Assets & tasks / PUBLISHING WORKFLOW
Why does a link in my product description send shoppers back to the default market?
An absolute link can send a shopper to a specific store URL rather than preserve the selected regional context. Shopify documents using internal short links for applicable Markets setups. Review the link type, then test the actual market journey; do not assume every external link should be shortened.
Reproduce the selected-market journey
A fictional customer opens a cup product in the store’s French market and follows “See our size guide.” The description contains a full URL to the primary store domain. The size guide opens, but the customer is no longer in the intended market context. A reachable page is not enough to establish the correct journey.
Record the selected market, starting page and actual stored link. Shopify’s rich text documentation describes this issue for applicable Markets configurations. Check your store setup before changing links. Avoid interpreting an old editor preview or a remembered administrator session as the public shopper experience.
Classify the destination
| Link type | Intended role | Review decision |
|---|---|---|
| Internal size-guide page | Same store and regional journey | Consider applicable short internal path |
| External care source | A separate authorized website | Retain reviewed external URL |
| Email link | Contact the approved address | Check actual mail recipient |
| Download link | Open the intended approved file | Verify file and access separately |
For the fictional size guide, compare the current full-domain URL with the intended internal page path. Keep the link text unchanged during the technical test so the reviewer is evaluating destination context rather than a new invitation. Do not shorten a supplier URL into a path on your own store.
Repair one draft link and test
- Use the store editor to inspect the description’s actual link target.
- Replace the internal full URL with a suitable reviewed short path where the configuration supports it.
- Save the draft and start a fresh shopper journey in the intended market.
- Follow the link and inspect the resulting locale and shopping context.
Repeat the same journey in another relevant market if the link is shared across them. For this fictional cup, ask the reviewer to find the right size guide without manually changing region again. A relative path is a configuration choice, not a guarantee that every theme or custom domain behaves identically.
Approve the link map with the copy
Save the approved label, path, applicable markets and observed result. When descriptions are reused, review their links as well as their sentences. An otherwise accurate translation can carry an old destination that breaks the shopper’s selected context.
Keep price, delivery and policy expectations under the store owner’s review after navigation. This guide does not implement Markets or manage redirects, and Itemlume does not edit your store links. The completed artifact is a tested description-link map for the intended journey. Use the broader CTA guide to check whether the destination also delivers the task promised by the link wording.
Sources and further reading
Sources for this page were checked on . Platform rules can change; verify the current source before publishing. Prompt examples and workflow recommendations are Itemlume editorial guidance, not independently measured results.
Frequently asked questions
Should every link become relative?
No. Distinguish internal store navigation from intentional external destinations.
Does a successful page load prove the link is correct?
No. Inspect the selected market and the promised task too.
Can this guide configure Shopify Markets for me?
No. It describes link review in a separately configured authorized store.
BUILD FROM A PRODUCT YOU KNOW
Put this workflow into practice with your own product.
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