Cart upsells recommend extra products inside the cart drawer, at the moment shoppers are already committed to buying. Shoppers add them in one click without leaving the cart, which makes cart upsells one of the simplest ways to increase average order value on Shopify.
Three ways to choose the products
| Type | How products are chosen | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic | Shopify's own recommendations for the products in the cart: similar products (related) or recommended products (complementary). | Large catalogs and a quick start. |
| Manual (rule-based) | You decide: when the cart contains certain products, collections or tagged products, show the products or collections you pick. Rules can also check the customer, the cart, the shopper's country, inventory or dates. | Accessories, refills and targeted offers. |
| Static | The same products or collections in every cart. | Best sellers, low-priced add-ons and seasonal promotions. |
How to choose
- Start with automatic if you want results without building rules.
- Use manual rules when you know which products belong together.
- Use static for a short, curated list you want everyone to see.
- Combine them: put specific rules first and a catch-all rule last, so the cart always has something relevant to show.
Frequently bought together in the cart
To recreate "frequently bought together" offers, create manual rules that pair products: for example, when a camera is in the cart, show its memory card and case. Complementary recommendations are another option, but Shopify only returns complementary products you have defined for a product (for example, with Shopify's Search & Discovery app).
Display options
- Show upsells as a carousel, a list or a grid, or in a sidebar next to the cart.
- Let shoppers add directly from the card or choose options in a popup, with an optional quantity selector.
- Show compare-at prices and, for subscription products, subscription options.
- Limit how many products appear and choose how they're sorted.
You can also leave out products that are already in the cart, filter out sold-out products and exclude specific products or product tags.
Best practices
- Recommend items that complement the cart and cost less than the main product.
- Keep the list short and use a clear heading such as "You may also like".
- Review results on mobile, where space is limited.
- Update static lists when your best sellers or seasons change.
Troubleshooting
- No upsells appear: every candidate may already be in the cart, be sold out or be excluded by a filter, or no rule may match the current cart. Add a catch-all rule as a fallback.
- Automatic recommendations are empty: Shopify may return few or no recommendations for some products. Add manual or static products as a backup.
- A product can't be added: check that it's active, available on your online store and in stock.
Want help planning your cart upsell strategy? Contact us at [email protected].