Having problems connecting my shopify store to Facebook/Instagram

[alissaann]

I have been having a lot of problems trying to connect my Shopify store to Instagram via Facebook Business Manager.

I am new to this platform. The main reason that I switched to Shopify was so that my Instagram posts would be shoppable.

I originally received an email from Instagram that said:
"You’re almost ready to start selling on Instagram. Now you’ll need to verify ownership of your website domain.

To verify your domain, log into your Business Manager using a computer and follow the step-by-step instructions in our help center. "
I followed the link to the Business Center, entered my domain name (tlcsafetybydesign.com), copied the txt Facebook domain verification code, logged into the DNS of my GoDaddy account, and added the code under a new TXT line item in my DNS records. Facebook also has a link to do a TXT lookup and I saw that it was there. I hit the verify button, and it verified and there is a green dot next to the domain name.

However, when I checked the Facebook sales channel page on Shopify, the Instagram Shopping is rejected. It said that:
"You need to claim the domain connected to your business on Facebook.

To use Instagram Shopping, learn more about domain verification. After you make that change, you’ll need to contact Facebook to submit an appeal. "

I’ve submitted multiple appeals over the past few days and keep getting the same answer:
Thank you for contacting Facebook Support. To use Instagram Shopping, you must verify ownership of the domain[tlcsafetybydesign.myshopify.com]. The following link (https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/domain-verification) outlines the necessary steps to complete domain verification. In addition, you may also follow the steps outlined by Shopify via this link (https://shopify.dev/tutorials/customize-theme-verify-domain-with-third-party-services). Once this step is completed, you should have access to IG Shopping. If not, please feel free to reach back out to us. You can also learn more about our Commerce Eligibility Requirements here (https://help.instagram.com/1627591223954487?helpref=related).

I’ve taken photos of my screen and sent back appeals to show my DNS record, the Facebook Business Manager page where there is a green dot showing verification, etc.. Still get this same email. The link that they keep sending me of tutorials show a Facebook Business Manager page that is out of date and different than the Business Manager interface that they have now so it didn’t really help.

I looked at my Facebook Commerce Manager, and it shows that same verify your website domain alert. It dawned on me that maybe they don’t want me to verify my website page, but rather the Shopify domain tlcsafetybydesign.myshopify.com. I added that domain in the Business Manager, pasted the new code into my DNS records, and it will not verify. I did the TXT lookup and it does not show. It only shows the shopify domain as a CNAME (alias). Every time that I tried to verify, it would say: No DNS entries found. We did not find any DNS TXT entries for the given domain. I also tried to use the meta tag verification and it said the paste the code in the header. I pasted the code at the top of header.liquid. Still nothing. It does not show in the TXT lookup.

I removed that domain and put in my website domain only - tlcsafetybydesign.com, did a new DNS code and it let me verify, shows a green dot next to the name and the code shows up in a TXT lookup and in the source of my homepage.

However, they do not want me to verify tlcsafetybydesign.com. The want tlcsafetybydesign.myshopify.com, which for some reason it won’t - maybe because it is an alias.

I am out of ideas and have spoken to Shopify numerous times this week. I really need some help with this.

[Miles]

Hi, @alissaann !

I’m Miles from the Social Care team at Shopify. Thanks for letting us know about the issues with verifying your domain. I understand you’ve contacted Shopify a few times and you’re just wanting to settle this so you can move forward to sell your products on Instagram.

Based on the information you’ve provided below, I just want to summarise what’s going on and provide you with the next steps.

• Your domain is hosted by GoDaddy.
• Your online store is hosted by Shopify.
• You’ve connected the Facebook channel in order to be able to use Instagram Shopping, however, your having troubles getting your domain verified.
• You’ve used Facebook/Instagram’s guides to add TXT records as well but are still getting rejected.
• You’re now concerned that they would like your .myshopify.com domain verified instead of your primary domain and are unsure how to do this.
• You’ve contacted Shopify on multiple occasions and still don’t have a resolution.

