In our native multi-seller architecture, VTEX stores decouple different aspects of an ecommerce operation in order to clearly divide responsibilities between marketplace and seller.
![{"base64":" ","img":{"width":800,"height":400,"type":"png","mime":"image/png","wUnits":"px","hUnits":"px","length":6482,"url":"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/vtexdocs/dev-portal-content@main/images/external-marketplace-integration-guide-0.png"}}](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/vtexdocs/dev-portal-content@main/images/external-marketplace-integration-guide-0.png)
This allows VTEX stores to become marketplaces themselves or become sellers in other VTEX stores without requiring any additional development. Store settings connect the marketplace subsystem of a store to the seller subsystem of another.
![{"base64":" ","img":{"width":1000,"height":400,"type":"png","mime":"image/png","wUnits":"px","hUnits":"px","length":7765,"url":"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/vtexdocs/dev-portal-content@main/images/external-marketplace-integration-guide-1.png"}}](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/vtexdocs/dev-portal-content@main/images/external-marketplace-integration-guide-1.png)
This behavior can be leveraged in endless combinations. VTEX accounts can both set up a marketplace storefront to sell products from multiple sellers, including their own, and distribute products to multiple other marketplaces. This creates our collaborative commerce network.
![{"base64":" ","img":{"width":1000,"height":400,"type":"png","mime":"image/png","wUnits":"px","hUnits":"px","length":10054,"url":"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/vtexdocs/dev-portal-content@main/images/external-marketplace-integration-guide-2.png"}}](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/vtexdocs/dev-portal-content@main/images/external-marketplace-integration-guide-2.png)
However, there may be a strategic partner for your business operating outside our collaborative commerce network. This guide presents the steps needed to develop a custom connector to sell your products in an external marketplace.
This guide is currently being written and published as content become available.