Amazon
Ivan Stefanovic
In the wild world of Amazon selling, smart sellers are using the Frequently Bought Together feature to increase their average order value (AOV) and deliver a stronger customer experience. This powerful but often underutilized tool can significantly grow your e-commerce revenue without the need for added ad spend.
At Booscala, we implement this strategy as part of a broader AOV optimization system for beauty and skincare brands often pairing it with Premium A+ content, virtual bundles, and post-purchase flows. For a complete breakdown, check out our companion post: 11 Ways to Increase Average Order Value on Amazon for Beauty Skincare Brands
Amazon’s Frequently Bought Together is more than just a convenience feature. It’s an automated cross-sell engine that helps surface products shoppers are likely to buy together and it works best when paired with the right product selection, listing optimization, and customer behavior insights.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to activate and optimize Frequently Bought Together, how the algorithm really works, and what steps you can take to increase AOV and outperform your category competitors.
What is Amazon’s Frequently Bought Together Feature
Amazon’s frequently bought together feature enhances customer experience by showing two or three items that go with the product a shopper is currently viewing. This recommendation appears on product detail pages, usually just below the main product info.
From a seller’s perspective, this is an automated upsell tool that helps increase sales conversion by promoting add-on products that other customers have bought together. The recommendations aren’t random, they’re based on actual purchasing patterns of Amazon shoppers who have bought these items together.
For example, if someone is browsing a digital camera, the frequently bought together section might show a memory card and camera case. This reminds shoppers of other products they might need but hadn’t thought of, helping them complete more satisfying purchases while increasing the seller’s average order value.
How the Frequently Bought Together Algorithm Works
Amazon’s algorithm uses item-to-item collaborative filtering to determine which products appear in the frequently bought together section. Understanding how this works can help sellers develop better strategies.
The algorithm looks at shopping carts before checkout, at patterns of what customers buy together. It examines:
Historical purchase data from previous customer transactions
Products viewed in the same browsing session
Products with natural complementarity (like a printer and ink cartridges)
Product ratings and popularity
For a particular product, Amazon creates recommendations based on actual shopping behavior rather than manually curated suggestions. This makes the feature super powerful as it’s based on real customer preferences not what sellers think will work well together.
The concept of relatedness is key here – the algorithm weighs how strongly items are connected based on purchase frequency together. Products with stronger connections are more likely to appear in the frequently bought together section.
It has many benefits for both sellers and shoppers on the Amazon platform:
For Amazon Sellers:
Increased Average Order Value: When customers buy multiple products, your revenue per transaction goes up.
Higher Sales Conversion: Shoppers are more likely to buy when products are presented as complementary to what they already want.
More Product Visibility: Having your products in recommendations gives them extra exposure without extra advertising costs.
Passive Upselling: The feature promotes related products without any extra effort from sellers.
Customer Satisfaction: Shoppers love being reminded of what they need, leading to more reviews.
For Amazon Shoppers:
Convenient Shopping: Customers find relevant products without having to search extensively.
Time Saving: The feature eliminates the need to browse multiple categories to find related products.
Need Fulfillment: Shoppers are reminded of products they might need but hadn’t thought of.
Personalized Experience: Recommendations are based on what other customers actually bought, so they’re super relevant.
This is why Amazon invests so much in its recommendation engine – it’s a win-win for the platform’s ecosystem.
Strategy 1: Build a Catalog of Complementary Products
While you can’t directly manipulate Amazon’s algorithm, you can use these strategies to get a competitive edge in the frequently bought together section:
Focus on Complementary Products
Develop a product catalog with products that naturally go together. When customers buy your products together, the algorithm starts to recognize these relationships and shows them accordingly.
For example, if you sell yoga mats, consider adding yoga blocks, straps or towels – products that logically go with the main product.
Strong Seller Metrics
Amazon’s algorithm takes into account seller performance when deciding which products to recommend. To improve your chances:
Low return rates
Timely shipments
Positive feedback
Competitive pricing
Using an Amazon repricer can help you develop competitive pricing strategies for your listings, so your products are more likely to be in recommendations.
Optimize Product Listings
Well-optimized product listings attract more Amazon shoppers and increase the chances of your products being bought together:
High-quality images that accurately represent your products
Detailed, benefit-focused descriptions
Relevant keywords in your listings
Compatibility with other products where applicableWhen Amazon customers can clearly see what your product is and how it works with other items, they’re more likely to buy multiple products together.
