Recommended item pairings let one catalog item reference other catalog items that customers may find complementary. Use them to associate separate products that naturally go together and help customers discover related items.
For example, a restaurant can associate a main dish with a drink, side, or dessert. A retail business can associate a product with a compatible accessory or another relevant item. The pairing is associated with the item that references the complementary products.
Prepare the related catalog items
Before you add pairings, make sure the products you want to associate already exist as items in your workspace catalog. Recommended pairings reference other catalog items, so select the separate complementary products you want to associate with the relevant item.
Recommended pairings are part of the item model. An item can also include media, pricing, variations, required option groups, optional extras or add-ons, categories, tags, and availability. Use the catalog capability that matches the relationship or configuration you need.
Manage pairings from the item catalog
Open Catalog and select Items, then open the item you want to update. Use the available recommended-pairings capability in that item’s configuration to associate the relevant complementary catalog items, then save the item update.
The canonical product reference confirms that MENO items support recommended pairings. It does not prescribe a more detailed field label, placement, or customer-facing display pattern, so follow the current item editor for the available pairing controls.
Distinguish pairings from item configuration
Use required option groups when a customer must select an option before an item can be added. Examples include size, sauce, color, or another required choice. A required choice can affect the item price where configured.
Use optional extras/add-ons for non-mandatory additions to an item. Customers may select optional extras, and a paid extra adds its configured price to the item. Multiple optional groups can exist.
Use recommended pairings to associate a distinct, complementary catalog item. For example, a sauce can be a required or optional item configuration, while a separately listed dessert can be a recommended pairing.
Review pairings as the catalog changes
Review an item’s recommended pairings whenever you change the products it complements. Update the associated items when the catalog changes so the relationships remain relevant.