What is a product block?

A product block shows products from your store in an email. You choose a source for each block, and Instant AI fills the block with products from that source when the email sends.

Why you need one

  • The products update at each send, so you do not need to change them by hand.
  • Some sources choose products for each shopper, so two shoppers who get the same email can see different products.
  • Products that are out of stock or unavailable are removed before the email sends.

How to set it up

Adding a product block

  1. Open the campaign, flow email or template you want to edit
  2. In the left panel, find Add blocks and click View library
  3. Select Product under Instant library
  4. Click the block you want
  5. Click Insert

Choosing a source

  1. Click the product block in your email
  2. In the block settings, click the Source card
  3. Select a source from the list
  4. If the source has more options, click Next and set them
  5. Click Save
  6. Set Number of products, from 1 to 4
  7. Set the layout to Auto, List or Grid

Note: When you change the source, the number of products stays the same.

The sources you can choose

Source What it shows Options
Shopper personalised Products chosen for each shopper from what they viewed, added to cart and bought All products or Specific collections
Most recently viewed The products each shopper viewed most recently, newest first None
Trending products The most viewed products in your store right now. All shoppers see the same products. None
Best selling products Your top sellers All collections or Specific collections
Most recently added Your newest products first All collections or Specific collections
Pick your own Products you choose In a campaign, the original campaign products, or collections or products you pick
Similar Recommendations Products similar to the products you chose for the campaign Campaigns only
Flow Products Products from the event that started the flow, for example the shopper’s cart or the product they viewed Flows only. The editor shows which products it uses in that flow.

You can use Shopper personalised, Most recently viewed and Trending products in campaigns and in all flow emails that have a product block.

How it works

How Shopper personalised chooses products

  • Instant looks at what each shopper viewed and added to cart in the last 180 days, and what they bought in the last 365 days.
  • Purchases count the most, then cart adds, then views. Recent activity counts more than old activity.
  • Instant then finds products that other shoppers in your store often buy together with those products.
  • It does not show products the shopper already bought.
  • It usually does not show the products the shopper viewed most. To show those, use Most recently viewed.
  • If you choose Specific collections, only products in those collections can show.
  • Gift cards and product add-ons never show.

Note: Shopper personalised learns from your store’s orders. Instant starts to get it ready when you first save an email that uses this source. Until it is ready, the block shows Trending products.

How Most recently viewed chooses products

  • Instant shows the products each shopper viewed in the last 90 days, newest first.
  • Each product shows one time only, even if the shopper viewed it many times.
  • Instant ranks products by how many shoppers viewed them.
  • It uses the shortest period that has enough views. It tries the last day first, then 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90 days.
  • All shoppers see the same Trending products.

When a shopper does not have enough history

  • In a Shopper personalised or Most recently viewed block, Trending products fill any empty slots.
  • A shopper with no views, cart adds or purchases gets a full block of Trending products.
  • If Instant finds no products at all, the block is hidden. Shoppers never see an empty block.

Using more than one product block

  • Instant does not show the same product twice in one email.
  • Flow Products and Pick your own always show their products. Other blocks in the email skip those products.

What you see in the preview

The editor preview is not for a specific shopper. So Shopper personalised and Most recently viewed blocks show Trending products in the preview. Each shopper gets their own products when the email sends.

Tip: Use a Rich text block above the product block to add a heading, for example “Picked for you” or “Still thinking about these?”

FAQ

Why does my Shopper personalised block show Trending products in the preview? The preview has no shopper, so Instant cannot choose products for one. Each shopper gets their own products when the email sends.

Will a shopper see products they already bought? Not in a Shopper personalised block. Other sources, such as Best selling products, can show products a shopper has bought.

Why do some shoppers get Trending products in a Shopper personalised block? The shopper has no views, cart adds or purchases, or not enough shoppers in your store buy their products together with other products. Stores with a small range of products or fewer orders see this more.

Can I choose a different fallback? No. Shopper personalised and Most recently viewed always use Trending products to fill empty slots.

Can I show more than 4 products? Not in one block. Each block shows 1 to 4 products. To show more, add another product block. Instant does not repeat products across blocks.

Do out-of-stock products show? No. Instant removes products that are out of stock or unavailable before the email sends.

For more on adding blocks, see How to use the Block Library in Instant AI. For star ratings in product blocks, see How Reviews and Social Proof Work in Instant AI Emails.