Amazon Expands External Product Links to 250 Million Amid AI Shopping Competition

Amazon has expanded its “Buy Direct” program to include 250 million product listings that link to external sales channels, roughly 2.5 times the number available in March 2026. The company said the move is meant to reduce shoppers’ need to turn to external AI shopping tools, and it has added brands such as Alo Yoga and Warby Parker to the program.

Amazon said it continues to adjust how and where external brands appear on its site, including showing more product details before shoppers are sent to outside retailers. The company began testing new placements in March 2026. Previously, Buy Direct items mainly surfaced in search results or through recommendations from its Alexa shopping assistant.

Some merchants remain uncertain about how the feature works. E-commerce agencies said product pages linking to their clients’ own sites appeared without prior notice, while others disappeared without explanation. Business owners also reported limited sales from the listings and occasional mismatches between the product information shown on Amazon and what their sites actually sell.

Amazon had blocked external shopping agents for more than a year as AI-powered assistants such as Meta’s Muse began drawing consumer attention. Chief Executive Andy Jassy has said external technology could offer a poor customer experience, but Amazon remains open to allowing outside tools if they improve. The company said its AI shopping features follow standard web crawling rules, and merchants can opt out of Buy Direct.