> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uselayers.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recommendations look thin, off-category, or missing

> Fix recommendation blocks that show too few products, products from the wrong category, or nothing at all.

Most recommendation problems come from one of three things: the anchor product has little shopping history, the block's strategy doesn't fit the page, or the block falls back to another block that can't serve. Work through the section that matches what you see, and use [Block preview](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks.md#block-preview) to check the block for a specific product.

## The block shows products from the wrong category

* **The product is new.** Purchase- and view-based strategies, such as **Frequently Bought Together**, rely on how shoppers interacted with the product. A new product has little history, so Layers fills the block with top products from the product's category, then its parent category. If the product's category is broad or wrong, these fills can look unrelated. Check the product's category, or turn off **Fill with category co-purchases** so the block uses only the product's own history and falls back to another block when there isn't enough. See [Choose whether to fill from category history](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/strategies.md#choose-whether-to-fill-from-category-history).
* **The strategy recommends complements, not alternatives.** Purchase-driven strategies rank products from the anchor's own category below products from other categories, because they look for items that go with the anchor. If you want alternatives, such as other dresses on a dress page, use a **Similar Products** strategy. See [Similar products strategies](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/strategies.md#similar-products-strategies).
* **You want to keep results in one department.** Add a block rule that filters results to match the anchor product's product type or department. See [Match the anchor product's values](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/rules-and-safeguards.md#match-the-anchor-products-values).

## The block shows too few products

* **Filters and safeguards removed products.** Layers applies block rules, **Hide out of stock**, and family exclusions after the strategy runs. A strict rule can leave only a handful of products. See [Safeguards](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/rules-and-safeguards.md#safeguards).
* **There's no fallback.** Set a **Minimum products** value, then add a fallback block so Layers tops up or replaces thin results. A fallback in **Fill remaining** mode keeps the primary results and adds products until the minimum is met. See [Fallback chains](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/fallback-chains.md).

## The block doesn't show at all

**1. Check the block is published**

An unpublished block doesn't serve. See [Block status](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/priority-and-status.md#block-status).

**2. Check its fallback blocks**

If the block falls back because it returned too few products, every block in its fallback chain must also be published. When every block in the chain is unpublished or returns too few products, the block returns whatever products are left, which can be none.

**3. Check for a Hide Block rule**

A block rule with the **Hide Block** action hides the block whenever its conditions match, for example for app requests or when the anchor is out of stock. See [Rule actions](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/rules-and-safeguards.md#rule-actions).

**4. Check your theme**

Many themes hide a recommendation section when it receives fewer products than a set number, or no products at all. If Layers returns products in Block preview but the section is empty on the page, check the section's settings in your theme.

## Next steps

* [Exclude products from recommendations](https://docs.uselayers.com/help/blocks/exclude-products.md)
* [Block strategies](https://docs.uselayers.com/platform/blocks/strategies.md)