Shop By Link is a lightweight marketplace platform built on top of Commerce Layer’s API and Dashboard, designed for individuals and small businesses that want to sell online without the complexity of a full ecommerce website.
With over 20,000 active users in Italy where it has been initially launched, the platform demonstrates a scalable, API-first approach to commerce, where sellers can launch and operate digital storefronts using simple, conversion-focused landing pages rather than traditional multi-page ecommerce sites.
Enabling simple online selling
A significant segment of sellers — creators, freelancers, micro-brands, and social sellers — face recurring barriers:
- High cost and complexity of building and maintaining an ecommerce website.
- Overhead of managing hosting, CMS, and frontend infrastructure.
- Poor conversion rates from overly complex shopping experiences.
- Limited technical expertise.
- An audience to reach, that knows them personally but can not buy from them digitally yet.
These users don’t need a full storefront—they need a fast, simple way to sell.
From storefronts to shared links
Shop By Link removes friction by offering a streamlined, API-driven approach to selling online:
- Single-product or multi-product landing pages instead of full websites.
- Embedded cart and checkout experience powered by Commerce Layer.
- Fully hosted commerce backend, eliminating infrastructure concerns.
- Immediate access to order management and operations via the Commerce Layer Dashboard.
At its core, the platform is built on Commerce Layer links generated from SKU lists. Each landing page corresponds to a curated SKU list, which defines the products available for purchase within that specific link.
Developers have extended this model by customizing the frontend layer on top of Commerce Layer links, enabling:
- Rich, conversion-optimized landing pages.
- Support for multiple images per product, going beyond the default link presentation.
- Enhanced product storytelling without altering the underlying commerce logic.
This architecture preserves the simplicity of Commerce Layer’s hosted capabilities while allowing full control over the user experience.
As a result, sellers can start selling using high-quality, visually engaging pages backed by a robust commerce engine — without managing infrastructure or backend complexity.
How it works
Products and landing page commerce
Sellers can set up and publish products in just a few steps.
Create a product with a few clicks, defining: - Name, image and product description - Variants (e.g. size, color) - Stock availability - Pricing
Once configured, products are grouped into links powered by Commerce Layer SKU lists.
Each SKU List is then exposed through a customized landing page, where:
- Products are presented in a simple, conversion-focused layout.
- The page acts as a standalone storefront that can be shared via a single link.
This approach combines the operational simplicity of Commerce Layer’s backend with a flexible frontend layer, allowing sellers to deliver engaging product experiences without building a full ecommerce site.
Cart and checkout
Shop By Link leverages Commerce Layer’s hosted cart and checkout to provide:
- Secure, optimized checkout flows
- Multi-currency and international support
- Payment processing abstraction
This ensures enterprise-grade reliability without requiring sellers to manage any backend logic.
Marketplace model
The platform functions as a marketplace of independent sellers, each operating their own “store” through links rather than centralized storefront pages.
This model enables:
- Decentralized selling
- High scalability without frontend bottlenecks
- Flexible seller onboarding
Shop By Link leverages Stripe Connect to manage marketplace payments and seller payouts. Each seller links their own Stripe connected account, ensuring funds are routed directly to them. Payments are released only after successful delivery, or 14 days after delivery if returns are enabled, providing a safeguard for buyers and the platform.
Payouts are automatically processed as net amounts, with the platform’s service fee calculated and deducted upfront via Stripe Connect. This eliminates the need for manual reconciliation while ensuring transparent, predictable earnings for sellers.
White-label order management dashboard
Each seller is provisioned access to the Commerce Layer Dashboard, where they can:
- View incoming orders
- Manage customer data
- Capture payments (manual or automated flows)
- Monitor transaction status
This provides operational autonomy without requiring custom admin tools.
Fulfillment via DHL integration or external carrier
Shop By Link integrates fulfillment workflows where customer can decide to use the DHL native integration or their own carrier enabling:
- Shipment creation directly from order data
- Automated logistics handling
- Tracking and delivery management
- customer notification via email
This reduces operational friction and allows sellers to scale logistics without building integrations themselves.
High adoption, low friction
The impact of Shop By Link is reflected in both rapid adoption and operational efficiency. By removing technical barriers and simplifying the buying experience, the platform enables sellers to go live quickly and convert more effectively.
- 20,000+ active users onboarded
- Rapid seller activation (minutes instead of days/weeks)
- High conversion rates driven by simplified buying flows
- Zero need for sellers to manage infrastructure
Key benefits
Shop By Link delivers value across the entire ecosystem, addressing the needs of both sellers and platform operators. Its lightweight, API-first approach simplifies operations while enabling scalable, high-performing commerce experiences.
For sellers
- No need for a full ecommerce website
- Instant go-to-market with minimal setup
- Easy creation of customized product selection for each end-customer
- Built-in payments, cart, and checkout
- Operational control via Dashboard
- Integrated logistics
For platform operators
- Scalable marketplace model
- Reduced frontend complexity
- API-driven extensibility
- Lower maintenance overhead
Why Commerce Layer
Shop By Link relies on Commerce Layer because of:
- Headless, API-first architecture
Perfect for non-traditional commerce experiences. - Hosted checkout
Eliminates PCI and frontend complexity. - Dashboard
Avoids building custom back-office tools. - Composable integrations
Seamless connection with logistics providers like DHLs.
Conclusion
Shop By Link represents a shift in digital commerce: from full websites to link-based selling experiences.
By leveraging Commerce Layer, the platform delivers a powerful yet minimalistic solution that empowers thousands of sellers to operate efficiently — without ever building a traditional ecommerce store.