WooCommerce related products: Complete guide for beginners

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You might think that setting up related products in WooCommerce is complex or only worth doing if you have technical know-how, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

The reality? WooCommerce makes it surprisingly simple to display related products, upsells, and cross-sells. This means that with just a few steps, you can improve your sales across the board. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about configuring WooCommerce related products. We’ll also show you how tools like Omnisend can improve your marketing efforts by automating personalized product recommendations. Let’s dive right in!

What are WooCommerce related products?

WooCommerce related products are additional items displayed on your product pages. The aim is to encourage customers to explore similar products and add them to their carts. 

These items are typically selected based on categories or tags shared with the current product. 

Let’s say you’re looking at a cookbook with Korean recipes, as shown in the product on the Barnes & Noble website:

If you scroll down the product page, you’ll find a section that recommends more books on Asian cuisine:

As you can see in the image above, the related products section uses the heading “You May Also Like.” 

If you’re shopping for clothes, furniture, or home decor, you’ll probably see recommended items in the same designer collection or range, as shown in the image below from Furn.com:

A related products section is a fantastic way to keep customers engaged, prompt them to explore more items in your store, and increase your average order value.

Related products are typically selected based on shared tags or categories with the item that the customer is viewing. For instance, if you sell waterproof hiking boots and they’re categorized under “waterproof” or “waterproof shoes,” then customers will see more items in that category on the product page. 

That doesn’t always have to be the case, though. You can also use the related products section for upsells and cross-sells.

What are upsells and cross-sells?

An upsell is when you encourage a customer to purchase a higher-end version of the product they’re interested in. The idea is to offer a more premium and expensive option that provides greater value and customer satisfaction.

Let’s say a shopper is looking at a basic laptop on your ecommerce store. In the related products section, you can intentionally display more powerful laptops by the same brand. These may offer added features like more storage capacity, better display quality, and a faster processor. 

A cross-sell is when you suggest complementary products to the item the customer is about to buy. These are items that pair well with their current selection but aren’t necessarily more expensive. 

For example, if the customer is looking at a laptop, the related products section might include a laptop case, a wireless mouse, and Bluetooth speakers. 

These cross-sells are designed to add value to the purchase by encouraging the customer to buy additional related items.

How to set up related products in WooCommerce

By default, WooCommerce automatically displays related products on a product page based on shared categories and tags. 

For instance, if a customer is viewing a pair of shoes, WooCommerce will look for other items in the same “shoes” category and display them as related products.

WooCommerce also looks at product tags. If multiple items share similar tags (e.g., “leather” or “handmade”), WooCommerce may display them as related products. 

By default, related products appear below the main product description on the product page. WooCommerce typically shows a grid of items in a section labeled “Related Products” (this label can vary depending on your theme).

Here’s an image that shows you what this might look like:

The built-in related products feature doesn’t give you direct control over which similar products are shown. To do this, you’ll need to use an extension (more on this later).

You can, however, select upsells or cross-sells. To get started, navigate to Products > All Products. Locate the item for which you want to configure up-sells or cross-sells, and click on the Edit button as shown in the image below:

This will open the product page. Scroll down to the Product Data section. Under the Linked Products tab, you’ll see a field for upsells and another one for cross-sells.

Here’s a screenshot that shows these options:

If you want to add cross-sells, start typing in the name of the product in the field provided. WooCommerce will show relevant items — just select the ones you want to display.

Here’s an example of cross-sells you might add to a t-shirt:

Likewise, if you want to add upsells, just type in the products in the relevant field. You can also look for items by the product ID. 

When you’re ready, click on Update to save the changes to your product. Now, the items that were previously displayed in the related products section will be replaced by the ones you’ve specified in the cross-sells or upsells field. 

There’s no limit to the number of upsells or cross-sells you can add in WooCommerce. But the actual number of products that are displayed to your customers will depend on the theme you’re using. 

Most themes will display three or four items in a grid or slider format, but some WooCommerce extensions give you more control over how products are displayed.

Customizing your WooCommerce related products

While WooCommerce uses categories and tags to determine related products, it selects which products to display randomly from the pool of eligible items. You don’t get to choose which related products appear unless you use a custom code or a plugin. 

This can sometimes lead to less relevant suggestions. Plus, you might want to get more eyes on a particular item by promoting it in the relevant products section. 

Let’s look at two popular WooCommerce extensions that you can use to customize your product page with specific recommendations:

YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together

With this extension, you can create a custom section on the product page where you display upsells or related items. 