The first thing I’d like to let you know is that your .myshopify.com domain does not need to be verified if you’re not using it as your primary domain. From what I understand, tlcsafetybydesign.com is your primary domain that your customers use to access your online store. If that’s the case, then you can completely disregard the .myshopify.com one, as it isn’t the domain you’d provide to Facebook/Instagram.

As your .com domain is hosted by GoDaddy, they will be best placed to help you with the domain verification process. GoDaddy is a third-party provider, which means we’re unable to access your DNS settings to make sure the TXT and other records are correctly structured. My advice would be to contact GoDaddy first and let them know exactly what you’ve told me today, and they’ll be able to check your DNS settings to make sure everything is connected correctly.

Once you’ve spoken to GoDaddy and have walked through the steps provided by Facebook/Instagram, you’ll be ready to have the Instagram decision reviewed and resubmit your domain verified by them. It seems you’ve been getting the same reply from them in the past, so I’d recommend using Facebook’s Business Help Center as they offer live chat services.

Merchants with an already existing Business Page on Facebook will be able to access the live chat service. (There have been some cases of live chat not functioning for all business pages, to resolve this, you may need to reach out to Facebook through email by filling out a form found through Facebook’s Help Center.)

You can access the live chat service by visiting this link while logged into your Facebook Business Manager account.

To start, click on the “Find answers or contact support” button.

Like Shopify support, you will have to fill out the prompts for your specific questions and then click on “chat with a representative” if the documents are unhelpful or you wish to have live support.

Facebook Live Chat is available to merchants between 9 AM EST - 11 PM EST. You will not be able to access this support channel outside of these hours and will be prompted to get in touch with Support via email. Facebook does also shut off their chat feature when the capacity is too high, so the chat may appear unavailable at any time. You will see the following message and will have to try again later.

As an alternative, you can also fill out a support form here. You must be logged into Facebook for this link to work.

At any time, if you need a hand, please feel free to reply to this thread and I’ll be happy to help out.

[alissaann]

Spoke to GoDaddy and they said that I have set up correctly. According to my business manager and commerce manager in Facebook, my site is verified.

However, Facebook/Instagram emails and the Facebook app on Shopify is still telling me that I need to verify.

Tried to contact Facebook. They don’t have a category for any instagram connection issues and the Chat with a representative under “still need help? Contact support” that is shown in your screen shot is not there.

I have filled out the support form and submitted numerous appeals, including another one this morning. I’ve received a different answer from each Shopify customer service representative that I have spoken with.

This should not have to be so difficult and I should be able to concentrate my energies on building my site, not troubleshooting connection issues.

[Miles]

Hey, @alissaann !

Thanks for getting back to me.

I guess the best place to start is that one of the reasons you may be getting different responses from us, is because this issue isn’t related to your Shopify account at all. It’s related to your domain and your Facebook account which Shopify does not control. We’ll always do our best to help and guide you through solutions, however, this domain verification is a Facebook requirement and needs to be resolved directly with them.

Now, in regards to the email asking about the .myshopify.com domain, can you check your Instagram account settings to make you have not listed that domain anywhere? They should not be asking for that at all and they need to remove reference to that domain if you’re not using it.

I totally understand that this is taking up all your energy and it’s not what you want to be focusing on. But I do need to stress that this is not an issue caused or remedied by Shopify. I know that contacting Facebook and Instagram can be difficult, but again, as they aren’t connected to Shopify, I’m not able to guide you anywhere else. I can appreciate you’re doing everything you can to get this resolved, but you need to direct those efforts back to Instagram and Facebook again now that you’ve confirmed the domain is correct with GoDaddy.

I wish you all the best in getting this resolved!

[Annabelle1]

I have exactly the same problem and have done for 4 weeks!!!

I’m going in circles with this and I can’t get anyone to help me sort this either.

