Help! I cant connect my facebook and instagram shopping!

[BellocosaTo]

Hi there!

Has anyone ever run into this problem setting up the final steps of there instagram/facebook shopping. It said "your account wasn’t approved for Instagram Shopping" 

This was before I connected my domains, Ive connected everything and went to appeal the decision filled out the whole application, connected my catalogue and everything and it wont submit the form, I get this pop up

We could not process your request. Please try again later.

I have no idea who to contact about this as facebook is impossible to find customer service. Has anyone ever had this problem before?

[Moira]

Hey, @BellocosaTo!

This is Moira from the Social Care team at Shopify. I understand you're running into problems with getting your store approved for Instagram shopping. You've definitely posted in the right place! I'm more than happy to look into this for you.

In situations like this, we don't particularly have any more context on why your account isn't eligible, as it's handled entirely by Facebook. There are a few requirements for the Instagram sales channel which is generally the cause for this ineligibility. You can see the list of requirements in the screenshot below:

Is there anything in the list that rings a bell that you think could be preventing your account from being approved? I encourage you to review the following guides and policies to make sure your store qualifies for the Instagram shopping feature:

• Requirements for the Instagram sales channel

• Facebook business policies

• Instagram set-up guidelines

If you run into any further issues with Facebook or Instagram, we have a fantastic community forum post right here with steps on how to fix any current known issues for the Facebook channel. According to this post here, disconnecting your Facebook account (as seen below) and then re-connecting your Facebook account has resolved this issue for many other merchants.

While your store may be unavailable to use Instagram shopping, you can still use Instagram to promote your business and products. We have an amazing, and free, Shopify Compass course that gives great advice about how to use Instagram for eCommerce. It goes into all the different ways you can use Instagram to create and engage an audience, so I definitely recommend checking it out. Instagram stories are also another great tool you can still make use of, and we have an excellent article outlining some best practices with it.

Let us know how you get on with the steps above, I’m happy to answer any questions you think of as you work on your business.

Cheers!

[bi23]

how i will start

[Moira]

Hey, @bi23! Welcome to the Community!

It's fantastic to hear you are wanting to get started with Facebook & Instagram for your business! There are three main ways a Shopify Facebook Store can help grow your business:

• Increase brand awareness using typical social indicators (likes, shares, promotions, etc.).

• Increase sales by putting your products where your customers already are. 78% of American consumers say they’ve discovered products on Facebook.

• Reach new customers with audience-building ads, or use retargeting ads to get products in front of people even after they’ve left your store.

Once you install the channel and get it set up, you will be able to link your Shopify Catalogue to both Facebook and Instagram so users could: 

• View your products from Facebook/Instagram.

• Buy straight from Facebook & Instagram.

After linking your Shopify to these platforms, all products, variants, quantities, etc. will be synced up with them constantly to help ensure you don't have to go update everywhere, whenever you make some changes. I am also attaching some resources below which may help you out in setting up and running:

• Setting up Facebook Channel

• Facebook Channel Quick Guide

• Facebook Channel Video Tutorial

• Sell on Facebook & Instagram 2021 | Shopify

I’d highly recommend looking into Facebook Blueprint where you can discover online learning courses, training programs, and certifications that can help you get the most out of Facebook marketing platforms.

If you have any questions please feel free to thread those below.

Cheers

[lussoca]

I did everything but still cannot connect my Shopify to Instagram although I have my Facebook shop and message them many times since 5 months ago but still cannot connect. Shopify shows me the "Your account wasn’t approved for Instagram Shopping". The last time I sent Facebook a message about my Instagram they replied to me "We appreciate you taking the time to contact us, but unfortunately we can't support this type of request through this channel. We won't be able to take any further action on this report. We encourage reaching out to Shopify for support or visit the Instagram Help Center for answers to the most common questions regarding your account". this is frustrating that after 5 months still cannot draw the traffic to my website and cannot sell anything.

[Moira]

Hi @lussoca, 

I understand your frustration here, most accounts that are not approved for Instagram shopping go against Instagram commerce policies. I am happy to go over these regulations with you.

Comply with Instagram Policy

Your Instagram Business account must comply with Instagram’s Terms of Use and the Community Guidelines. You’ll also need to comply with:

• Commerce Product Merchant Agreement

• Commerce Policy

• Instagram Ad Policy

• Pages, Groups, and Events Policy

As previously mentioned, we don't particularly have any more context on why your account isn't eligible, as it's entirely up to Instagram (Facebook) to determine whether your store is approved or not. In the meantime, I encourage you to review these major points from the commerce policies and see if your account complies with these regulations. Note that this list covers the basics and you’ll need to read both the community standards and commerce policies thoroughly to be fully informed!

• Your account doesn’t abide by community standards: Instagram’s vision is to remain “an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression”. Anything in your account that goes against these values can be a reason for rejection. Therefore, make sure your store is overall legal, useful, safe, and respectful to others.

• Your inventory contains prohibited products: If your inventory contains prohibited items, then your business will not be approved. Prohibited products include any commerce listings that violate community standards, such as adult products, knockoffs, alcohol, animals, digital media and electronic devices, legal documents, hazardous substances, and more. Facebook’s commerce policies flesh out the full details of each prohibited item.

• You don’t sell physical goods: If your inventory is empty, your account will not be approved. Your Instagram merchant account must have physical goods for sale.

• There’s discrimination in your store: If there’s evidence of discrimination anywhere in your listings, your business can be rejected for Instagram shopping. Make sure your products don’t discriminate against anyone’s “race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, marital status, disability, or medical or genetic condition”

• Location in a country where Instagram Shopping is available

• Demonstrate Trustworthiness: Your Instagram account must have an authentic, established presence. This also includes maintaining a base follower account (although the exact number hasn’t been clarified.)

• Provide accurate information and follow best practices: Your products should not have misleading pricing or availability information. Refund and return policies must be clearly displayed and easily accessible on either your website or on Instagram.

While your store may be unavailable to use Instagram shopping, you can still use Instagram to promote your business and products. We have an amazing, and free, Shopify Compass course that gives great advice about how to use Instagram for eCommerce. There are also some app alternatives like InstaShop that can be used to connect your Instagram photo galleries to your store. This particular app does have a free plan, but you can upgrade to a paid plan for more features.

Feel free to let me know if I can clarify anything further.