought together widget?
No. It shows products you set or picked, not what other shoppers bought, and it gives no discount. It lets a shopper tick the products they want and add them all at their normal prices in one tap.
Can I show related products on the home page?
Yes, with Products I pick or Recently viewed. Shopify’s suggestions need a product to suggest from, so on the home page they would leave the row empty.
Does Recently viewed store shopper data?
Only the products a shopper opened, in their own browser, and only after they allow cookies. It keeps the last 12 and sends nothing to Nudgesmart.
One loose suggestion makes shoppers ignore the whole row.
Nudgesmart’s product row shows Shopify’s suggestions, your picks or what a shopper viewed, as a slider, a grid or a bundle that adds the ticked products in one tap.
