Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aftersell.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

​

Post-Purchase Best Practices

This guide covers everything you need to build a high-performing post-purchase upsell strategy in Aftersell - from funnel architecture and product selection to discount strategy, copy and design, industry-specific playbooks, and testing. Whether you are setting up your first funnel or optimizing an existing setup, these best practices are based on patterns from top-performing Aftersell merchants.

---

​

Funnel architecture

Your funnel architecture determines which customers see which offers, and in what order. Getting this right is the single biggest lever for post-purchase revenue.

​

How the post-purchase funnel flow works

Before building funnels, make sure you understand how the offer flow works. For a full walkthrough, see Post-Purchase Overview. In short: after checkout, Upsell #1 is shown. If the customer accepts, Upsell #2 is shown as a follow-up. If the customer declines, a Downsell is shown instead. After all offers are completed, the customer lands on the Thank You Page.

​

Start with your hero products

Build dedicated funnels for your 3 to 6 highest-volume products first. These are the items that generate 60 to 80% of your store’s revenue, and targeting them ensures your highest-traffic orders always see a relevant, optimized upsell. Traits of a hero product:

• High sales volume and strong contribution to profitability
• Market leadership in their category
• Broad customer appeal and positive reviews
• Receives dedicated marketing efforts and promotion

​

Set up a catch-all funnel

A catch-all funnel ensures that every order - even those that do not match your hero product funnels - still sees an upsell offer. This is one of the most commonly missed steps, and skipping it means leaving revenue on the table. How to set it up:

1. Set the trigger to “Show for All Customers”
2. Assign it the lowest priority so it only fires when no other funnel matches
3. Include Thank You Page upsells in this funnel for full post-purchase coverage

You can adjust funnel priority by clicking the Manage Priority button at the top right of the funnel table.

​

Use Smart Funnel as your first layer

Smart Funnel uses Rokt’s AI and machine learning models to automatically select the most relevant upsell offer for each customer. It evaluates at Priority 0 (before all manual funnels), making it a powerful first layer in your strategy. We recommend enabling Smart Funnel alongside your manual funnels. It handles the dynamic targeting automatically while your manual funnels cover specific use cases, Thank You Page offers, and edge cases Smart Funnel does not reach.

​

Add follow-up offers to your funnel

Do not stop at the first offer. A well-structured funnel includes offers on both the accept and decline paths:

• Upsell #1 - Your primary offer (highest-margin or most complementary product)
• Upsell #2 (accept path) - Shown when Upsell #1 is accepted. Use this for an additional complementary product or a related add-on
• Downsell #1 (decline path) - Shown when Upsell #1 is declined. Use this for a lower-price alternative or a smaller version of the original offer
• Thank You Page offers - Product recommendations and upsells on the order confirmation page, shown to every customer regardless of what happened on the post-purchase page

This means every customer sees at least two offers (one on the accept or decline path, plus the Thank You Page), and customers who engage see even more.

​

Manage funnel priority intentionally

When multiple funnels match the same order, Aftersell uses the priority order to determine which one fires. Review your priority list regularly:

• Hero product funnels should have higher priority than your catch-all
• Smart Funnel always evaluates at Priority 0 (highest)
• Seasonal or promotional funnels should be temporarily elevated during campaigns

---

​

Product selection

Choosing the right products to upsell has a direct impact on conversion rate. The goal is relevance - customers are far more likely to accept an offer that feels like a natural extension of what they just bought.

​

Complementary products outperform same-product offers

Upselling a complementary product (for example, sandals with a dress, a phone case with a phone, a serum with a moisturizer) consistently outperforms offering the same product the customer just purchased. The exception is consumable or replenishable products where buying a second unit makes sense.

