diff --git a/extensions/notebook/src/book/bookTreeView.ts b/extensions/notebook/src/book/bookTreeView.ts
index 0a35d4c590..2e24a6b20f 100644
--- a/extensions/notebook/src/book/bookTreeView.ts
+++ b/extensions/notebook/src/book/bookTreeView.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export class BookTreeViewProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<BookTreeIte
 		}
 	}
 
-	async openMarkdown(resource: string): Promise<void> {
+	openMarkdown(resource: string): void {
 		try {
 			vscode.commands.executeCommand('markdown.showPreview', vscode.Uri.file(resource));
 		} catch (e) {
@@ -61,6 +61,17 @@ export class BookTreeViewProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<BookTreeIte
 		}
 	}
 
+	openExternalLink(resource: string): void {
+		try {
+			vscode.env.openExternal(vscode.Uri.parse(resource));
+		} catch (e) {
+			vscode.window.showErrorMessage(localize('openExternalLinkError', 'Open link {0} failed: {1}',
+				resource,
+				e instanceof Error ? e.message : e));
+		}
+	}
+
+
 	getTreeItem(element: BookTreeItem): vscode.TreeItem {
 		return element;
 	}
@@ -99,18 +110,27 @@ export class BookTreeViewProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<BookTreeIte
 		let notebooks: BookTreeItem[] = [];
 		for (let i = 0; i < sec.length; i++) {
 			if (sec[i].url) {
-				let pathToNotebook = path.join(root, 'content', sec[i].url.concat('.ipynb'));
-				let pathToMarkdown = path.join(root, 'content', sec[i].url.concat('.md'));
-				// Note: Currently, if there is an ipynb and a md file with the same name, Jupyter Books only shows the notebook.
-				// Following Jupyter Books behavior for now
-				if (fs.existsSync(pathToNotebook)) {
-					let notebook = new BookTreeItem(sec[i].title, root, sec[i].sections, sec[i].sections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Expanded : vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None, sec[i].url, { command: 'bookTreeView.openNotebook', title: 'Open Notebook', arguments: [pathToNotebook], });
-					notebooks.push(notebook);
-				} else if (fs.existsSync(pathToMarkdown)) {
-					let markdown = new BookTreeItem(sec[i].title, root, sec[i].sections, sec[i].sections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Expanded : vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None, sec[i].url, { command: 'bookTreeView.openMarkdown', title: 'Open Markdown', arguments: [pathToMarkdown], });
-					notebooks.push(markdown);
+				if (sec[i].external) {
+					let externalLink = new BookTreeItem(sec[i].title, root, sec[i].sections, sec[i].sections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Expanded : vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None, sec[i].url, { command: 'bookTreeView.openExternalLink', title: localize('openExternalLinkCommand', 'Open External Link'), arguments: [sec[i].url], });
+					notebooks.push(externalLink);
 				} else {
-					vscode.window.showErrorMessage(localize('missingFileError', 'Missing file : {0}', sec[i].title));
+					let pathToNotebook = path.join(root, 'content', sec[i].url.concat('.ipynb'));
+					let pathToMarkdown = path.join(root, 'content', sec[i].url.concat('.md'));
+					// Note: Currently, if there is an ipynb and a md file with the same name, Jupyter Books only shows the notebook.
+					// Following Jupyter Books behavior for now
+					if (fs.existsSync(pathToNotebook)) {
+						let notebook = new BookTreeItem(sec[i].title, root, sec[i].sections || sec[i].subsections,
+							(sec[i].sections || sec[i].subsections) && sec[i].expand_sections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Expanded : sec[i].sections || sec[i].subsections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Collapsed : vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None,
+							sec[i].url, { command: 'bookTreeView.openNotebook', title: localize('openNotebookCommand', 'Open Notebook'), arguments: [pathToNotebook], });
+						notebooks.push(notebook);
+					} else if (fs.existsSync(pathToMarkdown)) {
+						let markdown = new BookTreeItem(sec[i].title, root, sec[i].sections || sec[i].subsections,
+							(sec[i].sections || sec[i].subsections) && sec[i].expand_sections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Expanded : sec[i].sections || sec[i].subsections ? vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Collapsed : vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.None,
+							sec[i].url, { command: 'bookTreeView.openMarkdown', title: localize('openMarkdownCommand', 'Open Markdown'), arguments: [pathToMarkdown], });
+						notebooks.push(markdown);
+					} else {
+						vscode.window.showErrorMessage(localize('missingFileError', 'Missing file : {0}', sec[i].title));
+					}
 				}
 			} else {
 				// TODO: search functionality (#6160)
@@ -118,4 +138,4 @@ export class BookTreeViewProvider implements vscode.TreeDataProvider<BookTreeIte
 		}
 		return notebooks;
 	}
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/notebook/src/extension.ts b/extensions/notebook/src/extension.ts
index 8a92f68a31..6169bd67e7 100644
--- a/extensions/notebook/src/extension.ts
+++ b/extensions/notebook/src/extension.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export async function activate(extensionContext: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promi
 	vscode.window.registerTreeDataProvider('bookTreeView', bookTreeViewProvider);
 	vscode.commands.registerCommand('bookTreeView.openNotebook', (resource) => bookTreeViewProvider.openNotebook(resource));
 	vscode.commands.registerCommand('bookTreeView.openMarkdown', (resource) => bookTreeViewProvider.openMarkdown(resource));
+	vscode.commands.registerCommand('bookTreeView.openExternalLink', (resource) => bookTreeViewProvider.openExternalLink(resource));
 
 	extensionContext.subscriptions.push(vscode.commands.registerCommand('_notebook.command.new', (context?: azdata.ConnectedContext) => {
 		let connectionProfile: azdata.IConnectionProfile = undefined;