How to Add Product Recommendations to Your Shopify Checkout Page

Every product recommendation on your Shopify store happens before the buying decision — on the product page, in a pop-up, in the cart drawer. By the time a customer reaches checkout, the upselling is over. They see their cart, they pay, they leave.

That's a missed opportunity. The moment between "I want this" and "I'll pay for this" is when a customer is most committed. They've already decided to buy. Adding a relevant recommendation at this point isn't pushy — it's helpful. And it consistently lifts average order value by 10-30% when done right.

The problem is Shopify doesn't let you add product recommendations to the checkout page itself. Checkout is locked down. You can customize the checkout with Shopify Plus and checkout extensibility, but for most merchants, the checkout page is what it is.

The workaround: add recommendations before checkout, on a pre-checkout page that loads between your store and Shopify's checkout.

Why Pre-Checkout Recommendations Convert Better

Most product recommendation tools on Shopify show cross-sells on the product page or in the cart. Both have the same problem: the customer hasn't committed yet.

Product page recommendations compete with the main product. A customer is reading about your moisturizer. A sidebar shows a serum, a toner, and a cleanser. Instead of buying the moisturizer, they click the serum, read about that, get distracted, and leave. The recommendation became a distraction, not an add-on.

Cart drawer pop-ups feel like traps. "Wait — add this before you check out!" The customer was trying to check out. Now something is blocking them. Some customers add the upsell. Many close the pop-up and feel annoyed. A few abandon the cart entirely because the experience felt too aggressive.

Pre-checkout recommendations hit at the right moment. The customer clicked "Buy" or opened a checkout link. They've committed. A pre-checkout page shows them products related to what's already in their cart — things they'd probably want alongside their purchase. They add what they want, skip what they don't, and continue to checkout. No pop-ups, no interruptions, no competing with the product they already chose.

How It Works on Shopify

Checkout Links includes a pre-checkout page editor that loads before Shopify checkout. You build the page with blocks — headlines, product grids, text, callouts — and it shows to the customer after they click your checkout link but before they see the Shopify payment page.

One of those blocks is a Products block with three source modes: hand-picked products, collection-based products, and recommended products.

The recommended products mode uses Shopify's own recommendation engine. It looks at the first product in the customer's cart and pulls related products — items frequently bought together, items from similar categories, items that other customers browsed in the same session.

This matters because the recommendations are based on real shopping behavior across your store, not a static list you configured once and forgot about. When your catalog changes or shopping patterns shift, the recommendations update automatically.

Setting Up Recommended Products

Step 1: Create or Edit a Checkout Link

Open Checkout Links in your Shopify admin. Create a new link with at least one product, or open an existing link that you want to add recommendations to.

Step 2: Open the Pre-Checkout Page Editor

Click "Edit pre-checkout page" to open the block editor. If you already have a pre-checkout page with headlines or other content, you'll add to it. If not, you're starting with a blank page.

Step 3: Add a Products Block

Add a Products block from the block menu. In the source dropdown, select "Recommended." Three settings appear:

Recommendation intent. This controls how Shopify selects related products. "Related" pulls products similar to what's in the cart — same category, similar tags, frequently viewed together.

Max products. How many recommendations to show. Three to four is the sweet spot. More than six looks like a catalog page, not a recommendation. Less than two doesn't give enough options.

Optional discount. You can set a percentage discount that applies only to recommended products when added to the cart. "Add a serum to your order and save 15%" gives customers a reason to act. This discount only applies to items added from the recommendations block, not to the products already in the cart.

Step 4: Add Context Around It

A products grid by itself is just a grid. Add a text or callout block above it with copy that frames the recommendations.

Good examples:

• "Customers who bought this also loved..."
• "Complete the set — add to your order"
• "Frequently bought together"

Keep it short. One line is enough. The products sell themselves.

Step 5: Publish and Share

Save the pre-checkout page. When customers open your checkout link, they'll see the recommendations before reaching Shopify checkout. They can add products to their cart or skip straight to payment.

