How to show similar products on Shopify

Which option suits my store?

Shopify's built-in related products section is free and quick. Manual curation with metafields gives full control but does not scale. A visual similarity app matches products by how they look, which matters when shoppers choose on colour, cut or pattern.

• Under ~200 products, stable range: built-in related products or manual curation.
• Visual products (fashion, jewellery, home decor), 500+ SKUs: visual similarity app.
• Frequent new drops with no sales history: visual similarity app.
• You want "bought together" add-ons: built-in complementary products or an upsell app, alongside the above.

Option 1: Shopify's built-in related products

1. In your theme editor, open the product page template.
2. Add the Related products (or Product recommendations) section, usually below the product details.
3. Optionally, use the Shopify Search & Discovery app to pin or exclude specific related products.
4. Save and preview a few product pages.

Shopify generates these automatically from products commonly bought together, products with similar descriptions, and products in related collections. Shopify notes that orders imported from another platform are not used, and recommends showing about four products so the most relevant ones stand out. Shopify developer docs

Works well for: small catalogues, products with rich descriptions, stores with steady order history. Falls short when: products are new, descriptions are thin, or two items share a collection but look nothing alike.

Option 2: Curate them by hand

Create a product metafield (a list of product references, for example "similar_products"), fill it per product, and point a theme section at it. You choose exactly what shows.

Works well for: under a few hundred products, or a hero range you want to control. Falls short when: the catalogue grows or changes each season. Every new product needs manual links.

Option 3: Use a visual similarity app

A visual recommendation app reads each product image and matches on colour, silhouette, pattern and finish. New products are matched as soon as they have images, with no sales history needed.

With RecoMelon:

1. Install RecoMelon from the Shopify App Store (the $1/day, 30-day trial includes every feature).
2. Turn on the RecoMelon app embed in your theme settings (guide).
3. Add the Shop Similar block to the product page, ideally just below Add to Cart.
4. Turn on Dealbreaker™ Filters so shoppers can rule out an attribute (sleeve, neckline, finish, colour) inside the panel.
5. Preview matches before going live, then track rec clicks and influenced orders in the dashboard.

Full install guide

What is the difference between related and complementary products on Shopify?

Related products are alternatives to the one being viewed. Complementary products are add-ons that pair with it. Shopify supports both as separate sections.

Can I exclude products from Shopify's automatic recommendations?

You can't change the algorithm itself, but the Search & Discovery app lets you add or adjust recommendations per product, and theme code can filter what is shown.

Where should similar products go on the page?

Close to the buying decision. Near Add to Cart catches shoppers while they are still choosing; at the bottom of the page catches the ones who scroll.