Choosing the right upsell type is crucial for overall offer performance. In this guide, we'll explain how each one works and what the differences are.
Candy Rack allows you to offer products and services to your customers in multiple ways:
AI mode
Specific products
Specific collections
Same product
Read about each type in more detail and choose the one that fits your needs.
AI mode
AI mode is something we are really proud of as Candy Rack was the first upsell app on the Shopify platform to introduce it.
It's a fully automated upsell system that enables relevant upsells for all products in your store without needing to manually select products to offer. This is especially valuable for stores with larger product portfolios.
How it works?
AI mode handles recommendations automatically. If you want more control over where they come from, tick Select a specific recommendation engine and choose the engine that powers your offers:
Reach for Gemini when you want genuine complementary cross-sells that complete the purchase, when your catalog spans categories that obviously go together, or when a store or product line is new and has no history behind it. For example, a coffee store where a grinder pulls up beans, filters, and a mug, or an electronics store pairing a camera with a case and an SD card.
Reach for the Candy Rack engine when you'd rather not commit to one extreme. It balances add-ons with related items, which makes it a sensible default for most catalogs and for the cart moment specifically. For example, a cosmetics store that offers a matching lip liner (the add-on) alongside another lipstick shade (more like it).
Reach for Shopify when similar-item discovery is what actually converts for your category and you have the sales history to feed it. It pulls Complementary products (which you define in the Shopify Search & Discovery app) and falls back to Related products when none are set. Strongest for stores with lots of orders and rich sales history. For example, a fashion store surfacing more dresses for someone browsing one, or a bookshop recommending more titles in the same genre.
Combine them by placement. You don't have to pick just one: run Gemini or the Candy Rack engine on the product-page pop-up where add-ons shine, and Shopify in the cart or checkout, or whatever split fits your store.
Still unsure? Test. Run one engine, watch your add-to-cart rate and average order value, then switch and compare. We're also adding built-in A/B testing, so you'll soon get clear per-engine performance data. Either way, our upsell strategy guide covers what makes any offer convert.
To learn more about the engines, check our blog post, Two new recommendation engines in Candy Rack.
Specific products
This mode gives you full control over your upselling strategy. It allows you to select the exact products you want to upsell, giving you the flexibility to create highly targeted offers.
Key benefits:
Full customization – Choose specific products or variants to match your upselling strategy.
Bundle creation – Create product bundles by combining complementary products.
Seasonal or promotional upsells – Promote seasonal items, sale products, or limited-time offers.
This mode is ideal for merchants who want to create strategic upsell combinations or push specific products. For example, you can promote a matching accessory with a clothing item or suggest a discounted add-on to encourage larger orders.
Specific collections
This upsell type allows you to promote products from one or more specific collections. Instead of picking individual products, you pick the category, and the app handles the rest.
You select the collection(s) you want to feature, and then customize how the products are presented:
The number of recommended products – Choose how many products from the collection should be shown in the offer.
Sorting options – Decide which products appear first based on:
Bestselling
Collection order (as set in Shopify)
Newest first
Cheapest first
Most expensive first
Same product
This upsell type automatically offers the same product that the customer has added to their cart. It's a powerful way to increase order value by encouraging customers to buy more of what they already want.
Key benefits:
Volume discounts – Offer a discount on the second item to increase order size.
Buy one, get one (BOGO) offers – Create special promotions to drive sales.
Easy setup – No need to configure complex settings—Candy Rack automatically handles it.
For example, if a customer adds a coffee mug to their cart, you can offer a second mug at 20% off. This approach works well for products that customers often purchase in multiples, such as clothing, home goods, or consumables.
Have any questions? Please contact us at support@digismoothie.com or use the in-app chat, and our support team will assist you.