​

Strategic product placement across the funnel

Since the funnel flow is based on accept and decline actions, think strategically about what goes where:

• Upsell #1: Your strongest, most complementary offer with the highest expected conversion rate
• Upsell #2 (accept path): The customer just said yes - they are engaged. Show a second complementary item or a related add-on. This is a warm audience
• Downsell #1 (decline path): The customer said no to the first offer. Show a lower-price alternative, a smaller size, or a different product category. Reduce the commitment level to recover the conversion

​

AI recommendations vs. manual selection

Aftersell supports both AI-powered and manually selected product offers:

• AI recommendations (automatic upsells) use Shopify’s Recommendation API to suggest complementary products based on the customer’s order. The recommendations consider factors like purchase correlation, order frequency, and product affinity. For stores with very few orders or recently added products, Shopify may not have enough data to generate recommendations - in that case, you can manually add related products in the Shopify Search & Discovery app. You can exclude specific products from automatic upsells under Settings > Automatic upsells > Excluded products.
• Manual selection gives you full control over exactly which products appear. This is best for curated campaigns, seasonal promotions, or when you know your catalog deeply.

We recommend A/B testing AI vs. manual to see which performs better for your store. Many merchants find that AI outperforms manual selection for high-traffic, diverse catalogs, while manual selection wins for stores with a smaller, curated product line.

​

Quantity defaults

For lower-cost or consumable products, test offering a default quantity of 2 instead of 1. If the x2 offer is accepted more often, it means increased revenue with no extra effort. This works especially well for supplements, food items, skincare, and other replenishable goods.

---

​

Discount strategy

Discounts are one of the strongest levers for post-purchase conversion, but the approach matters more than the amount.

​

Always offer a discount on post-purchase upsells

Post-purchase offers convert significantly better with a discount than without one. The customer has already committed to a purchase and is in a buying mindset - a discount at this moment feels like a reward, not a sales tactic.

​

Use compare-at pricing

Enable compare-at pricing to visually emphasize the value of your upsell offer. Displaying a higher “compare at” price alongside a lower discounted price makes the deal feel more compelling, even with a smaller actual discount. Example:

• Regular price: $20
• Compare at price: $25
• Customer sees: ~~$25~~$20

​

Round your discount percentages

Always round to the nearest 5th - for example, offer 25% or 30% instead of 27%. Round numbers look more intentional and can boost conversion rates.

​

Finding the right discount level

A/B test different discount levels to find the sweet spot for your store. The goal is to determine how low you can set the discount without hurting your conversion rate. Common starting points by category:

• Fashion and apparel: 10-20% off
• Supplements and health: 15-25% off
• Beauty and skincare: 10-20% off
• Food and beverage: 15-25% off
• Electronics and accessories: 5-15% off
• Home goods: 10-20% off

These are starting ranges for testing - your optimal discount depends on your margins, product pricing, and customer behavior.

​

Discount strategy across the funnel

Consider varying your discount by funnel position:

• Upsell #1: Your standard discount (for example, 15% off)
• Upsell #2 (accept path): Can be the same or slightly lower - the customer is already engaged and buying
• Downsell #1 (decline path): Consider a slightly higher discount to recover the customer who just said no. A bigger discount on a lower-price item can be very effective here

​

When to use percentage vs. fixed dollar discounts

• Percentage discounts work better for higher-priced items where the dollar savings feel significant (for example, “20% off” on a $100 item =$20 saved)
• Fixed dollar discounts work better for lower-priced items where a percentage feels small (for example, “$5 off" feels better than "10$50 item)

A/B test both formats to see which resonates with your customers.

---

​

Copy and design

First impressions are crucial on post-purchase pages. Customers make snap judgments, so your value proposition needs to be impossible to miss.

​

Emphasize key points with bold text and color

Draw attention to the most persuasive elements of your upsell page. Phrases worth highlighting:

• The discount percentage or dollar amount
• “LIMITED TIME” or urgency language
• Countdown timers
• Free shipping mentions

​

Write clear, benefit-focused headlines

Your headline should tell the customer exactly what they are getting and why it matters. Lead with the benefit, not the product name.

