This guide provides comprehensive instructions for implementing and managing product recommendations in email and SMS messages.
Overview
If you have integrated your product catalog via a platform like Shopify or the Attentive Product Catalog API, you can add dynamic product recommendations to your messages. The platform utilizes various Recommendation Models to suggest items based on subscriber behavior or catalog trends.
Requirements:
- Catalog Data: You must provide product images, prices, and links, even if you do not plan to display all attributes.
- Product data can be synced from:
- Shopify
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud
- BigCommerce
- WooCommerce
- Google Merchant Center
- Magento
- Olo
- Yotpo
- Product data can be synced from:
- Availability: Recommendations only include items currently in stock and exclude gift cards or insurance products.
Available Recommendation Models
You can select from several models to power your recommendations. "Personalized Recommendations" is the default primary model, while "Best Sellers" serves as the default fallback.
| Category | Model | Description |
| Personalized | Personalized Recommendations (default existing model) | Recommend the most relevant products to each customer based on their engagement and preferences over time. |
| Customers Also Bought | Recommend products commonly purchased by similar shoppers. It’s the perfect digital upsell, suggesting the matching accessory or companion item right before checkout. | |
| Top Products | Best Sellers (default fallback model) | Recommend products with the highest purchase volume, highlighting proven items that consistently convert.
This is your "social proof" tool. It shows shoppers what's popular and trending, which builds trust and encourages a quick purchase. |
| Most Viewed | Recommend products with the highest shopper views, showcasing items generating the most attention and interest.
This shows you what's generating the most buzz. It's perfect for promoting high-interest items that shoppers are actively researching but just need one final nudge to buy. | |
| Most Added to Cart | Recommend products most frequently added to cart, spotlighting items with strong purchase intent across shoppers. This model captures pure, high-intent items. These are products shoppers want to buy. Use this in browse or cart abandonment messages to effectively recover sales. | |
| New & Trending Products | New Arrivals | Recommend products most recently added to your catalog. Instantly promote your latest drop. No more manually updating campaigns, set it once, and your messages will always feature your freshest items, driving excitement with your most loyal customers. |
| Trending Views | Recommend products with spikes in shopper views, highlighting what’s capturing attention right now. This helps you capitalize on viral moments in real-time. It highlights items that are just starting to take off right now, letting you ride the wave of a new trend. | |
| Trending Add to Carts | Recommend products with spikes in add-to-cart activity, showcasing items with strong purchase intent. This is a powerful, real-time buying signal. It shows you what's converting from "just browsing" to "ready to buy" at the fastest rate. | |
| Trending Purchases | Recommend products with spikes in purchase activity, spotlighting products quickly gaining traction at checkout. This is your "hot right now" list. It goes beyond "Best Sellers" (which is over a longer period) to show what's flying off the shelves today. It’s the ultimate tool for creating urgency. |
How to Implement Recommendations
Email Setup
Open the email design you’re working on and click on Edit Content to open the email editor
- Drag the PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS block into the body of your email.
- Click Add product recommendations.
- Select which products to include in recommendations.
- Select Models: Choose a Primary Model and a Fallback Model from the dropdown menus.
- For non-personalized models, select a Look-back Window (e.g., Past 30 Days).
- Configure Layout: Choose the number of products (up to 10), columns, and image orientation.
- Finalize Details: Select which product fields to display (e.g., Price, Name) and set button text.
SMS Setup
SMS messages are limited to one product recommendation at a time.
- Select Content Type: In the message composer, click the "+" icon to add a Dynamic Image.
- Insert Variable: Click the "{ }" icon and select Recommendation to insert the product data.
- Configure Fallback: Specify a fallback message to be sent if a recommendation cannot be generated. This message should not include product macros.
Automatic Exclusions and Best Practices
- Journey Exclusions: The system automatically excludes the last five products a subscriber purchased in the past year and the specific product that triggered the journey (e.g., the item in a Browse Abandonment trigger).
- SMS Optimization: Use MMS for product images and keep product names short to accommodate character limits.
- Testing: Always send test messages to ensure dynamic macros and images resolve correctly before launching.
Need Inspo?
- Use "New Arrivals" or “Most Viewed” in your weekly campaign broadcasts. Send a "What's New This Week?" message to your subscribers, and let the model handle pulling in your latest products or most viewed.
- Use "Best Sellers" or “New Arrivals” for new subscriber welcome journeys. When a shopper is new to your brand, show them what everyone else loves or whats new.. It's a perfect way to grab new subscribers' attention.
- Win Back Lost Sales: Put "Most Added to Cart" and "Personalized" in your cart abandonment journeys. This 1-2 punch reminds them of what they wanted and shows them what they'll love, turning high intent into a finished purchase.
- Instantly Boost AOV: Use "Customers also bought" in your post-purchase messages. It’s the perfect, automated upsell ("Want the matching item?") that hits customers right when they're already in a buying mindset.
- Spark Real-Time FOMO: Use "Trending Purchases" or "Trending Views" for a "Hot Right Now" campaign. These models spot what's flying off the shelves today, letting you capitalize on viral trends before they're over.