product recommendations - is there a better way?

[Smeelah]

I have wholesale products that I've been able to temporarily hide from the 'You May Also Like' bar using this method: https://community.shopify.com/c/shopify-design/hiding-a-product-from-recommendations/m-p/2590092

But there are empty spaces left in that section for most products. 

Then, when I go to the products on the Search and Discovery, there are 10 recommendations per product, plenty left to fill up the grid  of 4, but they aren't added.

There doesn't way to be a way to edit except to completely remove all automated recommendations and do it all manually...which would take a long time.

This doesn't make sense, so I am here to ask if I am missing something? Is there an easier way (not including $25/m app).

TIA!

[Smeelah]

I have learned from this post that I can go into each product page and place manual recommendations 'ahead' of the automated. It may not be much than manually adding all recommendations as I have to check each listing and make sure that there still aren't empty spaces leftover.

But, if there is a way to bulk edit these metafields....

[Smeelah]

I did try bulk edit and no matter what I do, there are still empty spaces left. It looks like I either have to do it all manually, which will mean new edits with each new product, or I remove the feature. 

I already have a side section with manually added related products...so a recently viewed feature would probably be more helpful.