• Good: “Complete your look - 20% off matching accessories”
• Avoid: “You might also like these products”

​

Configure your accept and decline buttons intentionally

The Buttons widget gives you control over how the accept and decline buttons behave and appear. However, Shopify requires that the accept and decline button text follows strict guidelines - the button wording cannot be customized, only translated into a selected language. What you can configure:

• Accept button text - Choose between “Pay Now” (displays “Pay now - Product total price”) or “Accept Offer” (displays “Accept offer - Product total price”)
• Button language - Select from all supported Shopify Checkout locales to automatically translate both accept and decline button text into the customer’s language
• Button layout - Choose accept above decline, decline above accept, or side by side
• Decline button style - Button or link format
• Button alignment and width - Adjust positioning to match your offer design
• Supporting text - Add optional text above or below the buttons with styling controls and dynamic variable support

​

”Require Confirmation Click to Accept”

“Require Confirmation Click to Accept” is available in the Buttons widget for individual offers. This setting adds a second confirmation step before an upsell is accepted. It is worth being aware of if you are using the Most Expensive or Least Expensive in Cart product types, which re-offer items from the customer’s original order. If you find that customers are reaching out about unintended purchases on these offer types, this setting can help. It is not needed for all offers, as the additional step may reduce conversion rates. Learn more →

​

Long-form vs. short-form offer pages

• Short-form pages offer concise information, faster load times, and a streamlined experience. They work well for lower-priced, impulse-friendly products.
• Long-form pages provide detailed product descriptions, features, benefits, and additional images. They work better for higher-ticket products where customers need more information before committing.

We generally recommend starting with short-form and testing long-form for higher-ticket items.

​

Multi-step offers within a single page

If you want to show multiple products on a single upsell page (for example, three accessories on Upsell #1), you can use multi-step offers. Multi-step splits a single page into sequential steps where each step shows a different product. If the customer declines a step, they see the next step on the same page. If they accept, they move to the next page in the funnel (for example, from Upsell #1 to Upsell #2). Multi-step is only available for multi-product upsells and supports up to 12 products per page. We recommend keeping the number of steps minimal for a smooth customer experience.

---

​

Thank You Page strategy

Not every order qualifies for 1-click post-purchase upsells due to Shopify’s post-purchase restrictions. Thank You Page upsells act as a fallback, ensuring those customers still see an offer. Unlike 1-click post-purchase offers, Thank You Page offers work with all payment methods.

​

Include Thank You Page offers in every funnel

Set up Thank You Page upsells in every funnel, including your catch-all. Each funnel’s Thank You Page widgets must be configured individually - there is no way to standardize them across multiple funnels. This means if you have 5 funnels, you need to configure the TYP section in each one. Step by step:

1. Open your funnel in the Aftersell admin
2. Scroll to the Thank You Page section
3. Click Add Widget and select Product Recommendation
4. Choose your product selection method, configure your discount, and save
5. Repeat for each funnel, including your catch-all

​

Choose the right product selection method

Thank You Page product recommendation widgets support three selection methods. Choose the one that fits your store:

• Automatic Upsells - Lets Aftersell recommend products based on the customer’s cart contents. This is the easiest option and tends to convert well because the recommendations are personalized to what the customer just bought. Start here if you are unsure which products to show.
• Specific Products - Manually select up to 10 products to display. Use this when you want full control, such as promoting a specific product, clearing overstock, or running a seasonal campaign.
• Collections - Display products from a specific Shopify collection. Use this when you want variety within a curated set (for example, showing items from the same collection the customer purchased from).

​

Apply a discount to your TYP offers

You can apply a percentage or fixed dollar discount directly within the TYP widget. We recommend always including a discount on Thank You Page upsells to give customers a reason to act. Use compare-at price display to visually show the savings.

​

Set the right order handling method

When a customer accepts a Thank You Page upsell, you choose how the order is processed:

• Modify original order - Adds the upsell product to the existing order. Free shipping is automatically applied. Use this for a seamless experience where everything ships together.
• Create new draft order - Creates a separate order for the upsell. Use this if your fulfillment workflow requires separate orders or if you want to offer free shipping only on the upsell (toggle available).

