---
title: "Understanding Product Modules"
description: "Understand how product modules source, order, and filter products for an upsell strategy."
url: https://docs.orderediting.com/en/articles/15323564-understanding-product-modules
collection: "Product Modules"
updated: 2026-11-09
language: en
---

# Understanding Product Modules

Understand how product modules source, order, and filter products for an upsell strategy.

# The simple model

An upsell strategy answers two separate questions:

-   **Who and where:** placement, market, and customer targeting decide whether the strategy matches.
    
-   **What:** product modules supply the products the matching strategy can show.
    

A matching strategy does not guarantee an offer. At least one module must return a product that is eligible for the customer, market, placement, and current inventory settings.

# How modules are evaluated

Order Editing evaluates the modules in their displayed order. An earlier module is the preferred source. If it returns no eligible products, a later configured module can provide the offer.

This makes later modules useful as backup sources. They do not replace strategy targeting and they should support the same customer promise.

# Main module groups

-   **Fixed selection:** **Single Product** and **Group of Products** give you direct control over the offer.
    
-   **Catalogue discovery:** **Collection**, **Keyword Search**, **SKU Similarity**, **SKU Matches**, and **Metafields** use catalogue structure.
    
-   **Recommendations:** **Related Products**, **Complementary Products**, **Recently Viewed**, and **Recent Bestsellers** change with product or customer data.
    
-   **Subscriptions and bundles:** subscription, upgrade, and mix-and-match modules support specialised purchase journeys.
    
-   **Connected services:** Nosto, AthosCommerce (Searchspring), Swish and Profit Peak modules require their related data or integration setup. Profit Peak reads recommendation metafields and does not require an API key in Order Editing.
    

The **Gift Card** module is retired. Use the current picker to confirm what is available for each placement.

# Product filtering happens after selection

Order Editing filters module results for availability, market access, inventory, hidden-product rules, purchase history settings, and placement support. A product visible in Shopify or in the picker may still be excluded for a particular customer journey.

# Choose the right approach

Use a fixed module when the offer must be predictable. Use discovery or recommendation modules when results should adapt to the cart, catalogue, or customer. Add a later backup module only when an empty result would otherwise leave the placement without an offer.

Preview with the market and customer context the module needs. If no product appears, check the module's required selection first, then product status, market availability, inventory, and strategy restrictions.

# Why a preview can differ from a customer’s offer

A preview may use sample products or a qualifying sample cart to show an offer's design. Use a real cart for checkout matching or an existing eligible order for post-purchase editing. Record the actual source product, market and module when investigating a missing recommendation.

## Related

- [Product Modules](https://docs.orderediting.com/en/articles/14466379-product-modules.md)
- [Upsell Products from Cart Module](https://docs.orderediting.com/en/articles/15323570-upsell-products-from-cart-module.md)
- [Upsell / Downsell Module](https://docs.orderediting.com/en/articles/15323568-upsell-downsell-module.md)
- [Subscription Upsell Module](https://docs.orderediting.com/en/articles/15323559-subscription-upsell-module.md)
- [Single Product Module](https://docs.orderediting.com/en/articles/15323557-single-product-module.md)