How to set up a shop on Instagram

Hoping to bridge the gap between inspiration and purchase? Or perhaps you want to provide an engaging shopping experience on social media — one where users can discover your products quickly?

What is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram Shopping allows businesses to showcase and sell their products directly to users by transforming ordinary posts into shoppable experiences. Imagine transforming your Instagram feed into a vibrant storefront that invites scrolling users to become paying customers.

Instagram Shopping can help businesses:

• Reach new customers. Ever wonder how your favorite new brands pop up in your feed? Instagram's savvy algorithm recommends products to users based on their likes, follows, and browsing behavior, opening the door for businesses to be discovered by audiences who might not have found them otherwise.

• Increase sales. With features like product tags in posts and stories, users are just a tap away from making a purchase. This reduces the friction in the buying process, keeping the user engaged and more likely to buy on impulse.

• Build brand awareness. When users share or save your products or when your products appear in their search results, your brand's visibility increases. This type of organic engagement is invaluable for building a loyal customer base.

• Enhance customer trust. With so many low-quality goods flooding the market, it's not always easy to discern between genuine quality and clever marketing. Instagram Shopping helps bridge this gap – 81% of Instagram users aged 18 to 44 use the platform to research products before buying.²

To paint a picture, imagine a small artisan bakery that specializes in organic pastries. By using Instagram Shopping, the bakery not only showcases its mouth-watering creations through beautiful imagery but also directs customers right to their online store with a simple tap.

Or consider a boutique fashion retailer leveraging Instagram Shopping to highlight their latest collection, tag products in engaging runway show posts, and create an interactive shopping experience that keeps fashionistas coming back for more.

With Instagram Shopping, you’re not just posting – you’re engaging, selling, and growing your brand with every upload. It could be a game changer for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and boost sales.

Before we dive into how to create a shop on Instagram, here are some key Instagram Shopping features to know.

Instagram product tagging

Product tagging on Instagram is a straightforward way to bridge the gap between browsing and buying. When you tag a product in an image or video, your followers can see a price and product description with just a tap.

Imagine a follower spotting a stunning pair of shoes in your post and – one tap later – viewing the product in your online store, ready to convert from casual admirer to customer.

Instagram Shop tab

The Shop tab serves as a personalized shopping feed for users, making it easier for them to find products from brands they love or discover new favorites. Businesses with Instagram Shopping enabled may be featured here, which can significantly increase your visibility and attract streams of new buyers who are in a shopping mindset.

Instagram collections

With Instagram Shopping, you can also curate collections of shoppable products that live on your Instagram profile. This feature allows you to organize your products into themed sets that tell a coherent story about your brand.

For example, a fitness apparel brand might create collections for "Yoga Essentials," "Running Gear," and "Eco-Friendly Apparel." These curated collections help customers find exactly what they're looking for, enhancing user experience and promoting product discovery.

Instagram in-app checkout

Checkout on Instagram lets users buy directly within the app, which removes friction from the shopping journey. Users appreciate the seamless experience, and businesses benefit from the reduced likelihood of cart abandonment.

How to set up an Instagram shop for your business

Ready to set up your shop? Begin with these general steps.

How to get approved for Instagram Shopping: Review eligibility requirements

Before you can get started with Instagram Shopping, your business must meet the platform’s eligibility requirements.³

More specifically, you must:

• Comply with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies. All your business activities must align with their guidelines on product safety, authenticity, and legal compliance.

• Own a website domain where your product listings are available for purchasing.⁴ This requirement underscores the importance of having a direct sales channel outside of Instagram to establish your business’s credibility and provide a complete shopping experience.

• Location in a supported market.⁵ The location of your shop is based on the location of the commerce account it's linked to. For commerce accounts created after April 1, 2023, the location is determined by where the account's creator is based. For those established before April 1, 2023, the location is defined by the geographical location of associated assets, like an Instagram profile or Facebook Page.

• Sell eligible products. For example, alcohol and adult content are not permitted, aligning with Instagram’s commitment to providing a safe and family-friendly shopping environment.

• Have a trustworthy Facebook or Instagram presence. Meta, the platform’s parent company, evaluates this by examining factors like user engagement, adherence to community standards, and the authenticity of content posted, ensuring that only reputable businesses can feature their products.