​

Use banner text to frame the offer

Add a short banner headline above your product recommendations to give customers context. Framing like “Complete the look,” “Pairs well with your order,” or “Customers who bought this also loved” performs better than showing products with no context.

​

Add the app block in Shopify

After configuring your Thank You Page widgets in Aftersell, you must add the Aftersell TY widget app block to both the Thank You page and the Order Status page in your Shopify Editor, then enable it and save. Skipping this step will cause your Thank You Page widgets to not display for customers.

---

​

Upsell strategies by industry

Different product categories have different upsell dynamics. For detailed playbooks tailored to your vertical - including recommended products, discount ranges, funnel triggers, and testing priorities for fashion, supplements, food and beverage, beauty, electronics, home goods, and automotive - see Post-Purchase Strategies by Industry.

---

​

Testing

A/B testing and multivariate testing are the most effective ways to improve funnel performance over time. See the full Post-Purchase A/B Testing and Post-Purchase Multivariate Testing guides for detailed setup instructions.

​

Key tests to prioritize

These are the highest-impact tests based on patterns from top-performing merchants:

1. AI (dynamic) vs. specific product (static) upsells - Determines whether automated product matching outperforms your manual curation
2. Default quantity 1 vs. 2 - Especially impactful for consumables and lower-cost products
3. Long-form vs. short-form offer pages - Tests whether customers need more information or prefer a streamlined experience
4. Same product vs. complementary product - Tests repurchase vs. cross-sell
5. Single product vs. multi-product - Tests simplicity vs. choice
6. Varying discount percentages - Finds the minimum discount needed to maintain conversion rate

​

Data guidelines

Before making changes to a funnel, ensure it has run for a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks or collected at least 100 to 200 impressions per layout. Changes made too early are based on insufficient data and can lead to misleading conclusions. Regularly analyze performance data to refine offers, placements, and product selections. An iterative approach helps identify high-conversion strategies while ensuring all changes are based on reliable data. Use the Revenue per visit metric as your primary performance indicator over time, as it accounts for unique visits rather than raw impressions.

---

​

Common mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls when setting up and optimizing your post-purchase funnels: ❌ No catch-all funnel - some orders will never see an upsell because they do not match any funnel triggers. Set up a catch-all funnel with the “Show for All Customers” trigger at the lowest priority so every order sees an offer. Fix it → ❌ No Thank You Page upsells - orders that are ineligible for 1-click post-purchase offers (due to Shopify payment method restrictions) go unconverted. Add Thank You Page upsells to every funnel, including your catch-all. Make sure to add the Aftersell TY widget app block to both the Thank You page and Order Status page in your Shopify Editor. Fix it → ❌ No downsell configured - if a customer declines Upsell #1 and there is no downsell on the decline path, you have missed a second chance to convert. Always configure a downsell with a lower-price alternative for the decline path. You can add a downsell in the funnel editor when building your post-purchase funnel. Fix it → ❌ Irrelevant upsell offers - generic offers that do not relate to what the customer bought reduce conversions and erode trust. Use collection-based triggers and complementary product selection to match offers to what the customer purchased. Fix it → ❌ Underutilizing AI tools - missing out on dynamic personalization that often outperforms manual selection, especially for stores with large or diverse catalogs. Enable Smart Funnel and test AI recommendations in your manual funnels. Fix it → ❌ Making changes too early - optimizing before collecting enough data leads to decisions based on noise rather than signal. Wait for at least 2 to 4 weeks or 100 to 200 impressions per layout before drawing conclusions. Fix it → ❌ Not testing - running the same offer indefinitely without testing leaves performance gains on the table. Run at least one A/B test per quarter on your highest-traffic funnels. Fix it →

---

​

Need help?

If you have questions about setting up or optimizing your post-purchase upsell strategy, chat with our support team using the live chat at the bottom right of the app.