Woocommerce WP plugin does not allow to set product image using external url

I am creating a website that uses different affilite marketing programs that will be listed as products using woocommerce. The issue I am having is that I am only provided with url /html code as images to be used as banners for the affiliate programs and woocommerce only let me set product images by uploading files on media library. Do you know any plugin or a way to create a custom plugin that will let me set the image by using an external url?

Thanks a lot in advance!

I was trying to use this code as custom plugin that would display a media box to enter the url but it won't save it when publishing product:

<?php
/*
Plugin Name: Set Product Images from URL 
Plugin URI: 
Description: Set product images from an external URL to promote affiliate network 
Version: 1.0
Author: 
Author URI: 
License: GPL2
*/

add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', 'product_image_url_meta_box' );

function product_image_url_meta_box() {
    add_meta_box( 
        'product_image_url',
        __( 'Product Image URL' ),
        'product_image_url_meta_box_callback', 
        'product',
        'side',
        'high'
    );
}

function product_image_url_meta_box_callback( $post ) {
    $product_image_url = get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_product_image_url', true );
    echo '<input type="text" name="_product_image_url" value="' . esc_attr( $product_image_url ) . '" />';
}

add_action( 'woocommerce_process_product_meta', 'product_image_url_save' );

function product_image_url_save( $post_id ) { 
    $product_image_url = $_POST['_product_image_url'];
    
    if ( ! empty( $product_image_url ) ) {
        update_post_meta( $post_id, '_product_image_url', sanitize_text_field( $product_image_url ) );
    }
}

add_filter( 'woocommerce_product_get_image_id', 'product_image_url_image_id', 10, 2 );

function product_image_url_image_id( $image_id, $product_id  ) {
    $product_image_url = get_post_meta( $product_id, '_product_image_url', true );
    
    if ( ! empty( $product_image_url ) ) {
        $upload = get_post_meta( $product_id, '_product_image_url', true );
        $image_id = $upload;
    }
    
    return $image_id; 
}

tried to add custom plugin, tried many image uploaders plugins that won't bypass ad blockers browser extensions even when modifying links with relative plugins.

You can use media_sideload_image() function is used to download the image from the URL and save it to the media library. This updated code will allow you to set the product image by entering an external URL.

/*
Plugin Name: Set Product Images from URL 
Plugin URI: 
Description: Set product images from an external URL to promote affiliate network 
Version: 1.0
Author: 
Author URI: 
License: GPL2
*/

add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', 'product_image_url_meta_box' );

function product_image_url_meta_box() {
    add_meta_box( 
        'product_image_url',
        __( 'Product Image URL' ),
        'product_image_url_meta_box_callback', 
        'product',
        'side',
        'high'
    );
}

function product_image_url_meta_box_callback( $post ) {
    $product_image_url = get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_product_image_url', true );
    echo '<input type="text" name="_product_image_url" value="' . esc_attr( $product_image_url ) . '" />';
}

add_action( 'woocommerce_process_product_meta', 'product_image_url_save' );

add_action( 'woocommerce_process_product_meta', 'product_image_url_save' );

function product_image_url_save( $post_id ) { 

	$product_image_url = $_POST['_product_image_url'];

	if ( ! empty( $product_image_url ) ) {
    	
    	update_post_meta( $post_id, '_product_image_url', sanitize_text_field( $product_image_url ) );

        $image_url = esc_url( $product_image_url );
        
        // Download the image and save it to the media library
        $upload = media_sideload_image( $image_url, $post_id, '', 'id' );
        
        if ( ! is_wp_error( $upload ) ) {
            $image_id = $upload;
	    	set_post_thumbnail($post_id, $image_id);
        }
	}

}

Or other alternative you can use that you can use woocommerce_product_get_image hook.

	/*
Plugin Name: Set Product Images from URL 
Plugin URI: 
Description: Set product images from an external URL to promote affiliate network 
Version: 1.0
Author: 
Author URI: 
License: GPL2
*/

add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', 'product_image_url_meta_box' );

function product_image_url_meta_box() {
    add_meta_box( 
        'product_image_url',
        __( 'Product Image URL' ),
        'product_image_url_meta_box_callback', 
        'product',
        'side',
        'high'
    );
}

function product_image_url_meta_box_callback( $post ) {
    $product_image_url = get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_product_image_url', true );
    echo '<input type="text" name="_product_image_url" value="' . esc_attr( $product_image_url ) . '" />';
}

add_action( 'woocommerce_process_product_meta', 'product_image_url_save' );

function product_image_url_save( $post_id ) { 
    $product_image_url = $_POST['_product_image_url'];
    
    if ( ! empty( $product_image_url ) ) {
        update_post_meta( $post_id, '_product_image_url', sanitize_text_field( $product_image_url ) );
    }
}

// Set the product image HTML markup based on the URL
add_filter( 'woocommerce_product_get_image', 'product_image_url_html_markup', 10, 2 );
function product_image_url_html_markup( $html, $product ) {
    $product_image_url = get_post_meta( $product->get_id(), '_product_image_url', true );
    if ( ! empty( $product_image_url ) ) {
        $html = '<img src="' . esc_url( $product_image_url ) . '" alt="' . esc_attr( $product->get_name() ) . '" class="attachment-shop_catalog size-shop_catalog wp-post-image" />';
    }
    return $html;
}