Frequently Bought Together is a CollectAction module that analyzes your store's past orders and buying behavior to recommend products customers often buy together. It works on a "customers who bought this also bought" basis: suggestions don't rely on guesswork but on product combinations your customers have actually purchased in the same basket.
Why frequently bought together?
Your orders hold valuable knowledge about which products customers need together, yet in most stores that knowledge goes unused. Frequently Bought Together surfaces these patterns and presents them to new visitors. The result: more informed shopping, fewer forgotten items and a higher average order value through cross-selling. Because suggestions come from real customer choices, they also feel credible to the visitor.
How does it work?
- Order analysis: The module scans your past orders and identifies product pairs and groups that repeatedly appear in the same basket.
- Behavior data: Shifts in buying behavior are taken into account, so newly emerging combinations show up in the suggestions.
- Display: Suggestions appear on the product page or in the cart under a "Frequently bought together" heading, ready to add in one tap.
- Stock check: Out-of-stock items are removed from suggestions automatically.
How it differs from complementary and similar products
These three modules are often confused, but each answers a different question:
- Frequently Bought Together: "What did customers actually buy alongside this?" Its source is order history, and it sometimes reveals unexpected but real combinations.
- Complementary Products: "What completes this product?" Its source is product relationships, so it also works for new items without order history.
- Similar Products: "What could be bought instead?" It shows alternatives, not extra items for the basket.
For the best results, use Complementary Products on new items and Frequently Bought Together once products have enough sales history.
Example use
- Beauty: On a sunscreen page, the moisturizer and lip balm customers often buy with it.
- Baby products: A pacifier and bottle brush on a baby bottle page.
- Home and living: Filters and coffee commonly bought with a coffee machine.
- Cart page: Items often bought with what's in the cart, which the shopper may have forgotten.
Which e-commerce platforms does it work with?
With a single-line script it works with every platform, including Ticimax, IdeaSoft, ikas, T-Soft, Faprika, Akinon, Shopify, WooCommerce and custom software. It stays in sync with your product catalog and order data, with no theme or code changes required.
Related modules
Support basket growth by combining suggestions with the Quick Add to Cart Button, Show Remaining Amount for Free Shipping and Discount on Cart Page. For your own recommendation rules, see Recommender Maker. Guides: e-commerce product recommendation system and conversion solutions.
Get started today
Start using the hidden cross-sell opportunities in your order data today. No code, live in one day. Contact the CollectAction team for a 15-minute demo.