How to Set Up WooCommerce Related Products in 2025

Last Updated on December 2, 2025 by Himanshu Rawat

WooCommerce related products are a powerful sales tool that can help you increase your online store’s average order value by recommending products similar to or complementary to the one a customer is viewing. They keep shoppers engaged, encourage exploration, and can lead to more purchases by showcasing targeted product suggestions at key points in the buying journey.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what WooCommerce-related products are, their types, how they work, and how to set up WooCommerce related products up to make the most of this powerful feature.

What Are WooCommerce Related Products?

WooCommerce related products are additional items displayed on product pages, often below the main product details. These recommended products can be based on various criteria, such as shared categories or tags, or manually curated by the store owner. Their primary purpose is to drive customers to discover and buy more products, thus increasing the store’s overall revenue.

By default, WooCommerce automatically shows related products based on shared product categories and tags. 

For example, if a customer is viewing hiking boots in the “waterproof” category, related products might include other waterproof shoes or hiking gear from the same category or tags. However, this automatic method can be customized or replaced with manual selections or smart recommendations through plugins.

Types of WooCommerce Related Products

WooCommerce offers three main types of related product recommendations designed to enhance the shopping experience and boost sales:

1. Category and Tag Related Products: These are automatically generated product suggestions based on shared categories and tags with the current product. This is WooCommerce’s default behavior for related products, helping customers discover similar or complementary items without any manual setup. 

For example, if a product belongs to the “Running Shoes” category and is tagged “Outdoor,” other items with the same category or tag will be shown as related products on that product’s page.

Tip: You can customize related product displays using plugins such as Related Products for WooCommerce or WooCommerce Product Recommendations.

2. Cross-sells: These are products recommended specifically on the cart or checkout pages to encourage customers to add complementary or supplementary goods. 

Example: HP Online Store – Cross-sells in Action

When you visit the HP Store and add a laptop like the HP Pavilion x360 to your cart, HP immediately recommends related accessories such as:

• HP Bluetooth Mouse 250
• HP Laptop Sleeve 15.6-inch
• HP USB-C Dock G5

These items appear right below or beside the cart summary before checkout, prompting customers to consider adding them for convenience or protection.

3. Upsells: Upsell products are higher-end or premium alternatives to the current product. These are displayed on the product page and suggest better or more expensive options to customers, encouraging them to upgrade or choose a more feature-rich item.

Many WooCommerce stores combine these related product types to maximize customer engagement and drive multiple sales opportunities across the shopping journey, from browsing to checkout.

Why Use Related Products?

Showing related products on product pages provides numerous benefits for both your customers and your WooCommerce store:

• Increases Average Order Value: By recommending additional products that complement or enhance the main item, customers are encouraged to add more items to their cart, directly boosting your sales revenue.
• Enhances Shopping Experience: Related products help customers easily discover complementary or alternative products they might not have initially considered, making their shopping journey more enjoyable and efficient. 56% of online shoppers are more likely to return to a site that provides personalized recommendations.
• Boosts Customer Retention: By presenting relevant suggestions, you keep shoppers engaged on your site longer, increasing the likelihood they return to your store for future purchases. Returning customers spend on average 67% more than new ones, and related product suggestions help keep them coming back.
• Promotes Best Sellers and New Arrivals: Featuring popular or newly launched items alongside the current product helps draw attention to these high-value products, driving more sales and keeping your inventory fresh in customers’ minds.

These benefits not only increase sales but also improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by creating a more personalized and seamless shopping experience.

How to Set Up WooCommerce Related Products

Now that you know why related products are important, let’s look at how to set up WooCommerce related products using built-in settings, plugins, or page builders like SeedProd to make your store more engaging and boost conversions.

1. Using WooCommerce Default Settings

WooCommerce automatically displays related products based on shared categories and tags. This means that if two products share the same category or tag, they’ll appear as related on each other’s pages.

There’s no extra configuration needed; just make sure each product is properly categorized and tagged for accurate recommendations.

Tip: Use specific tags and well-structured categories to help WooCommerce show the most relevant product suggestions.

2. Customizing with Plugins

If you want more control over which products appear as related, you can use a related products plugin such as:

• WebToffee Related Products
• Booster for WooCommerce

These plugins let you:

• Manually select related, upsell, or cross-sell products.
• Customize display options like layout, order, and number of products.
• Exclude or disable WooCommerce’s default related products to prevent duplicates.

This method is ideal if you prefer tailored recommendations that align with your marketing goals or promotional campaigns.

3. Using Page Builders (e.g., SeedProd)

If you use a page builder like SeedProd, you can design and place related products anywhere on your site  product pages, cart, checkout, or even the homepage.

Here’s how:

Step 1. Install and activate your preferred WooCommerce-compatible page builder.

Step 2. Choose a WooCommerce template kit or start from scratch.

Step 3. Use drag-and-drop blocks to add related products where you want them.

Step 4. Customize the design, layout, and number of products visually.

Step 5. Use the Advanced tab to quickly adjust typography, colors, spacing, buttons, attributes, and device visibility for a more polished block design.

Step 6. Be sure to click Save so your changes are kept, then publish your customized layout to make it live instantly.

This approach gives you full creative control and helps maintain consistent branding across your entire store.

Best Practices for WooCommerce Related Products

• Show Highly Relevant Products: Ensure related products match the customer’s interests to improve click-through and purchase rates.
• Use Clear Headings: Titles like “You May Also Like” or “Complete Your Look” guide customers to explore.
• Limit the Number: Display a reasonable number (3–6) of related items to avoid overwhelming shoppers.
• Keep Stock Status Updated: Exclude out-of-stock products to avoid frustration.
• Test Different Layouts: Experiment with grids, sliders, and placement to find what works best for your audience.

Final Thoughts

WooCommerce-related products are more than just a nice design feature; they’re a smart sales strategy that can significantly increase your store’s conversion rates and average order value. By suggesting relevant, complementary, or premium products at the right stage of the customer journey, you create a seamless shopping experience that feels personal and helpful rather than pushy.

Whether you rely on WooCommerce’s automatic recommendations or fine-tune them using plugins or page builders like SeedProd, the key is relevance and presentation. Keep your product suggestions meaningful, visually appealing, and limited in number to drive engagement without cluttering the page. When implemented effectively, related products can turn single purchases into bundled sales and one-time shoppers into loyal customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I manually choose which related products appear in WooCommerce?

Yes, you can. While WooCommerce automatically displays related products based on shared categories and tags, you can manually set related, upsell, or cross-sell products from the product edit page or use plugins like WebToffee Related Products or Booster for WooCommerce for full control.

2. What’s the difference between related products, cross-sells, and upsells?

• Related products are based on similar categories or tags.
• Cross-sells are complementary items shown on the cart page (e.g., laptop sleeve for a laptop).
• Upsells are premium alternatives displayed on product pages (e.g., a higher-end version of the same product).

3. How many related products should I show on a page?

It’s best to display 3 to 6 related items per page. Too many options can overwhelm customers and reduce conversion rates, while a few highly relevant ones encourage more engagement and purchases.

4. Can I hide or disable WooCommerce’s default related products?

Yes. You can disable default related products using a simple code snippet in your theme’s functions.php file or by using plugins that allow you to control or hide them to avoid duplication with manually selected recommendations.

5. Do related products improve SEO?

Indirectly, yes. Related products keep visitors on your site longer and help reduce bounce rates, which can positively influence your SEO. Additionally, linking between related products enhances the internal linking structure, helping search engines better understand your site content.