WooCommerce: Edit External Product Image URL

We’ve already seen how to open the External Product “Buy Product” button in a new browser tab – and now it’s time to complete the full picture for External/Affiliate WooCommerce Products: how do we also link the “featured” image to the same external URL?

Our goal is to get the External Product featured image to link to the same “Buy Product” URL

PHP Snippet Part 1: Disable Zoom/Gallery (For External Products)

If we want to link to a URL, we first need to disable the default WooCommerce zoom and lightbox gallery functionalities.

You can use https://businessbloomer.com/woocommerce-disable-zoom-gallery-slider-lightbox-single-product/ for that.

Also, make sure to disable the Product Gallery e.g. that the external product has only 1 featured image.

PHP Snippet Part 2: Link Featured Image to External Product URL @ WooCommerce Single Product Page

/**
 * @snippet       Image to External URL - WooCommerce Single Product
 * @how-to        Get CustomizeWoo.com FREE
 * @author        Rodolfo Melogli
 * @compatible    WooCommerce 3.8
 * @donate $9     https://businessbloomer.com/bloomer-armada/
 */

add_filter( 'woocommerce_single_product_image_thumbnail_html', 'bbloomer_image_link_external_url', 100, 2 );

function bbloomer_image_link_external_url( $html, $post_thumbnail_id ) {
   global $product;
   if ( ! $product->is_type( 'external' ) ) return $html;
   $url = $product->add_to_cart_url();
   $pattern = "/(?<=href=(\"|'))[^\"']+(?=(\"|'))/";
   $html = preg_replace( $pattern, $url, $html );  
   return $html;
}

Where to add custom code?

You should place PHP snippets at the bottom of your child theme functions.php file and CSS at the bottom of its style.css file. Make sure you know what you are doing when editing such files - if you need more guidance, please take a look at my guide "Should I Add Custom Code Via WP Editor, FTP or Code Snippets?" and my video tutorial "Where to Place WooCommerce Customization?"

Does this snippet (still) work?

Please let me know in the comments if everything went as expected. I would be happy to revise the snippet if you report otherwise (please provide screenshots). I have tested this code with Storefront theme, the WooCommerce version listed above and a WordPress-friendly hosting.

If you think this code saved you time & money, feel free to join 17,000+ WooCommerce Weekly subscribers for blog post updates and 250+ Business Bloomer supporters for 365 days of WooCommerce benefits. Thank you in advance!

Need Help with WooCommerce?

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Rodolfo Melogli

Business Bloomer Founder

Author, WooCommerce expert and WordCamp speaker, Rodolfo has worked as an independent WooCommerce freelancer since 2011. His goal is to help entrepreneurs and developers overcome their WooCommerce nightmares. Rodolfo loves travelling, chasing tennis & soccer balls and, of course, wood fired oven pizza.

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10 thoughts on “WooCommerce: Edit External Product Image URL”

Elsa
May 12, 2021

Hi there,
Your snippet is exactly what I need (if I understand correctly) – but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work for me. I have a single product page that needs to link to an external page as the shop is external. I’ve disabled the light-box etc but when I do that the link on the Woo Image doesn’t work. If I don’t disable the zoom and light-box the link works, but I really can’t cope with the zooming on my page.

I’m using the Divi theme if that helps?

Reply
1. Rodolfo Melogli
  June 2, 2021
  
  Hi Elsa! What about disabling Zoom but not Lightbox?
  
  Reply
Paulina
March 11, 2021

Hi, I’m wondering is there an option to disable the little magnifying glass icon (maybe just hide it) and instead make it possible to just click anywhere on the image to zoom it to a full screen in lightbox?

Reply
1. Rodolfo Melogli
  March 22, 2021
  
  Hi Paulina, half of the solution is here: https://www.businessbloomer.com/woocommerce-disable-zoom-gallery-slider-lightbox-single-product/
  
  Reply
Tomas
January 18, 2021

Hi,

Snippet works great. But I would like to ask, is there a snippet that would allow the same external click functionality after clicking on a product image on the product listing page? I mean categories, brandpages or tag pages.
In addition, I would also need the link to open in a new window tab.
Could you give me an advice please?
Thank you very much.

Regards,

Tomas.

Reply
1. Rodolfo Melogli
  February 6, 2021
  
  Hi Tomas, thanks so much for your comment! Yes, this is definitely possible, but I’m afraid it’s custom work. If you’d like to get a quote, feel free to contact me here. Thanks a lot for your understanding!
  
  Reply
Max
January 8, 2021

It doesn’t work for me.

I use Code Snippet plugin to insert any PHP or CSS

Reply
1. Rodolfo Melogli
  February 6, 2021
  
  Hello Max, thanks for your comment! I just tested this again with Storefront theme and it works perfectly. Maybe your theme (or another plugin) is messing/conflicting with my snippet.
  
  To troubleshoot, disable all plugins but WooCommerce and also switch temporarily to “Twentytwenty” theme (load the snippet there in functions.php) as explained here: https://www.businessbloomer.com/lesson/trwm4l01/
  
  Once you do that, does it work? If yes, you have a problem with your current theme or one of the plugins.
  
  Hope this helps!
  
  Reply
Bart Ronsmans
May 10, 2020

Hi,

Thanks for this snippet.
Is there a way to open the link in new window?

Thanks

Reply
1. Rodolfo Melogli
  May 13, 2020
  
  Hi Bart, thanks so much for your comment! Yes, this is definitely possible, but I’m afraid it’s custom work. If you’d like to get a quote, feel free to contact me here. Thanks a lot for your understanding!
  
  Reply

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