Shopify is pushing deeper into advertising with the Shopify Product Network, a new system that showcases products from participating merchants – even when the store a shopper is browsing doesn’t actually sell the item they’re looking at.
The pitch. If someone searches for “organic cleaning supplies” on a Shopify store that doesn’t offer them, the Product Network can surface relevant options from other merchants. These products can also appear on another store’s homepage, visually integrated with that store’s own catalog. Shoppers can check out everything in one cart, often without noticing that some items are fulfilled by different merchants.
Shopify’s angle. The Product Network takes cues from ad products like Google Performance Max, Meta Advantage+ Shopping, and Amazon Performance+. Advertisers define a target cost per acquisition, and the system automatically handles optimization.
The crucial distinction: Shopify frames this as merchandising rather than pure advertising. Network placements are triggered by contextual relevance instead of filling fixed ad slots.
- Amanda Engelman, Shopify’s advertising product director, explains, “It’s just a different approach to the world.”
Revenue and structure. Historically, Shopify has steered clear of aggressive ad monetization. Its Audiences program, for instance, creates customer segments for use on platforms like Google and Meta without taking a share of the media spend.
- Merchants participating in the Product Network earn commissions on third-party products, paid either in cash or Shopify ad credits, which can effectively extend their off-site advertising budgets.
- The Product Network is built on the same philosophy. Initial placements are based on context rather than revenue maximization. Over time, the system may favor higher-commission products, while still optimizing around the likelihood of a purchase.
Why we care. Shopify’s Product Network offers advertisers a fresh way to reach shoppers across a broad ecosystem of independent merchants – without requiring those merchants to physically stock the products. By inserting relevant items contextually, whether in on-site search results or directly on another store’s homepage, advertisers gain wider visibility while the user experience remains cohesive.
Instead of traditional ad units that simply occupy inventory, the network is tuned for conversions and purchase probability, which can result in more qualified traffic. Merchants also receive commissions on third-party sales, giving them a strong reason to opt in and helping grow the network’s scale and value for advertisers.
What’s next. As the network expands, Shopify intends to enhance personalization and refine monetization strategies, but the central objective is unchanged: keep shoppers within the Shopify ecosystem and help merchants increase sales – even when the products being sold belong to someone else.