Strategy 2: Run Targeted Promotions to Influence FBT Placement
You can’t directly manipulate Amazon’s algorithm to favor your product in the frequently bought together section, but there are strategic ways to influence these recommendations:
Run Promos for Complementary Products
One way is to run promos for related products:
Identify products in your catalog that go together
Create limited time offers for buying them together
Add an “Add Both to Cart” button to your promo
Promote these offers through various channels
When customers take advantage of these promos, they tell Amazon’s algorithm that these products are bought together. Over time, the algorithm may start to recommend them organically.
For example, if you sell a camping tent, you might run a promo for a matching sleeping bag. When shoppers buy both, Amazon takes note of this pattern.
Strategic Product Bundling
Another approach is to bundle products:
Bundle complementary products together and sell as a single listing
Once the bundle has traction and sales history, unbundle the products and sell separately
If customers continue to buy these products separately, Amazon’s algorithm will start to recognize them as bought together
For example, you might initially sell a bundle of a smartphone case, screen protector and charging cable. After establishing sales, you can separate these into individual listings. If the pattern of buying together continues, the algorithm will likely recommend these products together.
The Frequently Bought Together Section
The frequently bought together section works like the Amazon Buy Box, with algorithmic controls deciding which products to show together. Understanding how it works can help sellers position their products better:
Automated Recommendation Engine
It’s an automated recommendation engine that requires no seller intervention. Amazon’s algorithm makes all decisions about which products to show together based on purchasing patterns.
Influencer of Buying Decisions
Because of its placement on product detail pages, the frequently bought together section heavily influences what customers add to their cart. Products in this section get more visibility and more sales potential.
Driver of Add-On Sales
It drives add-on sales by reminding customers of complementary products they might need. This increases the chance of multiple item purchases rather than single item transactions.### Enhancer of Shopping Experience
By showing related products, the section enhances the shopping experience, making it easier for customers to find everything they need in one place.
Strategy 3: Create Value-Focused Product Detail Pages
To get the most out of Amazon’s frequently bought together feature, try these strategies:
Develop Complementary Product Lines
Rather than selling random products, develop product lines where products naturally go together. This increases the chance Amazon shoppers will buy multiple products from your catalog.
For example, if you sell kitchen knives, expand into related categories like cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife blocks. When products are logically related, customers are more likely to buy them together.
Optimize Product Detail Pages
Make sure your product detail pages clearly communicate how your products work together:
Mention compatibility with other products
Include complementary products in your descriptions
Use high quality images that show products being used together
Address common questions about product combinations
When customers understand how products relate to each other, they’re more likely to buy them together, which feeds into Amazon’s algorithm.
Leverage Customer Reviews
Reviews play a big role in influencing purchasing decisions:
Encourage customers to review your products
Respond professionally to both positive and negative reviews
Address any issues that might prevent customers from buying multiple products
Highlight reviews that mention using your products together
When other customers see reviews that mention how well your products work together, they’re more likely to buy multiple items.
E-commerce Opportunities
Amazon’s recommendation engine creates e-commerce opportunities for sellers who know how to use it:
Personalized Shopping Experience
The frequently bought together feature is part of the personalized shopping experience customers expect. It uses AI to analyze purchase patterns and recommend products that are likely to be relevant to each customer.
This personalization builds customer loyalty and increases the chance of repeat business, as customers feel the platform understands their needs.
Additional Revenue Streams
For Amazon sellers, the frequently bought together feature creates an additional revenue stream through add-on sales that might not have happened otherwise. These incremental sales can add up to a big difference to a seller’s bottom line without extra marketing spend.
Enhanced Customer Lifetime Value
By showing customers complementary products within your catalog, you potentially increase their lifetime value as they become aware of your broader product range.
Strategy 4: Test and Refine Bundle Variants Based on FBT Performance
Product bundling strategies can help sellers influence which products appear in the frequently bought together section:
Create Strategic Bundles
Create bundles that combine complementary products in a way that makes sense to shoppers. The key is to create value rather than just grouping random products together.
For example, a bundle might include the main product along with the accessories or supplies needed to use it. This increases your average order value and establishes product relationships in Amazon’s system.
Test and Refine Bundles
Not all product combinations will work. Test different bundles to see which ones perform best:
Create several different bundle configurations
Monitor them over time
See which ones sell most
Unbundle the best sellers and sell them separately
See if Amazon starts recommending these products together
This test-and-learn approach will help you find the most effective product relationships.
