The Recently Viewed module shows products the customer viewed before checkout. It is designed to recover interest in products the customer considered but did not buy.
When to use it
Use Recently Viewed when browsing behavior is a strong signal for your store.
- Fashion, beauty, homewares, and other catalog-heavy stores.
- Stores where customers compare several products before buying.
- Offers that work well as "still interested?" prompts.
- Post-purchase placements where customers may add one more item.
Before you begin
Recently Viewed depends on customer browsing history. Some customers won't have recently viewed products, and products already in the cart are skipped.
Recently Viewed tracking requires the Order Editing app embed to be enabled in your Shopify theme editor. Without the app embed, Order Editing can't collect the browsing data this module needs.
This module is not available on the One-Click Upsell.
Setup steps
- Open the upsell strategy you want to edit.
- In the Product modules section, click Add Module.
- Select Recently Viewed.
- If the module shows Integration is not active, click Install app embed.
- In the Shopify theme editor, enable the Order Editing App Embed.
- Click Save in the theme editor.
- Return to Order Editing and click Refresh Status in the Recently Viewed module.
- Confirm the module is enabled.
- Set the Recommended Quantity.
- Write Offer Text. Copy like "Still interested in
$productName?" works well. - Optional: add product filters to refine which recently viewed products can show.
- Click Save.
Configuration options
Option | What it controls | Recommended approach |
Enabled | Whether the module can return recently viewed products. | Keep it enabled unless you're pausing this product source. |
Product filters | Which recently viewed products can show. | Exclude products that are too expensive or poor fit. |
Recommended Quantity | The suggested quantity for the recovered product. | Use 1 unless the product is naturally bought in multiples. |
Offer Text | The message that reconnects the customer to their browsing history. | Use personal copy that explains why the product is shown. |
Recommendations
Pair Recently Viewed with a fallback module, such as Collection or Related Products. This helps customers without browsing history still see an offer.
Goal | Recommendation |
Recover consideration | Use personal offer text and a modest discount. |
Avoid irrelevant products | Use title filters or Hidden Products to exclude unwanted products. |
Maximize coverage | Add a Collection or Related Products module after Recently Viewed. |
Where this module performs best
Recently Viewed works best for stores where customers browse before deciding. Fashion, beauty, homewares, accessories, and giftable catalogs are strong fits.
It is less useful when customers usually buy a single replenishment product, or when your store has very little browsing before checkout.
How to write the offer text
Use copy that reminds the customer of their earlier interest. "Still interested in $productName?" works because it explains why the product is appearing.
Avoid generic product copy here. The strength of this module is personal context.
Troubleshooting
No product appears
The customer may not have viewed any eligible products. Products already in the cart are filtered out. Also check that the Order Editing app embed is enabled in your theme editor.
Integration is not active appears
Click Install app embed, enable the Order Editing App Embed in the Shopify theme editor, save the theme, then return to Order Editing and click Refresh Status.
Products feel too broad
Add product filters, or use strategy filters so Recently Viewed only appears for the right order context.
The module is unavailable
Recently Viewed is not available on One-Click Upsell. Choose another placement or use a different module.
