A Shopify product page does not always need to send a customer to the store’s own cart. Some merchants sell through Amazon, retailers, distributors, affiliate partners, vendor sites, or another marketplace. In those situations, a clear external-purchase button can give the customer the next step without pretending that the Shopify checkout will handle the order.
This guide explains how to set up the workflow clearly and avoid the common mistakes that make external purchasing confusing.
Start with the destination, not the button
Before adding a button, decide exactly where each product should send a visitor. One product may point to an Amazon listing; another could direct visitors to a distributor or a partner page. The destination should be live, relevant to that product and understandable from the label alone.
| Destination | Example label |
|---|---|
| Marketplace listing | Buy on Amazon |
| Retail partner | Find a retailer |
| Distributor | Buy from a distributor |
| Affiliate offer | Buy from partner |
Avoid a generic “Buy now” label when the next step is off-site. The customer should know that they are leaving the store before they click. Where required, include clear affiliate or commercial-disclosure language.
Use product-specific links when products have different purchase routes
If each product is sold through a different retailer or marketplace, configure each external URL at the product level. This is more useful than sending every product to one general page because the visitor goes directly to the relevant purchase or information destination.
For stores with several suitable destinations, use more than one button only when the choice helps the customer. Labels such as “Buy on Amazon” and “Find a local retailer” describe genuinely different routes. Two vague buttons do not.
Add the button to the right Shopify product template
On a theme that supports Online Store 2.0 app blocks, open Online Store → Themes → Customize, choose the relevant product template and add the BL External Links app block where the purchase action belongs. Stores can use more than one product template, so check each template where the button should appear.
If the button appears on one product but not another, first confirm the product has a destination URL. Then compare the templates used by the two products. A missing block on a second template is a common cause.
What to do with a legacy theme
Older or non–Online Store 2.0 themes may not support app blocks in the same way. If the theme editor shows an error or does not offer a placement option, do not force unfamiliar code into a live theme. Contact Backlip support with the store URL, theme name and version, product-template name, a screenshot of the problem and the expected placement. Back up or duplicate the theme before any manual change.
Manage a larger catalogue carefully
When a store has many external links, begin with an export whenever possible. Preserve the column structure, edit a small sample, save the file as CSV and check the imported result on several products before changing the full catalogue. A bulk workflow is only useful when the source data is consistent.
Remember: this is not a Shopify-cart purchase
An external-link button takes the visitor to the configured destination. It does not add that off-site item to the regular Shopify cart or process the transaction through the store’s normal checkout. Make the handoff clear, and keep pricing, fulfilment, returns and support expectations consistent with the destination you send customers to.
Install the app
BL External Links Button for Shopify is designed for product-specific external links, multiple destinations and bulk management. Install it from the Shopify App Store.