Table of contents

What are product recommendationsHow it worksTypes of product recommendations Where to displayHow to set upBenefitsCommon pitfallsTop Magento toolsHow to get started

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Magento Guide → Product → Recommendations

Magento product recommendations: A complete beginner’s guide

Want to increase conversions without constantly tweaking your store? Magento’s product recommendations use AI and behavioral data to surface what shoppers are most likely to buy next.

Whether you’re running Adobe Commerce or exploring plugin options for Magento Open Source, understanding product recommendations can unlock big performance gains with relatively little effort.

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What are product recommendations in Magento?

Magento product recommendations are dynamic suggestions designed to help your customers discover products they’re most likely to be interested in. These can appear in a variety of formats and on different parts of your storefront—such as related items on a product page, “You may also like” suggestions on the homepage, or upsells in the cart.

The goal is to make the shopping experience more relevant while increasing the average order value (AOV). Product recommendations are only built into Adobe Commerce, but Magento Open Source users can still access similar features through third-party extensions.

How Magento’s product recommendation engine works

In Adobe Commerce, product recommendations are powered by Adobe Sensei—an AI and machine learning platform that learns from customer behavior. Rather than requiring merchants to create manual product rules, Sensei automatically surfaces recommendations based on actual shopper activity.

Here’s how it works:

JavaScript is added to your storefront to track real-time shopper behavior, like clicks, views, and purchases.
This behavioral data is sent to Adobe’s cloud infrastructure for processing
Adobe Sensei uses this data, along with your catalog metadata, to generate product suggestions.
The engine continuously learns and refines suggestions over time, improving with every visit.

This setup is especially helpful for merchants who don’t want to micromanage their recommendation logic. It also means you don’t need a background in data science to benefit from advanced personalization.

Types of product recommendations in Magento

Magento offers a variety of recommendation types, each tailored to a different phase in the customer journey. Choosing the right one depends on where you’re placing it and what your sales goal is.

Trending: Displays the most popular products, either by views or purchases. Great for the homepage or category pages.
Viewed/Viewed: Shows items that are often viewed together. Best used on product pages to suggest alternatives or related products.
Viewed/Bought: Suggests products commonly purchased after viewing a specific item. Works well for promoting accessories or upgrades.
Bought/Bought: Displays items frequently purchased together. Perfect for the cart page to encourage bundling.
Recommended for You: Offers personalized picks based on each shopper’s unique behavior. Ideal for logged-in users or returning visitors.
More Like This: Highlights similar items from the same category or with similar attributes. Helps users compare options.
Recently Viewed/Compared: Re-engages users with items they’ve already shown interest in. Useful for sidebars or account dashboards.

Each recommendation type has a clear use case. You can mix and match them across your site to create a personalized, conversion-friendly experience.

Where to display product recommendations

Effective placement is just as important as the recommendation logic itself. The goal is to enhance the shopping experience, not distract from it.

Common placements include:

Homepage: Feature trending or personalized products to draw users in.
Category pages: Suggest “More like this” or “Trending” products to keep shoppers browsing.
Product pages: Use “Viewed/Bought” or “Viewed/Viewed” widgets to suggest relevant add-ons or alternatives.
Cart and mini cart: Offer last-minute upsells with “Bought/Bought” suggestions.
Thank-you pages: Encourage repeat visits with “Recommended for You” blocks.

Design-wise, keep recommendation blocks visually distinct but not overwhelming. Carousels work well on mobile. Grids or horizontal blocks tend to perform better on desktop.

How to set up product recommendations in Magento

If you’re using Adobe Commerce, product recommendations are built in and relatively easy to configure. Here’s how to get started:

Enable recommendations: In your Magento Admin, go to Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > Product Recommendations and set Enable Product Recommendations to “Yes.”
Sync your catalog: Adobe Sensei needs your full product catalog to generate accurate suggestions. This is usually handled automatically, but make sure the sync is working under Admin > Marketing > Product Recommendations.
Enable behavioral tracking: Make sure the storefront JavaScript (called recs.js) is active. You’ll find this in your theme layout or via Page Builder.
Add recommendation blocks: Use Page Builder to drag and drop recommendation widgets into the right layout areas. Choose the type of recommendation that fits the page (e.g., “Bought/Bought” for the cart, “Trending” for the homepage).
Monitor performance: Check how each widget is performing by going to Admin > Reports > Product Recommendations. Look at clicks, conversions, and product interactions.

For Magento Open Source users, native support isn’t available. But you can install a third-party extension (see below) that adds similar functionality.

Benefits of using product recommendations

Product recommendations aren’t just a “nice to have,” they’re one of the most effective ways to boost ecommerce performance.

Higher average order value: Suggesting related items or bundles encourages customers to buy more.
Improved conversion rates: Personalized recommendations help users find what they need faster.
Better customer experience: Showing relevant products reduces friction and improves satisfaction.
Smarter merchandising: Let your data drive which products get promoted, rather than guessing.

Adobe has even noted that product recommendations can increase the average number of items in online shopping carts by 68%.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

New Magento users often run into the same avoidable issues when setting up recommendations.

Too many widgets: Overloading your pages can confuse shoppers. Stick to one recommendation block per section or page.
Wrong type of recommendation: Don’t show “Bought/Bought” on the homepage or “Trending” in the cart—context matters.
Misconfigured catalog data: Incomplete or outdated product info leads to bad suggestions. Keep your catalog updated.
No mobile testing: Always preview how recommendation blocks render on different screen sizes.
Ignoring analytics: Use the reporting dashboard to tweak or remove underperforming widgets.

Top Magento tools for product recommendations

Whether you’re using Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source, you’ve got options. Here’s how the top tools stack up:

Tool	Type	AI-Powered	Best For	Price
Adobe Sensei	Built-in (Adobe Commerce)	Yes	Native Adobe Commerce solution	Included
Amasty Product Recommendations	Extension	Yes	Open Source stores seeking flexibility	From $199/year
Mageplaza AI Product Recommendations	Extension	Yes	Affordable starter AI tool	Freemium

Adobe Sensei

Fully integrated into Adobe Commerce, Adobe Sensei requires no separate installation. It uses behavioral and catalog data to automatically display smart recommendations that improve over time. No manual rule creation required. Best for businesses already on Adobe Commerce.

Amasty Product Recommendations

Amasty Product Recommendations provides AI- and rule-based options for Magento Open Source users. It includes widgets for upsells, cross-sells, and smart bundles. You can also control recommendation logic manually if needed. Best for merchants who want more configuration control.

Mageplaza AI Product Recommendations

Mageplaza AI Product Recommendations is a freemium extension with essential AI-powered blocks. Easy to install and includes basic personalization, product affinity logic, and visual customization tools. Ideal for small stores or newcomers testing the waters.

Getting started with Magento product imports

Magento product recommendations help ecommerce businesses drive sales through personalization and automation. Whether you’re using Adobe Sensei or a plugin alternative, these tools offer a powerful way to boost customer engagement and revenue.

To get started, enable product recommendations in your store backend, or explore the best-fit plugin for your Magento version.

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