How to Add a Shop Now Button on Instagram

Transforming your Instagram followers into customers starts with making it incredibly easy for them to buy your products. This guide cuts straight to the chase, showing you exactly how to set up Instagram Shopping, create a storefront on your profile, and add those powerful Shop Now buttons and product tags to your content. We'll walk through every step, from initial eligibility checks to best practices for driving sales.

What "Shop Now on Instagram" Actually Means

Before we jump into the setup, it’s important to understand what the "Shop Now" feature is. It’s not just a single button you add to your profile bio. Instead, it’s a collection of features that are enabled once you set up Instagram Shopping. When your shop is active, an entire shoppable ecosystem opens up on your account.

Here’s what you get:

• A "View Shop" button and Shop Tab on your profile: This creates a dedicated storefront on your Instagram profile, allowing users to browse all your products without leaving the app.
• Product tagging in posts and Reels: You can tag specific products in your photos and videos. When a user taps the tag, they see the product name and price, and can tap again to view the product page.
• Product stickers in Stories: A special "Product" sticker lets you feature a product from your catalog directly in your Stories, creating a direct path to purchase.
• A "Shop Now" call-to-action on ads: The classic "Shop Now" button you see on promotional content directs traffic straight to your product pages or website.

So, the goal isn't just to add one button, it's to turn your entire Instagram presence into a native shopping experience. Let's get started on making that happen.

The Prep Work: Instagram Shopping Eligibility Checklist

Instagram wants to maintain a high-quality shopping environment, so they have a few requirements you must meet before you can set up a shop. Make sure you can tick all these boxes before moving on to the setup process.

1. Location and Product Type

Your business needs to be located in one of Instagram's supported countries or regions for shopping. Additionally, you must be selling physical, eligible goods. The platform doesn't currently support the sale of services, digital products, or other restricted items through its Shopping features.

2. Business or Creator Account

Personal Instagram profiles can't use Shopping features. You'll need to switch your account to either a Business or Creator account. If you haven't done this yet, it just takes a moment: go to Settings and privacy > Account type and tools > Switch to professional account and follow the prompts.

3. A Connected Facebook Page

Instagram is owned by Meta, and its commerce tools are deeply integrated with Facebook. You must have a Facebook Business Page connected to your Instagram account. You don't have to be active on the Facebook Page, but it must exist and be linked. You can check this by going to your Instagram profile, tapping Edit Profile, and looking under the "Page" section.

4. You Own Your E-commerce Website

Instagram requires you to sell products on a website that you own and operate. You’ll need a product catalog connected to this domain, which is where customers will ultimately complete their purchases (unless you set up checkout on Instagram, which is available in a few select regions).

5. Adherence to Commerce Policies

Finally, your account and products must comply with all of Meta's business and commerce policies. This includes representing your business and products accurately and following their commerce eligibility requirements carefully. Getting flagged for policy violations can delay or prevent your shop's approval.

Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up Your Instagram Shop

Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, you're ready to get your shop set up. Follow these steps methodically. The key is in creating and connecting your product catalog.

Step 1: Create a Product Catalog

Your product catalog is the foundation of your Instagram Shop. It's the master list of all the products you want to sell, complete with images, descriptions, prices, and links. You have two main ways to create one.

Method A: Using Commerce Manager (The Manual/Direct Approach)

This is Meta’s all-in-one tool for managing your products across Facebook and Instagram. It's a great option if you have a smaller number of products or want maximum control.

1. Go to Meta's Commerce Manager and click "Start Selling."
2. Select "Create a Shop" and follow the initial prompts.
3. When asked to choose a selling channel, select Instagram.
4. You’ll be prompted to connect your Business Account and choose a checkout method.
5. Next, you'll need to create a catalog. You can add items manually one by one, upload a spreadsheet (data feed), or connect a Meta Pixel to pull items from your website automatically.

