Facebook and Instagram social icons on a Shopify store show a browser error when clicked: “www.facebook.com is blocked / refused to connect (ERR_BLOCKED_BY_RESPONSE)”, while the TikTok link works.
Key context and troubleshooting suggested:
Shopify support asks whether the issue occurs specifically inside the Shopify theme editor (Online Store Themes Customize Theme settings Social media).
Recommended steps: clear browser cache, use a supported browser, and test on another device.
Also suggested reformatting the URLs by removing the trailing “/” at the end of the Facebook/Instagram links.
Most recent update/outcome:
Another user reports the same behavior and found it only happens within the theme editor; after saving/applying the links and viewing the live store (outside the editor), the social links work normally.
Status:
No confirmed root cause, but the discussion suggests it may be a theme editor-only/preview behavior rather than broken links on the live site.
Summarized with AI on February 26.
AI used: gpt-5.2.
I am setting up my social media links on my website, but for some reason the Facebook and Instagram links are not working. It is possible that I typed the links wrong, but the TikTok link works fine. This is the error message that I get when I click on the social media icon.
Rae from Shopify here. I’m happy to help out with this!
To clarify, are you working in the theme editor on your site when this error appears? The theme editor can be accessed directly through your Shopify admin by clicking on ‘Online store > Themes > Current theme > Customize’. Then, once you’re in the theme editor, you can add social media links by clicking on ‘Theme settings > Social media’. Please let me know if this is the specific place you’re working in when this error shows up.
In the meantime though, there are a few troubleshooting steps we can try to help resolve this error, such as:
Clearing your browser cache by following these steps
Ensuring you’re using one of the supported browsers listed here when accessing your Shopify admin
Using another computer, or a mobile device, to try and add your social media accounts instead
In addition to trying the above steps, I also recommend ensuring you’re entering in your social links without the ‘/’ symbol at the end of your link. For instance, in the example you shared above, a ‘/’ is added to the end of both your Instagram and Facebook links. However, these links should be formatted like this instead: