Key takeaways
- Some themes have a native product recommendations toggle in the cart settings.
- Upsell apps (ReConvert, Frequently Bought Together) offer more control and logic.
- The cart is one of the highest-converting placement points for upsells - buyer intent is highest here.
- Fudge can build a custom upsell section in your cart drawer with the exact layout you want.
You can add upsells to the Shopify cart three ways: turn on your theme’s product recommendations block, install an upsell app, or add a custom upsell section to the cart drawer.
Cart upsells target the moment of highest purchase intent. A buyer who has already decided to add something to cart is far more likely to consider a relevant addition than a cold visitor. A relevant upsell raises average order value without needing more traffic.
Why you can trust us
We’ve worked on cart optimisation strategies for hundreds of Shopify brands. We also built Fudge, the AI operator for Shopify stores, with a 4.9 rating on the Shopify App Store.
What is an upsell in Shopify?
An upsell in the cart context is a prompt to add an additional product before checkout. The goal is to increase the average order value of the current transaction.
Upsell: A higher-value version or upgrade of what’s in the cart (“Would you like the larger size?”, “Add the premium edition for $5 more”).
Cross-sell: A complementary product (socks with shoes, screen protector with a phone case). Cross-sells are covered in how to add cross-sells in the Shopify cart; the placement mechanics are the same.
In practice, most “cart upsells” include both upgrade and complementary product suggestions.
Option 1 - Native theme product recommendations toggle
Some Shopify themes include a built-in product recommendations section for the cart.
Step 1. Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize.
Step 2. Navigate to the Cart page.
Step 3. In the cart section settings (left sidebar), look for a toggle labelled “Product recommendations”, “You might also like”, or “Frequently bought together”.
Step 4. Enable the toggle.
Step 5. Save.
When enabled, this uses Shopify’s product recommendations API to show 2-4 suggested products in the cart. The recommendations are algorithmic, based on purchase and browsing data.
Limitation: You can’t control which specific products are recommended. The algorithm decides.
Option 2 - Cart upsell app
For more control over which products appear and when, an upsell app is the next step.
Popular options:
ReConvert - post-purchase upsells on the order confirmation page, plus cart drawer upsells. Good for single-product recommendations tied to cart contents.
Frequently Bought Together - shows products commonly purchased together, using store purchase data to build the recommendation.
Candy Rack - one-click upsells and cross-sells in a pop-up or inline in the cart.
Monster Upsells - cart drawer upsells with progress bar integration (free shipping threshold).
Install from the Shopify App Store. Most have free tiers with paid upgrades for higher order volumes.
To pair an upsell with a spend goal, see how to add a free shipping progress bar in Shopify.
Option 3 - Custom cart upsell with Fudge
For a cart upsell section that’s fully native to your theme design - no app widget styling conflicts, no third-party scripts - describe it to Fudge, the AI operator for Shopify stores. Cart upsells are part of its Shopify merchandising work, alongside bundles and free-gift offers.
Example prompts:
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“Add a ‘Complete the look’ section to the cart drawer showing one manually curated product below the cart line items. Use a small product image, product name, price, and an Add button. Style it to match the cart drawer.”
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“Add a product upsell section to the cart page that shows the most-viewed product from a collection tagged ‘upsell’. Keep it minimal - thumbnail, name, price, ‘Add to cart’ button.”
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“Show a cart upsell row when the cart contains any product from the ‘Skincare’ collection - suggest the toner as a complementary product with a short ‘You’ll also need’ heading.”
Fudge generates this as a draft in your theme. Review and publish. Fudge then reports order value before and after the upsell went live, and suggests a change when an offer underperforms.
Upsell placement: cart drawer vs. cart page vs. checkout
Cart drawer (the slide-out panel): Highest visibility, shown immediately when a product is added. Shorter attention window - keep upsell suggestions to one or two products.
Cart page (/cart): More scroll space. Buyers navigating to this page are often more deliberate. Can support a fuller “You might also like” grid.
Checkout upsells (post-purchase): After payment, on the order confirmation page. Lower friction (payment already made), good for add-ons or digital products.
Most stores benefit from starting with the cart drawer or cart page upsell before adding post-purchase complexity.
How to customise your cart upsell messaging
Avoid generic labels. “You might also like” is weak. Consider: “Complete your routine”, “Frequently bought together”, “Others who bought this also got”, “Don’t forget your [item]”.
Keep it relevant. One highly relevant upsell outperforms four generic ones. Curate by cart contents or product collection.
Make the add action easy. A single “Add” button that goes straight to cart - don’t send the buyer away from the cart to a product page.
FAQ
What's the difference between a cart upsell and a post-purchase upsell?
A cart upsell appears before the buyer pays, in the cart drawer or cart page. A post-purchase upsell appears after payment, usually on the order confirmation page (or as an immediate one-click add via apps like ReConvert). Cart upsells affect the original order; post-purchase create a separate order or charge the existing one.
What's a good upsell take rate?
It depends on the product and how relevant the suggestion is. Compare take rate against your own baseline after each change, using your upsell app's analytics or a custom event.
Should the upsell offer a discount?
Often yes - a 5-10% discount on the upsell ("Add and save 10%") meaningfully lifts take rate. Don't discount your hero products this way; reserve it for accessories or complementary items where the discount doesn't anchor expectations on your core range.
Can I upsell different products based on what's in the cart?
Yes. Describe the rule to Fudge ("suggest gift wrap when the cart total is over $150 and the shopper is in the US") and it builds the upsell block natively in your theme. Most apps only handle "if cart contains X, suggest Y"; custom code can use cart total, customer tag or location.
Will upsells annoy customers and lower conversion?
Only if poorly executed. A relevant upsell with a "no thanks" option doesn't lower conversion - it just adds incremental revenue from buyers who say yes. A pop-up upsell that interrupts the checkout flow with a hard sell or hard-to-dismiss prompt can hurt completion - that's the version to avoid.