What Makes a Good Recommendation Setup

Match the Recommendation to the Product Type

If you sell skincare, recommend products from the same routine. Moisturizer buyer sees a serum. Cleanser buyer sees a toner. The recommendation should feel like advice, not advertising.

If you sell coffee, recommend complementary items — a buyer getting dark roast beans might want a pour-over filter or a sample of your new blend.

If you sell apparel, recommend items from the same collection or complementary pieces. Someone buying a dress might want the matching belt or earrings.

Set the Right Max Count

Three to four recommended products is ideal. At three, the customer sees their options at a glance. At four, there's enough variety without overwhelming.

If you sell high-ticket items (furniture, electronics), drop to two. The decision to add a $200 item is different from adding a $15 accessory.

Use the Discount Strategically

Don't default to discounting every recommendation. If the recommended product is a natural companion (a phone case with a phone), you don't need a discount — the customer already wants it.

Save the discount for products that need a nudge. A 10-15% discount works well for items the customer might not have considered: a new product launch, a product from a different category, a bundle add-on.

Don't Compete with the Main Purchase

The recommended products should complement what's in the cart, not replace it. If a customer is buying a $50 moisturizer and you recommend a $75 moisturizer from a different line, you're not cross-selling — you're creating buyer's remorse.

Recommendations should be lower-priced than the main product or roughly equal. The exception is bundles — if the customer is buying one item and you recommend a set of three at a slight discount per unit, the higher total makes sense.

Pre-Checkout Recommendations vs. Post-Purchase Upsells

Post-purchase upsells show after checkout — the customer has already paid, and you offer a one-click add-on to their order. They work, but they have limits.

Post-purchase requires checkout extensibility. On Shopify, post-purchase upsells use the checkout extensibility API. Some merchants don't have access, and the feature is being deprecated in favor of thank-you page extensions for newer builds.

Pre-checkout lets customers browse. A post-purchase upsell is a single yes-or-no offer. A pre-checkout page can show multiple products, let customers add several items, and adjust quantities. The customer has more control.

Pre-checkout works with every channel. Post-purchase upsells only show in the Shopify checkout flow. Pre-checkout pages work with any checkout link — email campaigns, SMS, QR codes, social media, ManyChat flows. Every channel that uses a checkout link gets the recommendations.

Both can coexist. Use pre-checkout for browse-and-add cross-sells. Use post-purchase for a single high-margin impulse add-on. They hit different moments and different customer mindsets.

Real-World Examples

A Skincare Brand

Main product: daily SPF moisturizer ($34). Pre-checkout page shows three recommended products — a vitamin C serum, a gentle cleanser, and a travel-size version of the moisturizer. Callout text: "Build your summer routine — save 10% when you add to your order." Customers who add one recommended product spend $52 on average instead of $34.

A Coffee Company

Main product: 12 oz bag of single-origin beans ($18). Pre-checkout page shows two recommended products — a sample pack of three blends and a ceramic pour-over dripper. No discount on the recommendations because they're complementary staples. Average order value goes from $18 to $29 for customers who see the page.

A Pet Supply Store

Main product: monthly grain-free dog food ($45). Pre-checkout page shows three recommendations — dental chews, a treat bag, and a grooming brush. "Add a treat for your pup" with a 15% discount on the dental chews. The pre-checkout page adds $12 average to each order.

Measuring What's Working

Track two numbers:

Add-to-cart rate from recommendations. What percentage of customers who see the pre-checkout page add a recommended product. If it's below 10%, your recommendations might not be relevant to what's in the cart, or you might be showing too many options.

AOV lift. Compare average order value for orders that went through a checkout link with recommendations versus orders that didn't. The difference is your recommendation revenue.

If the add-to-cart rate is high but AOV barely moves, you're recommending products that are too cheap. If AOV lifts significantly but the rate is low, your recommendations convert well — you just need more people seeing them (which means using checkout links in more channels).

Getting Started

The recommended products feature is available on all Checkout Links plans at $25/month. No code, no theme modifications, no additional apps.

Create a checkout link, add a product, open the pre-checkout editor, and drop in a Products block with the recommended source. You'll have smart cross-sells running before your next email campaign goes out.