How to Set Up Shopify Frequently Bought Together Recommendations?

Frequently bought together is one of the most effective ways to recommend products in eCommerce. It’s a simple yet powerful strategy to showcase complementary items that your customers are likely to need alongside what they’re already shopping for.

In this blog post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about frequently bought together recommendations in Shopify—what they are, why they matter, and how to set them up easily using the StoreFrog Product Recommendations app.

Let’s get started.

Frequently Bought Together (FBT) recommendations are cross-selling product recommendations created by eCommerce store owners to their customers. It suggests products that are often purchased together by other customers. These recommendations help customers easily discover complementary products that offer additional value to the ones they are interested in.

For example, if a customer is looking for a smartphone, the frequently bought together recommendations will include items like wall adapters, earphones, mobile case covers, etc. When purchased together, these products offer additional value to the customer.

Frequently bought together recommendations are popular across different eCommerce stores. It is found to be beneficial for both customers and the store owners. Now, let’s explore further the benefits of frequently bought together recommendations.

1. Improve product visibility: Frequently bought together recommendations allow you to improve the visibility of your store’s products. By suggesting less popular products with products with high demand, you can improve the visibility of the less popular products in your store.
2. Improve average order value: By suggesting complementary products to your customers, you can potentially increase the average order value on your store site. You can motivate your customers to spend more to get complementary products that will offer additional value to their purchase.
3. Create personalized recommendations: FBT recommendations give you the opportunity to show personalized product recommendations to your customers. You can create custom Shopify recommendations to create a personalized shopping experience for your customers.
4. Improve customer experience: Frequently Bought Together recommendations help customers easily discover complementary products to those they are interested in. For example, if someone is searching for a camera, they can easily find memory cards, camera bags, and additional lenses through FBT suggestions.
5. Create better product bundles: Frequently bought together recommendations enable store owners to create better product bundles, which can attract customers with added value and convenience while driving more sales.

Apart from these, many eCommerce stores now have frequently bought together recommendations, so customers are also expecting to browse through these widgets. If your store is missing out on this popular recommendation strategy, then you might fall behind in the competitive eCommerce market.

Now that we have discussed the major benefits of the frequently bought-together recommendations in eCommerce, let’s see how to create them on your Shopify store.

To create frequently bought together recommendations in Shopify, we will be using the StoreFrog product recommendations app.

Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Install and Activate StoreFrog App in Shopify

Firstly, you need to install and activate the StoreFrog Product Recommendations app on your Shopify store. The app is available in free and paid plans. Choose a pricing plan as per your needs. Then, install and activate the app on your Shopify store.

Step 2: Create a Recommendation Widget

After installing the app, go to Apps > SF Product Recommendations from your Shopify admin account.

Click on the Create widget button to create a new recommendation widget.

Step 3: Choose Frequently Bought Together Widget

In this step, Choose the Product page to display the recommendation widget.

Then, choose the recommendation type as Frequently bought together.

Step 4: Choose Automatic Recommendations for FBT

Now, you have different methods for showing the frequently bought together recommendations. Let’s choose the Automatic recommendations so the app will automatically identify the recommendations based on the purchase history.

Step 5: Configure the Frequently Bought Together Widget

In this step, you can configure the recommendation widget.

• Change the widget title as per your requirements.
• Then, you can add various display rules to show the Frequently bought products widget. You can filter recommendations based on category, products, price, collection, user role, product tag, and viewing date.

We’ll choose to show the FBT widget only for products with price greater than £10.

Step 6: Customize FBT Recommendation Widget for Shopify

Click on the Customize button corresponding to the Visual Preferences option to customize the appearance of the FBT widget.

From here, you can choose the number of products to be displayed in the widget, choose different layouts for the widget, change the font alignment, color, etc.

After choosing the customization options, go back to the previous page.

Step 7: Add Discounts to Bundle

Now, you can add discounts to the product bundle. Adding discounts can entice your customers to spend more and get the FBT bundle.

Choose a discount type, then add the discount value.

Now click on the Create new recommendation button to create the widget.

The widget will be live on your Shopify website.

Here is a preview of the frequently bought together recommendation widget. That’s how you can add FBT product recommendations in Shopify.

There are several effective ways to showcase frequently bought together recommendations in your Shopify store.

1. Automatic Recommendations Based on Purchase History

One of the most efficient ways to display frequently bought together products is by using automatic recommendations. This method analyzes your store’s purchase history and automatically suggests products that are commonly bought together. It’s a hands-free strategy that delivers highly relevant suggestions without manual effort.

2. Pairing Bestsellers With Accessories

Another effective approach is to pair your high-performing products with essential accessories. For example, if a customer is looking at a smartphone, you can recommend a charger, phone case, or screen protector. These suggestions help customers complete their purchase with all the necessary add-ons while also increasing the average order value.

3. Manual Product Bundles for Full Control

If you want more control over your recommendations, consider manually creating product bundles. This is particularly useful when launching new products or running seasonal promotions. Since there may not be enough data for automatic suggestions, manual curation allows you to recommend specific combinations that align with your marketing goals.

4. Offering Discounts on Bundles

Adding discounts to your frequently bought together bundles is a great way to incentivize customers to buy more. A small discount, such as 10% off when all suggested products are purchased together, can create a stronger sense of value and encourage customers to complete the bundle.

5. Segmenting Recommendations by Customer Behavior

You can personalize the frequently bought together experience further by segmenting your recommendations based on customer behavior. For instance, new customers could be shown beginner-friendly bundles, while returning shoppers might see upgrade suggestions or complementary products they haven’t tried yet. VIP customers can even be shown exclusive bundle deals.

6. Strategic Widget Placement on Product Pages

To get the most out of your recommendations, it’s best to place the FBT widget directly on the product page—ideally right below the “Add to Cart” button. This ensures it catches the customer’s attention at the right time, making it more likely they’ll consider adding more items to their cart.

7. Filtering Recommendations Using Tags and Collections

You can also use product tags, categories, or collections to control which items appear together in your FBT widgets. This helps ensure that the recommendations are logical and relevant, offering a smooth shopping experience for your customers.

8. Test and Optimize Regularly

Finally, it’s important to monitor the performance of your FBT widgets and optimize them over time. Test different product combinations, widget layouts, and discount values to see what works best. Regular optimization can lead to higher engagement and more conversions in the long run.

The Frequently Bought Together recommendations can be a win-win strategy for both shoppers and store owners. For store owners, bundling products can boost sales and the average order value. Customers find it convenient to discover complementary items, and with discounts on bundles, they get extra value.

We hope this article has helped you understand how to create frequently bought together product bundles in Shopify. If you have any queries, please feel free to ask them in the comments.

If you would like to explore further about the StoreFrog app, please visit the product page: StoreFrog Product Recommendations for Shopify.