Method B: Integrating an E-commerce Partner (The Easy & Automated Approach)

If you use a platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce, this is by far the easiest method. These platforms have direct integrations that automatically create and sync your product catalog with Facebook and Instagram.

For example, using Shopify:

1. From your Shopify dashboard, go to the Sales Channels section and add the "Facebook & Instagram" channel.
2. Follow the setup guide to connect your Facebook account, Business Manager, and Ad Account.
3. The integration will automatically sync your Shopify products to create a catalog in Meta Commerce Manager.
4. Any changes you make to products in Shopify (like price, description, or inventory) will automatically update in your Instagram Shop.

Step 2: Submit Your Account for Review

With your catalog set up and connected, it's time to ask Instagram to activate the Shopping features on your account.

1. From your Instagram app, go to your profile.
2. Tap the menu in the top right and select Settings and privacy.
3. Tap on Business tools and controls (or Creator tools and controls).
4. Select Set up Instagram Shopping. Tap "Get Started."
5. Instagram will guide you through confirming your connected Facebook account and selecting your product catalog.
6. Submit your account for review.

The review process can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks, though most accounts are approved within a few days. You'll receive a notification once the review is complete.

Step 3: Turn On Shopping Features

Once you get that exciting approval notification, it's time to light everything up!

1. Go back to Settings and privacy > Business (or Creator) > Shopping.
2. Select the product catalog you want to use for your shop.
3. Tap "Done."

Congratulations! Your "View Shop" button and Shop tab should now be visible on your profile. You’re officially ready to start selling directly on Instagram.

Putting Your Shop to Work: Best Practices for Using "Shop Now" Features

Getting your shop approved is just the start. Now, it's about creatively and strategically integrating shoppable content into your everyday posting strategy.

Tag Products in Your Feed Posts

Give your standard feed posts a commercial punch by tagging products. This is perfect for lifestyle shots, flatlays, or user-generated content.

• How to do it: Start creating a new post as you normally would. After adding your photo or video and writing your caption, tap on "Tag Products." Tap on the photo where you want the tag to appear, search for the product from your catalog, and select it. You can tag up to five products per single-image post.

Use Product Stickers in Stories

Stories are a high-engagement format, making them an ideal place to feature specific products. The Product Sticker is your direct link from a Story to a product page.

• How to do it: Create a Story with a photo or video. Tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen and select the "Product" sticker. Choose the product from your catalog you want to feature. You can customize the sticker's color and text.

Feature Products in Your Reels

With Reels being a major driver of discovery, making them shoppable is non-negotiable. You can tag products in your Reels, allowing viewers to shop directly from your most popular content.

• How to do it: After recording and editing your Reel, go to the share screen (where you write your caption). Tap on "Tag Products," and you can select products or a collection to feature in that video. These will appear with a small "View products" banner at the bottom of the Reel.

Create Collections to Curate Your Shop

Don't just list products, tell a story. Use the Collections feature to group products by theme, season, or launch. Think "Summer Essentials," "Back to School," or "Bestsellers." This helps guide the user experience and makes your shop feel more like a curated boutique than a simple product list.

Run Ads with the "Shop Now" Objective

To really boost sales, put a budget behind your best-performing products or content. When you create an ad in Meta Ads Manager, you can select the "Shop Now" call-to-action button. This is the most direct way to drive traffic from the Instagram feed directly to a specific product page, turning passive scrollers into active shoppers.

Final Thoughts

Setting up an Instagram Shop transforms your profile from a simple brand showcase into a dynamic sales channel. By following these steps to connect your catalog and activating shoppable features, you close the gap between discovery and purchase, giving followers a seamless path to become loyal customers.

Once your shop is live, consistency is your key to sustained growth. At Postbase, we designed our visual calendar to make planning your content a breeze. You can schedule all of your upcoming shoppable posts, Stories, and Reels in one beautiful calendar view, ensuring you're regularly showcasing your products without being repetitive. Staying organized with a tool like Postbase frees you up to focus on creating great content and engaging with your community, turning those views into sales.