How to Add WooCommerce Recommendation Engine (3 Easy Steps)

Your WooCommerce store gets traffic, but visitors leave without buying. Product recommendations can change that by showing customers exactly what they want to see.

A product recommendation engine analyzes shopping behavior and suggests relevant products at the right moment.

This blog shows you exactly how to add and configure a recommendation engine using UpsellWP. You’ll learn step by step setup, proven strategies that work, and how to measure real results.

What Is a WooCommerce Recommendation Engine?

A WooCommerce recommendation engine is a software that shows personalized product suggestions to your customers automatically.

The engine watches what products people view, add to cart, and purchase. It then displays similar items or complementary products to other shoppers. This increases the chances they’ll buy more from your store.

Why Your WooCommerce Store Needs Product Recommendations

Most WooCommerce stores lose sales opportunities every single day. Customers browse one product and leave without exploring other items you sell.

Product recommendations solve this problem by guiding customers to additional purchases. The system works automatically while you focus on running your business.

Here’s what happens when you add recommendations to your store:

• Increased average order value – Customers buy multiple items instead of just one. You make more money from each transaction without spending extra on advertising.
• Reduced cart abandonment rates – Shoppers stay engaged longer when they see relevant suggestions. They’re less likely to leave your store before completing checkout.
• Cross sell opportunities you’re currently missing – Someone buying a camera never sees your memory cards without recommendations. You lose $20 to $50 in accessory sales per order because products stay hidden.
• Recovery from out of stock situations – When your bestseller runs out, customers leave your store entirely. Recommendations show similar alternatives immediately, capturing sales you’d otherwise lose to competitors.
• Faster path to purchase decisions – Customers spend 10 to 15 minutes comparing products manually across your store. Recommending related products show the exact comparisons they need in 30 seconds, shortening the buying cycle.
• Data driven upselling and cross-selling without guesswork – You stop guessing which products pair well together. The engine uses actual purchase patterns from your orders to suggest bundles that customers already buy together.
• Automated seasonal product promotion – Holiday items, summer gear, and seasonal products get shown to the right customers at the right time. You don’t manually update featured products every season.

Amazon reports that 35% of their total revenue comes directly from product recommendations. Your store can capture similar results with proper setup.

Also read: Best WooCommerce Upsell plugins

How to Add WooCommerce Product Recommendation Engine?

You can add WooCommerce product recommendation engine by using UpsellWP easily.

Step 1: Install and Activate UpsellWP

To install the UpsellWP plugin:

• Access your WordPress dashboard
• Navigate to “Plugin” → “Add New Plugin”
• Search for “UpsellWP” in the search bar
• Click “Install” to install and activate the plugin on your site

More info: Here is a detailed installation documentation of UpsellWP plugin

Step 2: Create an Engine

• Go to WordPress dashboard -> UpsellWP -> Engines
• Click on the button “Create New Engine”

• You’ll see four engine types,
  • Generic – Choose this type to generate a list of products based on categories, tags and more. You can create this engine type for the campaigns like frequently bought together, product add-ons, cart add-ons, upsell popups, thankyou upsell.
    
  • Product – Choose this type to generate a list of products based on the current product and more. You can create this engine type for the campaigns like frequently bought together, product add-ons, cart add-ons.
    
  • Cart – Choose this type to generate a list of products based on the products in the cart and more. You can create this engine type for the Upsell popup campaign.
    
  • Order – Choose this type to generate a list of products based on the products in an order and more. You can create this engine type for the Thank you upsell campaign.
    
• Choose engine types based on your requirements.

Now let us see an example to display best-selling products in the Upsell Popup with the help of the Generic Recommendation Engine type.

• Choose “Generic” recommendation engine type.
• Enter the engine name
• Select the “Best selling products” filter on the engine page

• Choose the Sorting options based on your needs.
• Click save and close

Now that we have created the recommendation engine, let us implement it in the upsell popup campaign according to our example.

You can connect it to the respective Upsell Popup campaign by selecting “Link campaign.”

Step 3: Link Recommendation Engine in the Respective Campaign

To select the created engine on the Upsell Popup campaign page:

• Navigate to “Choose product suggestion method for the campaign”
• Select “Use Recommendation Engine”
• Choose your previously created engine from the options
• Save and close

Now that we’ve successfully created an engine and configured it in the product suggestion method, let’s check how it functions on the product page.

You can now view the best-selling products displayed in the Upsell Popup, which were configured through the Recommendation Engine.

Advanced Product Recommendation Strategies You Should Try

Basic recommendations work well but advanced strategies multiply your results. These tactics come from analyzing recommendation data across dozens of stores.

Using Dynamic Product Exclusions

Dynamic exclusions prevent recommending products customers already own. This creates a better experience and shows you pay attention.

• Enable Purchase History Exclusions to filter out previously bought items. Customers won’t see repeated suggestions for things they already have.
• Set up Category Level Exclusions to hide entire product types after purchase. Someone who bought a mattress doesn’t need mattress recommendations for months.
• Configure Time Based Re inclusion to show products again after appropriate intervals. Consumables can reappear after 30 or 60 days.

Implementing Cart Value Triggered Recommendations

Show different recommendations based on current cart value. This matches suggestions to customer spending levels and purchase intent.

• Create separate campaigns triggered by cart total thresholds. Display premium accessories only when the cart exceeds $100.
• Set low value cart triggers to suggest inexpensive add ons. These quick wins increase order value without much resistance.
• Configure high value triggers for luxury complementary items. Customers spending $500 already are more receptive to $50 additions.

Testing Recommendation Widget Positions

Widget placement dramatically impacts click through and conversion rates. Small position changes produce surprisingly large results.

• Test above the fold versus below product descriptions on product pages. Some stores see 40% higher engagement with above the fold placement.
• Try sidebar placement versus inline content placement for recently viewed items. Sidebar works better for long browsing sessions.
• Experiment with sticky recommendation bars that follow scroll. These maintain visibility but can annoy mobile users if poorly implemented.

Getting Started with Your Recommendation Engine Today

You have complete instructions to implement recommendations on your store now. Every day without recommendations costs you sales.

Install UpsellWP from the WordPress plugin directory. The free version gives you enough features to see significant results.

Let the engine run for 7 days before making major changes. Initial data collection needs time for accurate pattern recognition.

Monitor your analytics daily during the first week. Watch for immediate improvements in average order value and items per order.

Scale up to additional recommendation types after confirming initial success. Add similar products, recently viewed, and checkout upsells gradually over the next 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions