How to Set Up Frequently Bought Together on Shopify

You have seen it on Amazon. Below every product, there is a section that says "Frequently Bought Together." It shows two or three items that other customers purchased at the same time. That simple section drives billions in extra revenue every year. The good news - you can add the same system to your Shopify store. Frequently bought together Shopify widgets work because they combine two powerful forces: social proof and convenience.

Social proof tells shoppers that other people bought these items together. That validates the decision. Convenience removes friction with a one-click "Add All to Cart" button. Together, these forces produce 3-5% click-through rates. That is higher than most generic recommendation widgets. If you want amazon style recommendations Shopify stores use to increase AOV, this is the feature. This guide covers how to set up frequently bought together on your store. You will learn how the algorithm works, when to use manual vs automatic pairings, and how to measure results.

How FBT Algorithms Work - Order History Analysis

Understanding how the shopify fbt algorithm works helps you set realistic expectations. It also helps you avoid common setup mistakes. Knowing how to set up frequently bought together starts with understanding the data behind it.

The algorithm reviews every completed order in your store. It maps which products appear together in the same order. Then it calculates co-purchase frequency. When two products appear together above a certain threshold, the algorithm surfaces them as a pairing.

Here is a real example of frequently bought together Shopify in action. Your store has 200 orders that contain "Running Shoes." Of those 200 orders, 40 also contain "Performance Socks." Another 25 contain "Shoe Cleaning Kit." The algorithm identifies both pairings. It ranks "Performance Socks" higher because it appears more frequently.

As new orders come in, the algorithm recalculates. A pairing that was weak at 100 orders may become strong at 300 orders. New pairings can emerge as your catalog and customer base grow. This is how amazon style recommendations Shopify systems stay accurate over time.

The Cold Start Problem

This is the detail most how to set up frequently bought together guides skip entirely. If your store has fewer than 50 orders, the algorithm does not have enough data. It cannot detect meaningful patterns yet.

At 50-100 orders, basic pairings begin to emerge. At 200+ orders, the algorithm produces strong suggestions across your catalog. If you are below 50 orders, start with manual curation. Switch to algorithmic shopify fbt once you have enough purchase history.

Shopify Built-in vs Third-Party FBT Apps

Shopify provides a built-in option through the Search & Discovery app. It lets you manually assign complementary products to each product page. It is free and simple. But it is not a true frequently bought together app system.

With Search & Discovery, you pick the pairings yourself. There is no algorithm analyzing order history. Analytics are minimal. Display customization is basic. For merchants who want shopify frequently bought together setup with real data analysis, the built-in option falls short.

A dedicated frequently bought together app provides much more. It scans order history and discovers pairings automatically. You can switch between manual and algorithmic modes. The widget design is fully customizable - titles, layout, button text, colors. You get one-click "Add All to Cart" functionality. And you get performance analytics showing impressions, clicks, add-to-cart rates, and revenue.

How do you evaluate a frequently bought together app? Look at four things. Does the app use a real order-history algorithm or just show random products? Does it integrate natively with your theme? Does it provide analytics so you can measure ROI? Does it work well on mobile? The right app brings amazon style recommendations Shopify merchants need to compete with larger stores.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up FBT on Your Store

This is the practical walkthrough. Follow these seven steps and you will have a working shopify frequently bought together setup on your store today.

Step 1: Review Your Order History

Check your total order count in your Shopify admin. If you have 50+ orders, algorithmic shopify fbt has enough data to start finding patterns. If you have 200+, the algorithm will produce strong pairings across your entire catalog.

Step 2: Choose Your Mode

If you have sufficient order data, enable algorithmic FBT. Let the system discover pairings from real purchase history. If your store is newer, use manual curation instead. Hand-pick 2-3 complementary products for each of your top sellers. This is a critical decision in any shopify frequently bought together setup process.

Step 3: Choose the Display Format

"Frequently Bought Together" works for most stores. "Complete the Look" works well for fashion, home decor, and lifestyle brands. "Goes Great With" fits food, beverage, and hobby stores. The title frames the suggestion and affects how customers perceive it. This is an important detail in how to set up frequently bought together effectively.

Step 4: Configure the Widget

Show 2-3 products per suggestion. More than that causes decision fatigue. Include a clear "Add All to Cart" button. You can also add a small bundle discount to increase add-to-cart rates. This is where shopify product pairing strategy meets practical setup.

Step 5: Place the Widget on Product Pages

Position the frequently bought together Shopify widget below the main product information section. Customers who scroll past the buy button are actively researching. They are open to related suggestions. This placement catches them at the right moment.

Step 6: Preview on Desktop and Mobile

Check that product images display correctly. Make sure prices are visible. Test that the add-to-cart button is easy to tap on mobile. Most Shopify traffic comes from mobile devices. A frequently bought together Shopify widget that does not work on mobile will underperform.

Step 7: Launch and Monitor

Go live and wait at least two weeks before making changes. Early data is noisy. It can mislead you into premature optimization. Give the shopify frequently bought together setup time to collect meaningful data. That completes the core how to set up frequently bought together walkthrough.

Manual Curation vs Automatic FBT - When to Use Each

This is the most common question merchants ask about shopify fbt - should I pick the pairings myself or let the algorithm decide? The answer depends on your store size and order volume.

Manual Curation

You select 2-3 complementary products for each item in your catalog. Full control means every shopify product pairing reflects your brand strategy. The downside - it does not scale. A 200-product store means manually setting hundreds of pairings. You need to update them as your catalog changes. Many merchants learning how to set up frequently bought together start here before moving to algorithmic mode.

Automatic FBT

The algorithm analyzes order history. It discovers which products customers actually buy together. It scales automatically. Add new products and the algorithm incorporates them. It can also find non-obvious pairings you would not have guessed. This is the core strength of any frequently bought together app with algorithmic capabilities.

When to Use Each Approach

Use manual curation if you have fewer than 50 products. Use it if you have fewer than 50 orders. Or if you run a curated brand where you want precise control over every pairing. Use automatic shopify fbt if you have 100+ products, 200+ orders per month, or a diverse catalog where tracking every pairing manually is impractical.

The Hybrid Approach

Most established stores benefit from both. Let the algorithm handle the catalog. Then manually pin your 10 highest-traffic products to their ideal partners. This gives you both scale and control. It is the best shopify product pairing strategy for growing stores. This hybrid approach delivers the amazon style recommendations Shopify merchants see on the biggest ecommerce sites.

Measuring FBT Performance

Setting up frequently bought together Shopify is step one. Measuring its impact is what separates merchants who grow from those who guess. Once your how to set up frequently bought together process is complete, tracking performance becomes the priority.

The Metrics That Matter

Track four key metrics for your shopify fbt widget. Impressions - how many times FBT is shown. Click-through rate - how many customers interact with the widget. Add-to-cart rate - how many add a suggested product. Attributed revenue - total revenue from FBT-driven additions.

Healthy Benchmarks

A well-performing frequently bought together Shopify widget produces 3-5% CTR and 1-3% add-to-cart rate. If your numbers fall below these ranges, the pairings may be irrelevant. Or the widget placement needs adjustment.

What to Test After the First Month

Swap underperforming product pairings. Try a different display format - "Complete the Look" instead of "Frequently Bought Together." Test adding a small bundle discount of 5-10% off when buying together. Experiment with widget position on the product page. Every how to set up frequently bought together guide should mention testing as an ongoing process.

Check shopify fbt performance monthly. Look at your top 5 performing pairings and your bottom 5. Replace the bottom performers. Double down on the top ones. This kind of amazon style recommendations Shopify optimization compounds over time.

How Growth Suite Handles Frequently Bought Together

Growth Suite does not force you to choose between algorithmic and manual. You get both modes in one system. Here is how to set up frequently bought together with Growth Suite.

Algorithmic FBT: Growth Suite analyzes your store's order history to identify which products customers actually purchase together. As new orders come in, pairings update automatically. The algorithm finds real patterns from real data. This is shopify fbt powered by your actual sales data.

Manual curation: Pin specific products to each other when you know the ideal shopify product pairing. Your manual selections take priority over the algorithm. Full control when you need it.

Display options: Show pairings as "Frequently Bought Together" or "Complete the Look" depending on your brand and product type. The shopify fbt widget integrates natively with your Shopify theme. It matches your store's design on both desktop and mobile. No custom coding required.

One-click add-to-cart: Customers can add the suggested products to their cart with a single click. This removes friction and increases conversion. You can customize everything through the Shopify theme customizer. This is how to set up frequently bought together the right way - with full customization and zero coding.

Performance analytics: Track impressions, clicks, add-to-cart rates, and attributed revenue for each product pairing. You know exactly which pairings perform and which need adjustment. A good frequently bought together app must give you this level of reporting. This is what makes Growth Suite a complete frequently bought together Shopify solution and a full shopify frequently bought together setup platform.