# Product Recommendations with BuyScout® AI Store Agent Turn a shopper's needs and constraints into a focused shortlist drawn from the merchant's current catalog. ## How does BuyScout® recommend products? BuyScout® AI Store Agent uses the shopper's stated needs alongside current catalog information and available cart context. It can ask a short follow-up, identify valid options, and explain why each option fits without declaring an unsupported universal winner. ## Shopping decisions that need conversation Recommendations are most useful when the shopper can describe the goal but cannot translate it into a product filter. 1. ### Several requirements at once A shopper needs a product that meets a use case, compatibility requirement, budget, and preference that no single category page explains. 2. ### Similar products with meaningful trade-offs A shopper sees several plausible options and needs help understanding which documented differences matter for the intended use. 3. ### The shopper knows the goal, not the category A shopper describes the goal but not the category. BuyScout® uses their constraints to build a shortlist from catalog evidence. ## From request to explainable shortlist BuyScout® preserves the shopper's constraints before ranking preferences or offering alternatives. 1. ### Clarify the decision BuyScout® identifies the goal and asks only for missing details that would materially change which products qualify. 2. ### Check current catalog evidence The AI Store Agent matches the request against documented product, variant, availability, price, and compatibility information available to it. 3. ### Explain the shortlist Each recommendation names the relevant match and trade-off so the shopper can correct a preference or choose confidently. ## A shopper needs a complete laptop setup **Shopper:** Which dock works with my ThinkBook 21KG and one 4K display? BuyScout®: Do you also need the dock to charge the laptop, and if so, how much power? **Shopper:** Yes, up to 65 W. BuyScout®: Checking model 21KG against the dock specifications BuyScout®: The Portwell Dock 12 USB-C Dock supports model 21KG, one 4K display at 60 Hz, and up to 65 W charging. Add the SignalCore HDMI 2.0 Cable for the documented display connection. - Portwell Dock 12 USB-C Dock $129 Add to cart - SignalCore HDMI 2.0 Cable $18 Add to cart ## Catalog foundations for better recommendations Clear merchandising data matters more than persuasive wording when a recommendation turns on a specific fact. 1. ### Decision-ready attributes BuyScout® reads public materials, dimensions, ingredients, intended use, compatibility, and care details from the relevant Shopify product page, plus any supplementary guidance in BuyScout® Dashboard. 2. ### Correct variant scope BuyScout® reads price, availability, color, size, and other variant-specific facts from the correct option in Shopify product and variant data. 3. ### Recommendation rules BuyScout® recommends from the current catalog automatically. Merchants can add hard exclusions, category priorities, buying questions, or no-match guidance in BuyScout® Dashboard. ## How Product Recommendations work automatically BuyScout® can build and explain a relevant shortlist from the shopper's request and current catalog without separate skill configuration. 1. ### Understand the request BuyScout® identifies the shopper's goal, stated preferences, budget, compatibility needs, and other decision constraints from the conversation. 2. ### Search the live catalog BuyScout® automatically checks current Shopify products, variants, prices, availability, product pages, and other relevant website information. 3. ### Explain and refine the shortlist BuyScout® explains why each option fits, asks only for decisive missing details, and updates the shortlist when the shopper changes a preference. 4. ### Optionally add merchant guidance Merchants can optionally add store-specific buying rules, tailor recommendations, and test representative decisions in BuyScout® Dashboard. ## Recommendation boundaries A useful recommendation is traceable to store evidence and remains easy for the shopper to challenge or refine. - **No universal best product** The strongest option depends on the shopper's criteria. BuyScout® explains the fit without asserting an unsupported winner. - **No mixing between options** BuyScout® does not combine the price, features, or availability of one size, color, or configuration with those of another. - **No forced match** When the catalog lacks a valid option, BuyScout® says so or sends the shopper's request for merchant review when an exception may apply. ## Frequently asked questions - Can BuyScout® recommend from the live catalog? BuyScout® automatically uses current catalog information from the connected store. Merchants can test representative products, variants, availability states, and no-match requests to confirm the shopper experience. - What if no product satisfies the request? BuyScout® explains that no verified match is available, preserves the shopper's constraints, and invites a useful revision rather than recommending an invalid product. - Can a shopper revise the shortlist after correcting a preference? BuyScout® reevaluates the shortlist against the revised requirement and current catalog evidence, then explains what changed instead of preserving an option that no longer qualifies. - Does BuyScout® use shopper browsing as a hard requirement? BuyScout® uses permitted context to keep a response relevant while treating the shopper's stated constraints as controlling. Behavioral clues never override a direct answer. - Can BuyScout® compare variants within one product? BuyScout® compares variants using price, availability, specifications, and other differences attached to the correct options. Facts remain scoped to the variant they describe. - Can merchant priorities override required compatibility? BuyScout® treats compatibility on the product detail page or in BuyScout® Dashboard as a hard constraint. Ranking preferences apply only among options that still satisfy those constraints.