How to Add Upsells and Cross-Sells in WooCommerce for Beginners

If you run a WooCommerce store for any length of time, you eventually notice that most visitors only buy a single product unless you actively guide them toward related items. That is where upsells and cross-sells become useful.

WooCommerce already includes built-in tools for recommending additional products, but many store owners either ignore them completely or configure them poorly. I often see stores displaying unrelated products, duplicate recommendations, or overly aggressive upsell sections that hurt the shopping experience instead of improving conversions.

When set up properly, upsells and cross-sells can increase average order value without making your store feel pushy. The goal is simply to help customers discover products that genuinely make sense together.

Quick Answer

Upsells in WooCommerce recommend a better or upgraded version of a product, while cross-sells recommend related products that complement the current purchase.

You can configure both directly inside the WooCommerce product editor under the Linked Products section. Upsells usually appear on product pages, while cross-sells commonly appear in the cart.

Why Upsells and Cross-Sells Matter

Most WooCommerce stores focus heavily on getting traffic but spend very little time improving order value. Increasing conversion rates is important, but improving the value of each order can often have a faster impact on revenue.

For example:

• Someone buying a basic hosting setup may also need email hosting
• Someone purchasing a digital product may also want templates or guides
• Someone buying a physical product may need accessories or add-ons

In most WooCommerce sites I build, simple product recommendations usually perform better than aggressive popup promotions because they appear naturally during the shopping process.

They also improve navigation by helping visitors discover products they may not have found otherwise.

Understanding the Difference Between Upsells and Cross-Sells

Before setting them up, it helps to understand how WooCommerce treats each one.

Upsells

Upsells encourage customers to purchase a more advanced, premium, or upgraded version of the current product. This works especially well when combined with a strong product layout and persuasive product content. If you have not optimized your product pages yet, see How to Create a WooCommerce Product Page That Converts.

Example:

• Basic Website Package → Premium Website Package
• Standard Hosting → Managed Hosting
• Entry-Level Course → Full Course Bundle

WooCommerce normally displays upsells on the product page.

Cross-Sells

Cross-sells recommend complementary products that work alongside the current item.

Example:

• Website Hosting + Domain Registration
• Camera + Memory Card
• Online Course + Workbook

WooCommerce usually displays cross-sells inside the shopping cart.

How to Add Upsells in WooCommerce

Step 1: Open Your Product

In WordPress:

• Go to Products
• Edit the product you want to configure

Scroll down to the Product Data section.

Step 2: Open Linked Products

Inside Product Data:

• Click Linked Products

You will see separate fields for:

• Upsells
• Cross-sells

Step 3: Add Upsell Products

Inside the Upsells field:

• Search for products you want to recommend
• Select one or more products

Choose products that are:

• More advanced
• Higher priced
• Better versions of the current product

Avoid adding random products just to fill the section.

For example, if someone is viewing a beginner website package, recommending a premium website package makes sense. Recommending unrelated merchandise usually does not.

Step 4: Update the Product

Click Update to save your changes.

Visit the product page to confirm the upsells appear correctly.

Depending on your theme, the section may appear as:

• “You may also like”
• “Recommended products”
• “Upgrade options”
• Similar wording

How to Add Cross-Sells in WooCommerce

The process is almost identical.

Step 1: Open the Product Editor

Go to:

• Products
• Edit Product

Step 2: Open Linked Products

Scroll to:

• Product Data
• Linked Products

Step 3: Add Cross-Sell Products

Inside the Cross-sells field:

• Search for related products
• Add products that naturally complement the current item

Good cross-sells solve additional needs.

For example:

• Hosting → SSL certificate
• WordPress course → SEO guide
• Laptop → Carry case

In my experience, cross-sells perform best when they help customers complete a setup rather than simply increasing the order total.

Step 4: Test the Cart Page

Add the product to your cart and check whether the cross-sells appear properly.

Some WooCommerce themes style this section differently, so it is worth checking both desktop and mobile layouts.

Practical Tips for Better WooCommerce Product Recommendations

Keep Recommendations Relevant

This is the most important rule.

Poorly matched products reduce trust quickly. Customers can usually tell when recommendations exist purely to increase sales.

Try to connect products logically.

Limit the Number of Recommendations

Too many recommendations create visual clutter.

I usually recommend:

• 2–4 upsells
• 2–4 cross-sells

This keeps the layout clean and focused.

Use Higher-Margin Products as Upsells

Upsells work well for:

• Premium services
• Bundles
• Extended support
• Templates
• Memberships
• Higher-tier plans

This improves revenue without requiring additional traffic. For example, many WooCommerce stores use product bundles in WooCommerce as upsells because bundled offers naturally increase average order value while simplifying the buying process.

Check Mobile Layouts

Some WooCommerce themes display recommendation sections poorly on mobile devices.

Always test:

• Product pages
• Cart pages
• Checkout flow

especially after changing themes or plugins.

Use Product Images Carefully

Upsells and cross-sells rely heavily on visuals.

Products with poor images or inconsistent formatting tend to receive fewer clicks.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Recommending Unrelated Products

This is extremely common.

A recommendation should feel helpful, not random.

Adding Too Many Upsells

If every product page contains large recommendation grids, customers may become distracted from completing the purchase.

Ignoring Cart Cross-Sells

Many store owners configure product page upsells but completely ignore the cart page.

Cart cross-sells often convert well because customers are already close to checkout.

Forgetting to Test Theme Compatibility

Some themes override WooCommerce layouts and hide recommendation sections entirely.

If recommendations do not appear:

• Check WooCommerce settings
• Test with a default theme
• Check theme documentation

Using Identical Products as Upsells

An upsell should offer a meaningful upgrade.

Recommending nearly identical products often creates confusion instead of increasing sales.

When to Use Plugins Instead

WooCommerce’s built-in linked products system works well for many stores, especially smaller websites.

However, larger stores may eventually need advanced features such as:

• Automated product recommendations
• AI-based recommendations
• Frequently bought together sections
• Dynamic cart offers
• Post-purchase upsells

Plugins can help if you manage a large catalog or want more advanced targeting. WooCommerce also provides official documentation explaining how linked products, upsells, and cross-sells work within the platform. You can review the documentation here: WooCommerce Related Products, Upsells, and Cross-Sells Documentation.

For simpler websites, the default WooCommerce system is usually enough.

Final Thoughts

WooCommerce upsells and cross-sells are simple to configure, but they work best when recommendations genuinely help customers.

Focus on relevant products, avoid clutter, and test the shopping experience on both desktop and mobile devices. Even small improvements to product recommendations can increase average order value over time without changing your traffic levels.