[alissaann]

Here is an update of my issue:

There is a support page in Facebook Commerce Manager and I wrote to them about my issue and attached all of the images above on 10/13. No response so I replied to that email thread again on 10/16.

On 10/17, an actual person responded:

Great! I thought. Maybe I am getting somewhere. Again, someone is telling me how to verify my domain. I have been building websites for 25+ years, both for myself and other businesses. I have used Adobe Dreamweaver, WordPress, Joolma, Wix, Elementor, etc.. At this point, I know how to add a DNS entry and I resent that Shopify even told me to check with my host to see if it was added correctly.

I did attach the pics of the verified domain in my Facebook Business Manager, but no one bothered to look.

I gave them permission to log into my account.

I’m also really turned off with that Covid-19 excuse. They have been working remotely, along with many other businesses in the USA and the world - most likely before Covid-19. Last I checked, you can’t catch Covid-19 - or anything else - through an email or telephone call.

Yesterday 10/19 I received a response that he was sorry that I was experiencing this problem and my issue would be shared with the Specialist team. Maybe I’m finally getting somewhere.

Nope. I just received the same canned response that I have been getting all along to verify my domain. They didn’t even look at the attached pics or bother to see if there was another issue that I am not aware of.

From what I can ascertain at this point, Facebook Business Manger shows that I am verified. Facebook Commerce Manager shows that I am not verified in Facebook Business Manager. Apparently there is some sort of disconnect between them and that is not something that I or Shopify can fix. Facebook needs to fix this and they don’t even read or look at the attached images. Even though I gave them permission, they didn’t even look at my account or the attached images in the email.

Annabelle1, I’m sorry that you’re experiencing this problem too. At least I know now that I am not crazy or too stupid to attach a TXT entry into my DNS.

The main reason that I jumped ship from Wix to Shopify was to have the ability to make my Instagram posts shoppable. I am paying a monthly fee for nothing right now. I’m afraid to finish my site because if Instagram shopping is not going to work, then I have no reason to stay with Shopify.

Since this is an ongoing problem with other Shopify members (I’m sure that it is not just us), Shopify needs to get with Facebook and fix this problem.

[Miles]

Hi, @alissaann .

Thanks for the update and the screenshots of their responses. I am sorry to hear this is still not resolved. Unfortunately, my response isn’t going to differ too much from my last one. Facebook and Instagram are separate parties to Shopify. Your domain is also not hosted by Shopify. There is honestly nothing Shopify can do in order to push Facebook to provide more help to you as we have no jurisdiction over their policies, requirements or customer service.

To put this into perspective, let’s say Wix also offered Instagram Shopping. You’d be running into the same issues you are now, as it’s not Wix who is asking for the verification. It is Facebook. I really do understand this is a frustrating response to receive, and I wish I could help resolve this for you.

In regards to your comments around Covid-19 affecting customer service, I just wanted to point out that during the pandemic, e-commerce has risen significantly. More people are shopping online and more businesses are switching to online options during lockdowns and store closures. Businesses are doing what they can to stay afloat. Unfortunately, that puts a strain on many businesses like us and Facebook. With a spike in businesses going online, that comes with a spike of merchants trying to navigate new platforms - most without website experience. We’re all doing our best to make sure customers are getting the support they need. I just wanted to clarify this for some perspective on the effect of Covid-19 outside of the disease itself.

I’d like to apologise again for the runaround you’re getting with Facebook. I can only hope you get this resolved as soon as possible. In the meantime, you mentioned having to pay for the platform that you cannot use. In light of this, I’ve sent you an email to help me access your store so that I can look at some options for you. Could you please respond to that email with the information I’ve requested? Once you’ve responded, I’ll take a look at some options for you.

@Annabelle1 , thanks for letting me know you’re having the same issues as @alissaann . So I can assist further, and to see if this is a related issue, could you please let me know the following?

• What errors are you seeing?
• Have you already contacted Facebook Support? If so, what was their response?
• Is your domain hosted by Shopify? If not, who is the domain host?
• Please include any screenshots you have that will help me understand the issue a little better.

