Toys and games is a dynamic vertical shaped by age, developmental stage, interests, and gifting occasions. Shoppers include parents looking for educational toys, collectors chasing new releases, and families choosing board games.
This article shows how to use Smart Recommender in Insider One to simplify choices, inspire discovery, and suggest add-ons. It includes an A/B test walkthrough comparing age-based and category-based recommendations, and strategies for each page type.
Before you start: Make sure your product catalog includes the attributes this article filters on, such as Category and Age Group. Create missing custom attributes on the Product Attributes page and mark them as filterable.
What you can achieve with Smart Recommender
Age-appropriate discovery
Recommend toys by age range, such as puzzles for toddlers or STEM kits for ages 6 to 8.
Trending toys
Highlight popular or new items such as "Top-Selling Toys This Week."
Interests and themes
Feature dinosaur toys for shoppers who browsed prehistoric items, or art kits for creative play.
Re-engagement with new releases
Show expansions or new editions to shoppers who bought collectible games or building kits.
Add-ons that grow the basket
Recommend figurines, accessory packs, or batteries to raise average order value (AOV).
A/B testing
Test recommendation types, layouts, and segments.
Walkthrough: Compare age-based and category-based recommendations
Shoppers on a toy product page look either for other popular toys for the same age or for items that go with the current toy. This walkthrough compares the two complete approaches.
It tests two strategies on toy product detail pages:
Variant A: Top-selling toys for the same age group.
Variant B: Items frequently bought with the current toy, from the same category.
Note: This test changes both the algorithm and the filter, so it compares two whole approaches. To learn which single setting drives the difference, run a follow-up test that changes only one.
Step 1: Create the recommendation strategies
Navigate to Recommendation Strategies and click Create. Configure the first strategy as follows:
Select Product Detail Page as the page type.
Select Top Sellers as the algorithm.
Enter the number of products to recommend.
Exclude products purchased in the last four weeks.
Add the filter Age Group + matches the item they're currently viewing.
Configure the second strategy as follows:
Select Product Detail Page as the page type.
Select Purchased Together as the algorithm.
Enter the same number of products.
Exclude products purchased in the last four weeks.
Add the filter Category + matches the item they're currently viewing.
Step 2: Launch the campaign
Navigate to Web Smart Recommender and click Create.
Select the integration method for the widget.
On the Segments step, target all users. Optionally, limit the audience to low-to-mid AOV customers to measure upsell impact.
On the Rules step, use Page Rules to target toy product detail pages.
On the Design step, assign one strategy to each variant and set the traffic allocation for each variant.
Click Edit Design to open the Advanced Product Card Designer and customize your product cards.
Select the locales and stores where the campaign appears.
Review the campaign details, confirm that every setting matches your goal, and click Launch.
Note: Every attribute you show on a product card must exist in your product catalog. To show more information, create custom attributes on the Product Attributes page.
Step 3: Track campaign metrics
Navigate to Smart Recommender Analytics.
Find your campaign in the Campaign and Variant Metrics table. When the test period ends, click the campaign name.
Compare Direct Revenue, Average Order Value (AOV), and Conversion Rate for the two variants. This shows whether age-appropriate picks or practical add-ons perform better.
If one variant clearly wins, set its traffic allocation to 100% so every visitor sees the better strategy.
After you find a winner, test add-on categories such as batteries, storage, or expansion packs.
Step 4: Optimize your campaigns
After the campaign has run long enough to collect data, use Smart Recommender Analytics to improve it:
Engagement funnel: Review product impressions, click-through rate, add-to-cart rate, and conversion rate to see where shoppers drop off.
Campaign and variant performance: Compare AOV, Conversion Rate, and Direct Revenue in the Campaign and Variant Metrics table, then refine or scale the winning variant.
Product-level impact: Open Top 100 Product Analytics to see which recommended products perform best. Give extra visibility to strategic products that perform below expectations.
Category trends: Use Category Analytics to find the categories that drive the most conversions, and decide whether to prioritize them or promote weaker ones.
Use cases by page type
Home page
Viral favorites
Show new visitors the toys gaining the most interest this week.
Create a strategy with the Trending Products algorithm.
Turn on the Enhance recommendations based on Attribute Affinity toggle.
Optionally, add a Category filter, such as dolls or board games.
Target new users on the Segments step.
Tip: Add badges such as "Hot Pick" and A/B test titles such as "Trending Now."
Gift finder
Help shoppers find gifts for special days.
Create a strategy with the Top Sellers algorithm.
Add the filter Category + is one of + Gift Sets, Sets.
No segment is needed.
Tip: Try headlines such as "Best Gifts for Valentine's Day."
Recently viewed items
Remind returning shoppers of toys they explored before.
Create a strategy with the Recently Viewed algorithm.
Exclude products the user already purchased.
Target returning users on the Segments step.
Note: Recently Viewed and User Based rely on each user's past behavior. Target returning users so these widgets always have data to show.
Tip: A/B test Recently Viewed against User Based.
Product detail page
More for the same age group
Recommend other toys for the same age range.
Create a strategy with the Viewed Together algorithm.
Add the filter Age Group + matches the item they're currently viewing.
Tip: Place the widget below the product description with a title such as "Loved by Kids Aged 3 to 5."
Complete the playtime
Recommend figurines, accessory packs, or batteries that go with the toy.
Create a strategy with the Purchased Together algorithm.
Add the filter Category + matches the item they're currently viewing.
Leave Attribute Affinity off.
Tip: To show add-ons such as batteries on every product page, tag them with a custom attribute (for example, Add-on) and filter on it.
Category page
Budget-friendly toys
Show the best deals in the current category.
Create a strategy with the Highest Discounted algorithm.
Add the filter Category + matches + the category they're currently viewing.
Leave Attribute Affinity off.
Tip: Add badges such as "30% Off" and test the widget at the top versus the middle of the page.
Trending in this category
Show the toys gaining the most interest this week in the current category.
Create a strategy with the Trending Products algorithm.
Add the filter Category + contains + the category they're currently viewing.
If your categories are hierarchical, select the Expand the category filter to include recommendations from the next category if there aren't enough products to display checkbox, so the widget still fills when the current category has few products.
Turn on the Enhance recommendations based on Attribute Affinity toggle.
Cart page
Extras to add
Offer batteries, cases, or expansion sets.
Create a strategy with the Most Popular algorithm.
Add the filter Category + is one of + Batteries, Storage, Expansion Packs.
Leave Attribute Affinity off.
Reach free shipping
Show items that help shoppers reach your free shipping threshold.
Create a strategy with the Checkout Recommendation algorithm and set the spend threshold (for example, 75 USD).
No filters are required. Attribute Affinity is optional.
Tip: If you do not offer free shipping, use Purchased Together instead.