Whether you opt for the free or premium version, you’ll be able to select specific products to suggest. The extension automatically creates a “Frequently Bought Together” section, but you have the option to change the title. You can even customize the text and colors of the add-to-cart buttons in this section. 

With the premium version, you’ll also be able to do the following:

• Show all related products or only a specific number
• Suggest items from specific tags or categories
• Offer a discount to customers who purchase suggested products
• Suggest cross-sell items based on the entire cart content (rather than individual products)

Earlier, we mentioned that, by default, WooCommerce displays the related products section below the product description. With this extension, you’ll be able to change the location of the box on the product page. 

For instance, you might choose to display it below the add to cart button for more visibility, as shown in the image below:

You’ll also be able to set the size of the suggested product images and customize any other elements in the section, including the background colors.

Product Recommendations for WooCommerce

Product Recommendations for WooCommerce is an extension developed by the Woo team. It enables you to create more precise upsells, cross-sells, and similar items. 

This extension uses human intelligence and machine learning to automatically generate accurate product recommendations. Its search algorithm analyzes orders made in your store to see what items customers typically purchase together.

As shown earlier, WooCommerce lets you create upsells or cross-sells for each individual item. But you’ll have to do this one product at a time.

With this WooCommerce extension, you can create upsells and cross-sells in bulk. You can add category, attribute, tag, or price filters to narrow down your results. You also have the option to display items based on rating, creation date, conversion rate, and other criteria. 

The extension lets you display products from the currently-viewed category or brand, and limit results to items that cost more than the one the customer is interested in.

Here’s what your related products section might look like:

This is a premium extension, but it can be worth the investment if you’re looking to boost sales. 

For example, if you have a fashion store, you’ll be able to create a curated “complete the look” section on product pages to prompt customers to buy complementary items. You could even recommend your best-selling and top-rated products in specific categories. 

If you’re looking for a way to encourage impulse purchases, this extension lets you recommend products on the checkout page. For instance, you might promote related items that are on sale.

How to remove related products in WooCommerce

If you’ve decided that you don’t want to show related products in WooCommerce, you can disable this feature. To do this, you’ll need to add custom code to your theme’s functions.php file.

You can access this file through your WordPress dashboard by navigating to Appearance > Theme Editor. If this feature is not available, you can use the File Manager in your hosting account or a file transfer protocol (FTP) client to find and modify this file. 

Open the file to edit it, and add the following code snippet:

remove_action( ‘woocommerce_after_single_product_summary’, ‘woocommerce_output_related_products’, 20 );

Then, just save the file. You should no longer see the related products section on your product pages. 

Supercharging related product recommendations with Omnisend

Now that you’ve set up your related products in WooCommerce, it’s time to maximize their impact through personalized email marketing campaigns. 

Omnisend is a powerful marketing automation tool that integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce. You can use it to send product recommendations directly to your customers’ inboxes. 

Omnisend uses your shoppers’ order history to showcase products that are most likely to appeal to them. This means it creates suggestions based on a customer’s interests and past purchases.

The process is completely automated — you don’t need to manually create product recommendations for each customer in your email list. Plus, Omnisend offers a wealth of pre-built templates so you can design your email campaigns within minutes. 

Here are some of the templates you can use for product recommendations:

Omnisend also lets you automate follow-up emails that feature recommended items that shoppers might be interested in. These might include products that complement their recent purchases. 

You can also create email campaigns to promote your best-selling and newest products:

Omnisend’s templates are easy to customize. Once you’ve created your email campaign, you can select the audience you want to target.

This email marketing solution offers advanced segmentation tools to help you send highly targeted messages. You can create segments of your subscribers or shoppers based on their purchase behavior and demographic data. For instance, you might target customers who bought a particular product or those who haven’t made a purchase in the last 60 days. 

By incorporating Omnisend into your marketing strategy, you’ll be able to create automated and personalized product recommendations, including upsells and cross-sells. This can encourage repeat purchases and customer loyalty.

Boost your WooCommerce sales with related products and Omnisend

Setting up related products, upsells, and cross-sells in WooCommerce can help you grow your store. It encourages customers to add complementary items to their carts or upgrade to a better version of the product they want. This leads to more sales and larger orders. It also creates a more personalized experience for your customers. 

By default, WooCommerce displays product recommendations based on the category or tag of an item. It also lets you add particular products as upsells or cross-sells. But if you use an extension like Product Recommendations for WooCommerce, you’ll be able to fully customize your related product sections and display them anywhere you want on the product page or at checkout. 

Omnisend enables you to leverage cross-sells and upsells with automated email campaigns. You can send customers product suggestions based on their past purchases, demographics, and other criteria. Get started for free today!