Thank you both for reaching out.

[Annabelle1]

Hello @alissaann !

Mine Finally worked yesterday after arguing with Facebook for the last 4 weeks, we are finally able to sell!

I kept getting the same email saying that we haven’t got a verified domain. Same email every time I appealed. I have over the last 4 weeks Disconnected and reconnected the domain on Facebook after each time I had re appealed. The last 2 times I have replied to their email and asked for them to re-appeal the issue as well as for them to check there end again as there was no issue on shopify.

Yesterday I was on the final straw before quitting and tried one more thing , just to see If that would work. I had disconnected the Facebook from the shopify account and appealed to Facebook again. Which they then sent me an email stating I had no products in my Facebook commerce that were linked to the domain. ( I didn’t disconnect the domain this time I just took Facebook off of shopify) After I had the email stating no products on the domain I checked everything again and reconnected the Facebook to the shopify account, did the setup again made sure everything in shopify and Facebook business manager were working, i.e.products in the commerce account, our shop live in Facebook etc.., and sent them an email back to reappeal and verify with domain.

30 minutes later everything was working. I had received an email saying instagram is verifying your account, moments later everything works. We are now allowed to shop and sell on Facebook and instagram.

It was a major long shot but it worked for me.

Facebook needs to have people to help! Shopify Support have helped me so much over the last 4 weeks but they aren’t able to control Facebook…

Let me know if it works for you?

[alissaann]

Thanks Annabelle1, I will try that!

I agree - Shopify Support has been trying to help me too. Facebook needs to get it’s act together. I’m sure that others have given up and that’s lost revenue for them.

[Miles]

Hey @alissaann !

Just wanted to follow up on this for you and see if you managed to get this resolved with @Annabelle1 's solution? If it worked, I’d love to let our team know so we can help people in future if they come across this problem.

Thanks!

[atcassel]

I’m in the SAME BOAT. I want to participate in Shopify and social media but it’s like the world doesn’t want me to… I’ve followed all the steps to verify, yet still show Instagram has REJECTED my shopify integration. This is too challenging for small businesses with limited tech staff!!! Help!!!

[Jenr]

I’m having the same issue. I have a .myshopify.com and they keep asking me to verify my domain and that in need to appeal.

[Alliefousee]

@Annabelle1 I am having this same issue. We have spent weeks talking to facebook and shopify and we are just running around in circles. We are a small business run by two people and the HOURS we have spent on this are hours we dont have! I know you understand! Thanks for replying to the forum so others can try to help themselves through this. Can you please explain what you mean by disconnect from Facebook? Our domain is verified on Facebook and our Commerce shop is connected and our catalog works. However we have been rejected from Instagram shopping and cannot tag products or sell anything via that channel. I will say, we use one domain to sell our items on shopify https://the-saved-collection.myshopify.com/ and then we have our own owned domain that we use to communicate what we do with clients. https://www.thesavedcollection.com/

Any advice you got along the way would or can give us would be SO appreciated! We are about to give up and move our websites around

Thanks,

Allie

[alissaann]

Nope. It’s been 6 weeks, and Facebook is still giving me either 1. no response or 2. autoresponder. It’s very frustrating. They are horrible to deal with. They are such a big company, you would think that they have the means to support a live customer service team. Unfortunately, they have you over a barrel because they own instagram. I am so disgusted with all of this at this point. Had I known the runaround that I would get trying to implement shoppable instagram platforms, I’m not sure if I would’ve changed my hosting. I know that it is not Shopify’s fault, but it was the main reason that I switched and put all this time, money and effort into developing a new site.

[Annabelle1]

I will try and help. I know your pain it is ridiculous having to answer to a Facebook computer. It took me nearly 4 months of arguing with Facebook and finally managed to work in the end of September. I literally gave it one more chance before calling it quits and it actually worked.