Strategy 5: Monitor FBT and Competitor Data to Stay Ahead
Understanding how products perform in the frequently bought together section is valuable:
Multiple Recommendation Features
Amazon has several recommendation features beyond Frequently Bought Together:
“Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought”
“What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item”
“Sponsored Products Related to This Item”
Each of these features works slightly differently but serves the same purpose: to encourage shoppers to discover more products that might interest them.
Performance Tracking
Track which of your products are in recommendations and see the sales impact. This data will inform product development, inventory management and marketing strategies.
Look at:
Which product combinations appear most often
Conversion rate when your products are in recommendations
How recommendations vary across different product categories
Competitive Analysis
See which competitor products appear with yours in recommendations. This will give you insight into how customers see product relationships and which competitors are using the feature effectively.
Amazon Selling
To get the most out of the frequently bought together feature and sell more:
Optimize Product Listings
Create high quality, informative product listings with great images, detailed descriptions and relevant keywords. This will improve visibility in search results and recommendation features.
Make sure your listings:
Clearly communicate product benefits and features
Have high resolution images from multiple angles
Use bullet points to highlight key info
Include relevant keywords naturally
Competitive Pricing
Strategic pricing that balances profit with competition will help products perform well in Amazon’s algorithms, including those that drive recommendations.
Use an Amazon repricer to keep your prices competitive.Products with higher ratings and more reviews are more likely to be featured in recommendations. Focus on product quality and manage your reviews:
Ask satisfied customers for reviews
Address negative reviews promptly and professionally
Make product improvements based on customer feedback
Maintain high quality control standards
Reviews Matter
Reviews are key to increasing sales through Amazon’s Frequently Bought Together feature:
Review Quantity and Quality
Products with more positive reviews are more likely to be featured in recommendations. Create a review strategy:
Follow up with customers after purchase to ask for reviews
Make it easy for customers to leave reviews
Provide excellent customer service to encourage positive feedback
Address issues quickly to prevent negative reviews
Trust Indicators
Positive reviews are trust indicators for customers considering add-on purchases through the frequently bought together feature. When customers see both the main product and recommended items have positive reviews, they’re more likely to buy multiple products.
Customer Insights
Reviews often contain customer insights about how products are used together. Pay attention to reviews that mention related products or suggest combinations, as these can inform your product development and bundling strategies.
Frequently Bought Together Best Practices
To optimize for frequently bought together, follow these best practices:
Natural Complementarity
Rather than forcing unnatural product associations, focus on products that logically go together. The algorithm is designed to detect real purchasing patterns, not artificial ones.
For example, a phone case naturally goes with a new phone, while unrelated products won’t be recommended together consistently.
Quality Across Your Catalog
Ensuring all products meet high standards increases the chance they’ll get positive reviews and be featured in recommendations. Products with poor ratings or high return rates won’t be in the frequently bought together section.
Customer Journey
Understanding the customer journey and where complementary products add value helps inform product development and marketing strategies.
Think about the problems your customers are trying to solve and how multiple products can solve it together.
Monitor and Adapt
Amazon’s algorithms change regularly, including those that drive recommendations. Stay informed and adapt.
What works today might not work tomorrow, so continuous monitoring and adjustment is key to long term success.
Summary
Amazon’s Frequently Bought Together is a powerful recommendation engine that helps increase sales through add-on products shown directly on product pages. For sellers, it’s a low-effort way to drive more revenue per transaction. For shoppers, it enhances product discovery and basket building.
While the algorithm behind Frequently Bought Together is automated, there are clear strategies to improve your chances of being featured. These include maintaining strong seller metrics, creating tightly related product lines, optimizing listings, and leveraging customer reviews.
At Booscala, we apply these exact tactics for beauty and skincare brands looking to scale — often in combination with broader strategies like premium A+ content, virtual bundles, and retargeting. For a deeper dive, check out our blog: 11 Ways to Increase Average Order Value on Amazon for Beauty Skincare Brands
By connecting these strategies, sellers gain a competitive edge, deliver a more personalized customer experience, and lift AOV without heavy discounting. It’s a scalable way to turn casual shoppers into high-value buyers.
Start implementing these approaches today and let Booscala help you turn Amazon into a beauty growth engine.
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