Convert Instagram to a Business account

If your business’s account is currently a personal profile, you’ll need to convert it to a Business account:

1. Open your business’s Instagram profile.
2. Click on “Settings and privacy” > “Account type and tools” > “Switch to professional account.”
3. Follow the instructions to set up a business profile.

Set up your Instagram Shop

To set up your shop, you must first create a Business Manager account.⁶

Once your account is ready, open Commerce Manager.⁷ You’ll be asked to choose a checkout method and which channels you want to sell on (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, or both).

Upload your product catalog

Now, you’re ready to learn how to add products to Instagram. Instagram offers two options for uploading your product catalog to your Instagram Shop.

The first option involves creating every product manually in Commerce Manager:

1. Open Commerce Manager.
2. Click on “Catalog” > “Add Products” > “Add Manually.”
3. Fill out the product image, name, SKU, website link, price, availability, categorization, shipping, variants, and description fields.
4. When complete, click “Add Product.”

Alternatively, you can import a pre-existing product database from one of Instagram’s certified ecommerce partners (e.g., Shopify or BigCommerce):

1. Open Commerce Manager.
2. Click on “Catalog” > “Data Sources” > “Add Items” > “Use a Partner Platform.”
3. Choose your platform from the dropdown menu.
4. Click on the link, then follow the steps to integrate your account with Facebook.

Submit your account for review

Before you can start selling, you’ll need to submit your account for review:

1. Open your business’s Instagram profile.
2. Click on the menu button and select “Settings.”
3. Sign up for shopping.
4. Follow the instructions for submitting your account for review.

The review process typically takes a few days, but Instagram may request additional information. To check your account review status, simply visit “Shopping” in your settings anytime.

Turn on Instagram Shopping

Once Instagram approves your account, you can turn on Instagram Shopping.

Simply:

1. Open your business’s Instagram profile.
2. Click on the menu and select “Settings” > “Business” > “Shopping”.
3. Choose the correct product catalog, then press “Done.”

After you’ve turned on this feature, you’ll notice a new “View Shop” button on your Instagram profile. When Instagram users visit your profile, they can now browse your product catalog, tap to learn more, and shop.

If the Shopping option doesn’t appear in your settings, your account is likely either under review or hasn’t yet been approved for Instagram Shopping.

How to tag products on Instagram

Now that your account is approved for Shopping, you can begin tagging products in your in-feed posts, Instagram Stories, Guides, Reels, Ads, and Live broadcasts.

To tag a product, you’ll:

1. Create a new post as usual.
2. Tap on "Tag products," then select the products in the image or video.
3. Search for the products from your catalog featured in the post.

Expanding your tagging across various content formats on Instagram, not just static feed posts, is crucial for maximizing your visibility and engagement. Each format reaches users in different ways and contexts, enhancing the shopping experience and keeping it dynamic.

For example, Instagram Stories are perfect for time-sensitive offers and behind-the-scenes glimpses, making them ideal for immediate product promotions and flash sales. Meanwhile, tagging in Reels can attract users who prefer engaging, short-form video content, which is increasingly popular for its entertainment value.

Using Guides, you can create more comprehensive shopping experiences that tell a story or curate collections, providing a richer context around your products. Finally, live broadcasts offer real-time engagement, making them fantastic for demonstrations and answering questions on the spot, which can significantly reduce hesitation in purchasing decisions.

Getting ready to sell on Instagram

Tapping into the power of social media marketing is a valuable tactic for any growing business. However, with over 25 million business profiles worldwide using Instagram Shopping¹, the platform is bustling with competitors, making it more critical than ever to maximize the features we’ve outlined above.

As the digital marketplace grows, so does the necessity for innovative and strategic marketing approaches to stand out. Now that you’ve successfully set up Instagram Shopping, consider exploring additional platforms like Facebook Marketplace to further attract, engage, and convert potential shoppers. Expanding your digital footprint can help you reach different segments of your audience and tap into new markets.

For more detailed tips on optimizing your presence on the platform, check out this guide on how to use Instagram in your marketing strategy.