Overview
Checkout upsells show product recommendations inside Shopify checkout before the customer completes payment. This is a high-intent moment because the customer is already buying and can add another product before paying.
Use checkout upsells for low-friction add-ons, bestsellers, accessories, gift cards, and products that pair naturally with what is already in the cart. The product is added to the same checkout and paid for in the same payment.
🔒 Shopify Plus: Checkout upsells require Shopify Plus because they use Shopify checkout extensibility.
How checkout upsells work
A checkout upsell has three parts: the strategy in Order Editing, the product modules inside that strategy, and the app block in the Shopify checkout editor.
1. The customer reaches checkout with products in their cart.
2. Order Editing checks your Active Checkout Page strategies.
3. The best-matching strategy is selected based on filters and strategy matching. Customers will only be shown one strategy per placement, even if more than one active strategy matches.
4. The strategy's product modules return recommended products.
5. The checkout app block shows those products to the customer.
6. If the customer adds a product, Shopify updates the checkout total before payment.
Checkout upsells are separate from the Free Shipping Upsell and the One-Click Upsell. If you want to use more than one of these placements, create a separate strategy for each placement.
Before you begin
Before setting up a checkout upsell, make sure you have:
1. Shopify Plus.
2. Order Editing installed.
3. At least one active product or collection to recommend.
4. Access to the Shopify checkout editor.
5. A clear goal for the offer, such as increasing AOV, promoting accessories, clearing sale stock, or lifting gift card sales.
Create the strategy
- In the Order Editing app, go to Upsell Strategies .
- Click Create Strategy .
- Select the Checkout Page Product List Upsell placement.
- Give the strategy a clear internal name. Customers do not see this name.
- Choose whether the strategy should be Active or Draft.
⚠️ Warning: New strategies are Active by default. Set the strategy to Draft while you configure it if you're not ready for customers to see it.
Set up customer targeting
Customer targeting controls who can see the checkout upsell. For your first strategy, start broad so you can confirm the block and offer are working. Then add filters once you know what converts.
Show to all customers shows the upsell to any checkout that reaches this placement. Filter to specific customers lets you add rules so only matching checkouts see the offer.
When you add multiple filters, choose how they work together. When all filters match means every condition must be true. When any filter matches means the strategy can match if one condition is true.
ℹ️ Note: Checkout has less customer data than post-purchase pages. Customer B2B, Customer Money Spent, Customer Orders Count, Shopify Segments, Order Tags, and Order Contains Subscription Items are not available on the Checkout Page Product List Upsell.
Available Checkout Page filters
Filter group | Available filters | Use them to |
Order filters | Order Total, Discount Codes in Order, Discount Codes not in Order, Cart Attribute, Line Item Count. | Target by cart value, discount-code use, cart attributes, or number of line items. |
Customer filters | Customer Spending Tier. | Show a different checkout offer to customers in a spending tier. |
Product filters | Products in Cart, Products not in Cart, Products in Collection, Products not in Collection, Products in Type, Products not in Type, Product Title Contains, SKU Contains, Product Tags. | Match or exclude offers based on cart products, collections, product type, title text, SKU text, or product tags. |
Market targeting is configured separately from the filter picker. Use market targeting when the offer should only appear for specific Shopify Markets, countries, currencies, product availability, or regional pricing rules.
Choose product modules
Modules decide which products the checkout upsell recommends. You can use one module for a simple offer or combine several modules to create a richer product feed.
Module | Best for |
Single Product | One hero product, gift wrap, warranty, samples, or a universal add-on. |
Group of Products | A small curated set of products, such as accessories or seasonal picks. |
Collection | Bestsellers, new arrivals, sale items, or a category you already manage in Shopify. |
Upsell Products from Cart | Recommendations based on the first, last, most expensive, least expensive, or selected products in the cart. |
Related Products | Similar products from Shopify Search and Discovery data. |
Complementary Products | Products that go well with items in the cart, such as batteries for electronics. |
Recently Viewed | Products the customer viewed before checkout. |
Keyword Search | Products matching a search term you define. |
Gift Card | Gift card products as a simple checkout add-on. |
Metafields | Products linked through Shopify metafields. |
Mix and Match Products | Variant or bundle-style choices where the customer can select multiple items. |
Nosto Recommendations | Nosto-powered recommendations. The Nosto integration must be connected. |
Searchspring Recommendations | Searchspring-powered recommendations. The Searchspring integration must be connected. |
Swish Wishlist | Wishlist products from Swish. This appears only when the Swish integration is enabled. |
💡 Tip: For a first checkout strategy, start with one Single Product, Group of Products, or Collection module. Add more modules after you can see which products convert.
Customize offer text
Each module has an Offer Text section. This controls the customer-facing copy inside the checkout block.
Field | What it controls |
Offer Text | The headline above the recommendation. |
Description | Supporting copy below the headline. |
Button Text | The add button label, such as Add to order. |
Recommended Quantity | The default quantity shown to customers. |
Show quantity selector | Lets customers increase or decrease the quantity before adding. |
Keep checkout copy short. Customers are close to payment, so clear labels usually work better than long explanations.
