“Show me an option under my budget, preferably in softgels.” This is a practical recommendation request. The customer has supplied a price limit and a format preference. A supplement AI agent can use those constraints to find relevant catalog options and explain its selection. The merchant’s job is to make those facts available and check that the answer respects the request.
Identify the customer’s requirements and preferences
Some parts of a request are firm limits. Others leave room for a choice. “Under $30” describes a budget limit; “preferably softgels” may allow another format if the shopper agrees. Keep the customer’s wording in view when reviewing the recommendation.
Ask a short follow-up when the distinction changes the result. If the catalog has no matching softgels within the budget, the assistant can ask which condition the shopper wants to reconsider. It should not silently remove a stated constraint to fill the product card.
Use documented product attributes
Ingredient and dietary preferences need product-specific information. Check the current listing for the statement the shopper is asking about. If an attribute is undocumented, make that limitation clear before presenting an item as a match.
For example, an illustrative vegan-product request needs evidence about that exact product. A bottle photograph, the name of the main ingredient or a missing keyword cannot establish the attribute. Give the agent the verified statement your team uses when answering the same question.
Make the budget comparison clear
Keep the price and currency visible for the selected pack. A lower-priced small bottle and a larger bottle can both be relevant, but the customer should be able to see which option meets the stated spending limit.
If you show a calculated comparison, identify its basis and assumptions. Cost per piece and cost per labelled serving answer different questions. A product recommendation should not hide those differences or imply that the calculation determines an individual’s needs.
Explain why the recommended item matches
Use a short explanation that refers to the shopper’s own criteria. In a hypothetical catalog, that might be: “This is the softgel pack within the budget you gave. The card shows the smaller bottle.” The source data must support each part of that explanation.
Show a manageable set of options. If two items meet the request, explain the deciding difference using the available facts. Returning every product in the collection leaves the customer with the original search task.
- State the preference or limit that guided the selection.
- Name the product and the relevant pack or variant.
- Explain the match with a specific fact from the listing.
- Identify any requested detail that still needs confirmation.
Test a request the catalog cannot satisfy
Build a test where no product meets all the conditions. For example, choose an unavailable format-and-pack combination in your test catalog. The expected response should accurately describe the gap and leave the customer a clear choice about the next step.
Also test a follow-up that changes the budget or format. Confirm that the assistant updates the selection and preserves any conditions the shopper has kept. This is a useful check of conversational context.
See preference guidance in Obsedia
Obsedia’s Supplements AI Agent is designed to discuss relevant catalog options using the formats and preferences shoppers describe. Its product cards provide a way to inspect prices and variants and take a supported cart action.
Bring one common recommendation request from your store to the evaluation. Prepare the products that should qualify and the ones that should not. That gives you a concrete way to assess the agent’s selection, explanation and purchase controls.
A useful AI supplement recommendation explains its match to the shopper’s stated criteria. When the catalog cannot confirm a condition, make that gap visible and keep the next choice with the customer.