I had submitted another appeal to Instagram, I did this pretty much everyday for the last month before they accepted it. I had got an automated reply as usual about the domain. I went into Facebook to disconnect the domain, and reconnect it. Once reconnected I replied to the email from Facebook, asking them to recheck. I always stated there was nothing wrong with the domain on shopify. If they replied back with the same thing I asked Shopify Support to check for me, they are so helpful and always did, but shopify can’t deal with Facebook.

When I say disconnect shopify from Facebook I mean delete the channel and re-add it after 30 minutes or so. I only did this to see if it made a difference. I then reconnected everything back up to Facebook, checked Facebook pixel was working and everything was done and sorted in the shopify Facebook channel before going into Facebook to check that side. I checked the domain and that everything was linked between Shopify and Facebook, sent another appeal through the Facebook channel on shopify and replied to any emails from them that I had already replied to but it was just incase they ignored my instagram appeal, left it for the night and next day it worked.

When you appeal through Facebook channel in shopify, add in a photograph or screenshot of the page at the bottom. I just screenshot the Facebook section shopify that stated we weren’t able to instagram tag or shop. This is how I got a reply everytime. If you don’t send in a screenshot it was always ignored, defiantly for me anyway.

I have two domains like you do. My shop is connected to my Facebook and Instagram and the domain I connect with customers is too.

Hope this works!
Please let me know if this works, if not I will try and help you the best I can.

[Annabelle1]

@Alliefousee ^^^^^

[Alaralarashop]

Hi,

I have the same problem with my account.

I would appreciate if somebody could help me.

With best regards

[smolwen]

Hi Miles

i am having the exact same issue and have spent literally hours on multiple Live Chats (I’m pretty sure they’re bots) with Facebook support. The only difference is my domain is one I purchased from Shopify.
Facebook verification has been acknowledged by the Facebook Chat peeps/bots but I keep getting told I need to verify my domain for Instagram even though they are both managed by the same Business Manager. I have been going in circles for weeks. From Biz Manager, it says both shops are active with 0 issues and I’ve sent screenshots Chat to confirm that. On the Shopify admin, it says that IG has been rejected and to request a review, which leads to my being prompted to again verify the domain.
From the IG app, when I click the Shopping tab in settings, I get another reminder to verify my domain but they specify the myshopify name (and you can’t use that for domain verification which is why I purchased one).
I don’t know what else to do. I’ve spoken to Shopify support too about this but they said only Facebook can help. It’s completely maddening!

Please Help!! ?

[smolwen]

Hi Annabelle

Great to hear you were able to sort it out! I’m am at the end of my rope and about to pack it all in as since I opened my shop 6 weeks ago, it’s been one problem after the next. The first few weeks most of my products were rejected by Facebook because they thought I was selling medical devices (nope, just skincare products ).
I’m encouraged by your suggestion but my fear is that by disconnecting Facebook, I will be subjecting my products to another review (and I finally have everything approved. There was nothing specific that allowed for approval except deleting and adding them MANY times). When you disconnected Facebook and the other steps you mentioned, did everything go under review again? I’m praying the answer is no!!

Thanks!

[Annabelle1]

Hi @smolwen

No, not that I can remember, if it did, it sorted it by its self as I left it over night and the next day everything was working ( took me 3 months for my shop to finally work). I sell pet products so at one point it was rejecting most of the toys or collars but when I reset everything there didn’t seem to be an issue with approving them.

To save you deleting them and re-adding them on shopify or Facebook for them to be approved. I found out recently that the way to approve them was on Facebook ( as i’m adding new products in weekly, its the easiest way I have found). If you edit the product (on Facebook) it wants the product in a certain category related to it so it follows facebooks guidelines and can be approved. So once I put everything into the category they are all approved in 30 minutes/hour. Eg. dog collar into ‘pet related products’ which then went into a sub category ‘dog supplies’ it took a while but now everything on mine is approved.

I really hope this helps!