Add a discount
You can add a percentage discount to products added through the checkout upsell. Discounts are optional, but they can help when the recommendation is not an obvious add-on.
If you add a discount, you can also set a quantity limit. Use quantity limits when you want the first item discounted but do not want a customer adding many discounted units in the same order.
Install the checkout app block
After configuring the strategy, install the checkout block in Shopify.
1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.
2. Click Customize.
3. Make sure you're editing the Checkout page.
4. Click Add app block.
5. Select the Order Editing checkout upsell block.
6. Place the block where you want the offer to appear.
7. Click Save.
Placement matters. The main content area, near the order summary or before payment, usually gives the offer better visibility than a low position on the page.
⚠️ Shop Pay: To show the upsell for Shop Pay customers, open Checkout behavior in the checkout editor, select Shop Pay, and enable the setting that expands the section.
Checkout editor settings
After you add the Product List Upsell app block, select it in the checkout editor to control how the block appears. These settings affect the checkout display only. The products, targeting, discounts, and rules still come from your Upsell Strategy in Order Editing.
ℹ️ Note: Some stores may still see this app block labelled Checkout Offers or Checkout Upsells. It is the same checkout upsell placement.
Setting | What it does | When to use it |
Products Displayed | Sets the maximum number of products shown in the checkout upsell block. | Use a smaller number for a tighter checkout layout, or a higher number when you want customers to compare more options. |
Viewport Display | Controls whether the block shows on desktop, mobile, or both. | Use this if you want a different upsell experience by device. |
Preview Mobile | Shows a mobile preview while you are editing the block. | Useful when you are checking spacing and product card layout before saving. |
Aspect Ratio | Controls the shape of product images in the upsell block. | Match this to your product photography so cards look consistent. |
Image fits within container | Fits the full product image inside the image area instead of cropping it. | Turn this on for products where the full image matters, such as apparel, bundles, or tall packaging. |
Reviews Style | Controls how review stars or review content appears inside product cards. | Use this to match your checkout styling or reduce visual noise. |
Strikethrough | Controls how compare-at pricing or discounted prices are displayed. | Use this when you want discounts to be visually obvious. |
Enable Draft Orders | Allows the block to run when a customer is completing a draft order checkout. | Turn this on if you send draft order invoices and still want checkout upsells to appear. |
Hide additional products | Hides extra products beyond the configured display limit. | Use this when you want a fixed number of offers and do not want customers browsing more products. |
Locked Strategy | Locks this app block to one specific Upsell Strategy. | Use this only when you need this exact checkout block to show products from one strategy. Most stores can leave it empty. |
Show Free Shipping tag | Shows a free shipping label on qualifying upsell products. | Use this when upsell products help customers reach a free shipping threshold. |
Language | Previews a locale in the checkout editor. | Use this to check translated copy in the editor. The live checkout language follows Shopify and the customer context. |
Enable logs | Turns on browser console logs for troubleshooting. | Use this only while testing with support, then turn it off. |
Appearance and style options
Checkout upsells inherit Shopify checkout styling, but you still control the product content and how the offer is presented through your module settings and checkout block placement.
Element | What to check |
Headline | Use a short benefit-led line, such as Complete your kit or Add before you pay. |
Description | Explain why the product is useful in one short sentence. |
Button text | Use a clear action, such as Add to order. |
Quantity selector | Enable it for consumables or repeat purchases. Keep it off for one-off add-ons. |
Block position | Place the block where it is visible before payment. |
Verify your setup
Before relying on the strategy, test it in checkout.
1. Set the strategy to Active, or keep it Draft if you're only checking the configuration inside Order Editing.
2. Add products to a test cart that match your filters.
3. Go to checkout.
4. Confirm the checkout app block appears in the right place.
5. Check the product, image, price, discount, quantity, and button text.
6. Add the upsell product and confirm the checkout total updates.
7. Test Shop Pay separately if you expect Shop Pay customers to see the offer.
Track performance
After the strategy receives traffic, monitor Views, Uptake, Upsell Revenue, AOV Lift, and top recommended products from the Upsell Strategies page.
Troubleshooting
The upsell isn't appearing at checkout
Check that the strategy is Active, the app block is installed, the store is on Shopify Plus, and your test cart matches the filters. If you use market targeting, check that the shipping address is in a selected market.
The wrong products are showing
Review the modules in the strategy and their order. Products from earlier modules appear first. If a recommendation module is being used, check the related data in Shopify Search and Discovery or the connected integration.
The discount isn't applying
Confirm the strategy includes a discount, then check whether a quantity limit or existing discount code is affecting the result.
The upsell doesn't show for Shop Pay customers
Open the checkout editor, select the app block, and review Checkout behavior for Shop Pay. Make sure the section is expanded for Shop Pay.
Still need help?
Start a live chat from within the Order Editing app. Include your store URL, the strategy name, a screenshot of your settings, and what you're seeing at checkout.
