Recently viewed products
Let returning visitors reopen products viewed in the current browser.
Recently viewed products gives visitors a way to reopen products they viewed in the same browser. It is a browser preference, not an account history, and can be empty for a first-time visitor or after stored site data is cleared.
Heading
| Setting | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Eyebrow | Continue shopping | Short text above the heading. |
| Heading | Recently viewed | Main heading for the history group. |
| Text | Blank | Optional rich text below the heading. |
| Heading alignment | Left | Left, Center, or Right. |
| Content width | Medium | Small, Medium, or Large width for the heading. |
Products
| Setting | Default | Options and use |
|---|---|---|
| Full width | On | On uses the wider product container; Off keeps it in the page-width container. |
| Stack products | Off | On renders a multi-row grid. Off renders a carousel. |
| Show carousel progress bar | On; visible when Stack products is Off | Shows carousel position feedback. |
| Products to show | 2–12, step 1; default 6 | Maximum number of stored products requested for this section. |
| Products per row (mobile) | 1 or 2; default 2 | Card density on mobile. |
| Products per row (desktop) | 2–6, step 1; default 4 | Card density on desktop. |
The section excludes the product currently being viewed from its stored list. It stores at most 12 valid product handles in the browser and requests each card when the section loads; unavailable products are removed from the stored list.
Spacing
| Setting | Options and default |
|---|---|
| Section spacing | None, Small, Medium, or Large; default Medium. |
| Top spacing | On by default. |
| Bottom spacing | On by default. |
How visibility works
Outside Shopify’s design mode, the section starts hidden. It becomes eligible to load only when customer-privacy preferences allow the feature and the browser has stored product history. The section loads near the viewport, shows the returned cards, and hides itself when there are no valid cards, storage is unavailable, consent is not allowed, or the request fails or times out.
In design mode, Strata shows onboarding placeholders so you can configure the section. The number of placeholders is capped at six even when Products to show is higher.
This history is not shared between devices or accounts. Do not describe it as a saved wishlist or customer profile feature.
Product card and cart dependencies
The rendered items are normal Product cards. Their image ratio, vendor, badges, ratings, text alignment, quick buy, and color display inherit the global Product card and Color swatches settings.
Quick buy is unavailable for products with selling plans and can be unavailable for other product/variant states. The global Cart drawer setting can affect the surface used after a quick add.
Desktop, mobile, and accessibility
The mobile and desktop column settings are independent. Check the first loaded card, the configured limit, the last carousel item or grid row, and the transition from hidden to visible. The section includes a polite status region for the loaded state; verify that cards, carousel controls, links, and quick-buy controls retain visible focus and useful accessible names. Test with reduced motion enabled because this section has no separate motion setting.
Privacy, empty states, and common issues
- Nothing appears: use a non-design browser session, allow the relevant customer-privacy preference, view one or more product pages, then return to the page containing the section.
- The current product is missing: it is intentionally excluded from the list.
- The list resets: clearing browser site data or using another browser/device removes the local history.
- Placeholders remain in the editor: design mode uses placeholders; verify the storefront outside design mode.
- A product disappears: the handle may no longer resolve or the product card request may have failed.
- The progress bar is missing: it is used only when Stack products is Off.