How to Enable Instagram Shopping

Turning your Instagram feed into a clickable, shoppable storefront is one of the most powerful moves you can make for your e-commerce brand. This guide walks you through the entire process, from checking if you're eligible to tagging your very first product. We'll cover the step-by-step setup in Commerce Manager and share tips for making your new shop a success.

First Things First: Do You Even Qualify for Instagram Shopping?

Before you get started, Meta has a few boxes you need to tick. It’s better to confirm your eligibility now than to get stuck midway through the process. Think of this as your pre-flight checklist.

1. Check Your Location and Business Type

• Location: Your business must be located in a country where Instagram Shopping is available. You can find the full list of supported markets here.
• Products: You must primarily sell physical goods. Services, digital products, and certain restricted items are not eligible.

2. Meet the Account Requirements

• Business or Creator Account: Your Instagram account must be set up as a professional Business or Creator account. If you're on a personal profile, you can switch in just a few taps by going to Settings > Account > Switch to Professional Account.
• Connected Facebook Page: Your Instagram account needs to be officially linked to a Facebook Page. If you have a Facebook Page for your business, you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to create one. You don't need to post actively on the Page, but it's a non-negotiable part of the backend setup.
• Owned Website Domain: You need to sell products from your own website. You cannot set up Instagram Shopping if you only sell through marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon.

3. Comply with the Rules

• Commerce Policies: Your business must comply with Meta's Commerce Policies. This document outlines rules about what you can sell and how you present your business. Take a few minutes to read it - it will save you headaches later.
• Demonstrate Trustworthiness: Your Instagram profile should appear authentic and established. This means having a decent number of posts, an engaged following (even if it's small), and clear business information in your bio. A brand-new, empty account is likely to be rejected.

If you meet all of these criteria, you're ready to move on to the setup process. If not, work on meeting these requirements before proceeding.

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

Enabling Instagram Shopping is a multi-step process that primarily happens within Meta's Commerce Manager. It might seem like a lot, but just follow these steps one by one.

Step 1: Create a Catalog in Commerce Manager

Your catalog is the foundation of your shop. It’s where you’ll upload and manage all the products you want to sell on Instagram and Facebook. You have a few ways to set this up.

First, navigate to Meta's Commerce Manager and click "Start Selling." It will guide you through creating a Commerce Account for your business.

During the setup, you'll be asked to add products to your catalog. You generally have three choices:

• Use a Partner Platform (Easiest Option): If you use an e-commerce platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or similar, this is by far the best way to go. These platforms integrate directly with Meta, automatically syncing your products, inventory, and pricing. You’ll just follow the instructions within your e-commerce dashboard to connect to 'Facebook & Instagram' as a sales channel. This creates a link that updates your catalog for you.
• Manual Upload: If you only have a few products, you can add them one by one. You'll need to upload images, write descriptions, set prices, and provide a link to the product page on your website for each item. This is simple but time-consuming and requires you to manage inventory updates yourself.
• Use a Data Feed/Spreadsheet: For larger inventories not on a partner platform, you can create a spreadsheet (like a CSV or XML file) with all your product information structured in a specific format. You can then schedule regular uploads to keep your catalog in sync. It’s more technical but powerful for managing many products.

Whichever method you choose, make sure your product information is complete and high-quality. Use clear photos, detailed descriptions, and accurate pricing.

Step 2: Submit Your Account for Review

Once your catalog is set up and contains products, it’s time to submit your Instagram account for review. This is where Meta checks to make sure you tick all the eligibility boxes we discussed earlier.

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
2. Tap the menu in the top right corner and go to Settings and privacy.
3. Tap on Business tools and controls (or Creator tools and controls).
4. Select Set Up Instagram Shopping.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts. Instagram will ask you to confirm your business information, connect your catalog, and agree to the policies.
6. Submit your account for review.

The review process can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks, though it's typically done in a few days. You'll receive a notification in the Instagram app once your account has been approved.

What If It's Rejected? Don't panic. A rejection is almost always tied to one of the eligibility requirements. Meta usually provides a reason. Go back through the checklist - is your account new? Does your website link work? Are you selling eligible products? Correct the issue and you can submit for review again.

Step 3: Turn on Shopping Features

Congratulations, you’ve been approved! You have one final step to actually start using the features. You need to officially "switch on" Shopping for your profile.

1. Go back to your Instagram Settings and privacy page.
2. Navigate to Business tools and controls.
3. Tap on Shopping.
4. Select the product catalog you want to connect to your account (it should be the one you created in Step 1).
5. Tap Done.

Once you do this, a "View Shop" button will appear on your Instagram profile, and you'll unlock the ability to tag products across the entire platform. You’re officially open for business!

You're Set Up! How to Sell with Instagram Shopping

Having an Instagram Shop is great, but its real power comes from integrating your products directly into the content your audience already loves. Here's how to do it.

Tagging Products in Feed Posts & Reels

Instead of hoping followers will click the link in your bio, you can place a direct link to a product right on your content. The process is almost identical for both feed posts (photos and carousels) and Reels.

• Start creating a post or Reel as you normally would.
• On the final screen before sharing (where you write your caption), tap Tag Products.
• Tap on the photo or video where you want the tag to appear.
• Start typing the name of the product from your catalog and select it when it appears. You can tag up to 5 products per single-image post or up to 20 for carousels.
• Tap Done and share your post. A small shopping bag icon will appear on your content, letting users know it's shoppable.

Using Product Stickers in Stories

Stories provide another great opportunity to drive sales, especially for limited-time offers or new arrivals.

• Create your Story with a photo or video.
• Open the sticker tray (the smiling square icon at the top).
• Select the Product sticker.
• Choose the product from your catalog you want to feature. You can customize the sticker's color and text.
• Place it anywhere on your Story and share it! Viewers can tap the sticker to go directly to the product page.

Curate Collections in Your Shop

Your shop tab doesn't have to be a random list of everything you sell. You can create "Collections" to group products by theme, much like categories on a website. Good examples include "New Arrivals," "Summer Essentials," "Best Sellers," or "Gifts Under $50."

To create a collection, go to your Commerce Manager > Shops > Collections. There, you can build new collections by picking products from your catalog. This makes the shopping experience more organized and helps customers find what they're looking for faster.

Final Thoughts

Setting up Instagram Shopping involves a few key steps: meeting eligibility criteria, building a product catalog in Commerce Manager, and getting your account approved. Once enabled, it unlocks an incredibly effective channel for turning social media engagement into direct e-commerce sales.

After your shop is live, keeping it fresh with engaging, shoppable content is what will ultimately drive results. Consistency and planning are game-changers here. At Postbase, we built our platform specifically for the social media of today - one that's anchored in visual, video-first content like Reels and Stories. We got tired of legacy tools that felt clunky and unreliable, so we designed a clean, visual calendar that helps you plan and schedule all your promotional content without friction. Our rock-solid reliability means your shoppable posts go live exactly when they should, helping you stay ahead and focus on growing your brand.