Cafe24 (042000.KQ), a Korean e-commerce platform provider, announced Wednesday that it has officially launched a "web component" feature — a first in Korea's e-commerce industry — that allows online store operators to easily integrate and sell their products on external websites.
With this release, store operators can now turn any external site that supports HTML script insertion into a sales channel. Web components are a universal technology based on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard that functions identically across diverse web environments. Because the technology is not dependent on any specific platform, it is regarded as highly valuable for e-commerce applications thanks to its compatibility across the broader web ecosystem.
Previously, iframe embedding or simple link redirects were the primary methods used to display online store products on external sites. However, these approaches had limitations including disrupted shopping flows caused by page redirections, loading delays, and instability in mobile environments.
By contrast, Cafe24's web component feature is built with responsive design, ensuring stable performance on both PC and mobile. It adopts asynchronous loading so it does not affect the speed of external sites. Product prices, inventory, and images are automatically updated in real time on external sites through an application programming interface (API). The feature supports product browsing and cart additions on external sites, while payment processing is handled within Cafe24's secure shopping mall environment to ensure safety.
Ease of use has also been significantly enhanced. A key characteristic is the lowered barrier to entry, enabling anyone to use the feature without web development knowledge. Store operators can simply select their desired template and products, copy the automatically generated code, and paste it into an external site to begin selling immediately — no separate development required.
Four template types are available: △Product Detail △Product Card △Product Link △Product Collection. Operators can choose based on the characteristics of the external website they wish to integrate with. For example, the Product Detail template suits blogs, Product Card works well for online communities, Product Link fits text-heavy content, and Product Collection is ideal for affiliate sites or event pages.
"We will continue to expand an environment where anyone can easily sell products across diverse channels," Cafe24 CEO Lee Jae-seok said.