When a shopper receives a size recommendation from Kiwi, but that size is sold out, Kiwi can automatically show alternative product recommendations to help keep the shopper engaged and reduce drop-offs.
This behavior applies to both Basic and Advanced Recommenders.
What happens when the recommended size is sold out?
If Kiwi detects that the recommended size is unavailable for the current product:
Kiwi fetches similar product recommendations
These alternatives are displayed to the shopper
The goal is to help shoppers find a comparable item that is in stock, instead of hitting a dead end
This helps protect conversion rates when popular sizes sell out.
Does this work for Basic and Advanced Recommenders?
Yes - both.
Even though release notes mention multiple recommender types, this feature:
✅ Works with the Basic Recommender
✅ Works with the Advanced Recommender
There is no difference in eligibility between the two for this behavior.
How are “similar products” determined?
Kiwi uses Shopify’s native Product Recommendations API, which is managed by Shopify.
Specifically:
Kiwi sends the current product ID to Shopify
Shopify returns recommended products based on its internal logic
Shopify determines similarity using factors such as:
Product relationships
Purchase and browsing behavior
Product metadata (for example, product type, collections, tags, and historical data)
⚠️ Important: The recommendation logic itself is controlled by Shopify, not Kiwi. Kiwi does not manually rank or override which products are returned.
Can merchants customize which products appear?
Customization is limited, because the recommendations come directly from Shopify.
That said, merchants can influence results indirectly by:
Organizing products into clear collections
Using consistent product types and tags
Keeping product data clean and structured in Shopify
These improvements help Shopify generate more relevant recommendations overall.
Can this feature be turned off?
Currently, no.
At this time:
There is no toggle in Kiwi to disable fallback product recommendations when a recommended size is sold out
The behavior is automatic and designed to prevent a dead-end experience for shoppers
👉 A toggle may be added in the future, but it is not available yet.
If you want help understanding why certain products are being recommended:
Review your Shopify product setup (collections, tags, product types)
Contact Kiwi Support and include:
Your Shopify domain
The product being tested
Screenshots of the recommendation behavior
We’re happy to take a look and help you optimize it 👍