Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/smart-recommendations/overview

# Smart Recommendations

AI-powered product recommendations to boost conversion and AOV

Last updated: 2025-01-16

**Smart Recommendations** uses machine learning to suggest the right products to the right customers at the right time. From upsells to cross-sells to personalized bundles, intelligent recommendations drive higher conversion and average order value.

##### AI-Powered Personalization

Smart Recommendations learns from your store's data — purchase history, browsing behavior, and product relationships — to deliver highly relevant suggestions that convert.

## How Smart Recommendations Works

1.  **Data collection** — Analyzes customer behavior and purchase patterns
2.  **Model training** — ML models learn product relationships and preferences
3.  **Real-time scoring** — Products ranked by relevance for each customer
4.  **Recommendations served** — Best products shown at optimal moments
5.  **Continuous learning** — Models improve with every interaction

## Recommendation Types

#### Available Algorithms

*   Frequently bought together — Products commonly purchased in same order
*   Customers also viewed — Based on browsing patterns
*   Based on cart — Real-time suggestions from current cart contents
*   Personalized for you — Individual customer preferences
*   Trending products — Popular items in your store
*   Recently viewed — Products the customer has shown interest in
*   Complete the look — Complementary items (fashion, home)
*   Upgrade options — Higher-tier alternatives

## Where Recommendations Appear

Smart Recommendations can be displayed throughout the customer journey:

Recommendation Placements

```json
{
  "placements": {
    "product_page": {
      "algorithms": ["frequently_bought_together", "customers_also_viewed"],
      "position": "below_add_to_cart",
      "max_products": 4
    },
    "cart_page": {
      "algorithms": ["based_on_cart", "trending"],
      "position": "below_cart_items",
      "max_products": 3
    },
    "checkout": {
      "algorithms": ["complete_the_look", "upgrade_options"],
      "position": "post_purchase",
      "max_products": 2
    },
    "thank_you_page": {
      "algorithms": ["personalized", "trending"],
      "position": "main_content",
      "max_products": 4
    }
  }
}
```

## AI Features

### Collaborative Filtering

Recommends products based on what similar customers have purchased:

*   Identifies customers with similar purchase patterns
*   Suggests products those similar customers bought
*   Especially effective for new visitors with limited data

### Content-Based Filtering

Recommends products based on product attributes:

*   Analyzes product descriptions, categories, tags
*   Finds similar products by attribute matching
*   Works well for finding alternatives or variants

### Hybrid Approach

CheckoutOS combines multiple signals for best results:

Hybrid Recommendation

```json
{
  "hybrid_scoring": {
    "signals": {
      "collaborative_score": 0.35,
      "content_similarity": 0.25,
      "purchase_frequency": 0.20,
      "margin_boost": 0.10,
      "inventory_availability": 0.10
    },
    "personalization_boost": {
      "returning_customer": 1.5,
      "vip_customer": 1.3
    }
  }
}
```

## Performance Metrics

Track recommendation effectiveness:

#### Key Metrics

*   Recommendation click-through rate (CTR)
*   Recommendation conversion rate
*   Revenue attributed to recommendations
*   Average items per order from recommendations
*   Customer engagement with recommendation widgets

## Basic Configuration

Recommendations Config

```json
{
  "smart_recommendations": {
    "enabled": true,
    "default_algorithm": "hybrid",
    "fallback_algorithm": "trending",
    "personalization": {
      "enabled": true,
      "min_interactions": 3
    },
    "display": {
      "title": "You might also like",
      "max_products": 4,
      "show_price": true,
      "show_rating": true
    },
    "filtering": {
      "exclude_out_of_stock": true,
      "exclude_current_product": true,
      "exclude_cart_items": true
    }
  }
}
```

## Best Practices

##### Recommendation Tips

*   **Start with proven algorithms** — "Frequently bought together" works universally
*   **Match context to placement** — Cart page = cart-based, thank you = personalized
*   **Test titles and positioning** — Small changes can have big impact
*   **Monitor quality** — Review recommendations regularly for relevance
*   **Balance automation and control** — Override AI when you know better

## Learn More

[

### AI Engine

Deep dive into the recommendation algorithms

Learn more



](https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/smart-recommendations/ai-engine)[

### Manual Rules

Override AI with custom rules

Learn more



](https://chargezen.com/docs/checkoutos/smart-recommendations/manual)

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