WooCommerce Instagram Shopping Setup Tutorial
Tags: Instagram, Guide, Shopping, Woocommerce, Social Media

In today’s WordPress guide article, we’ll learn how to setup Instagram shopping using the WooCommerce WordPress plugin to its full potential.

You’re exploring whether Instagram and it’s one billion users can help grow your business, right? If you have a WooCommerce store, you have even more Insta-opportunity: Shopping on Instagram makes it simpler than ever to move people from your photos to checkout. Let’s leverage the power of Shopping on Instagram for your business!

Let’s say I like the pair of shoes in that picture and would like to buy them for my girlfriend. In that case, Instagram shoppable posts let me see a full product page. We can click through to purchase the item on the company’s website. The idea is to capitalize on the fact that people like to browse through and purchase items on social media. If you’re running an online store, the Instagram shoppable posts feature is not only free but possibly a great revenue source.

WooCommerce Instagram Shopping Requirements

As with many social networks, you’ll have to adhere to some rules. Shoppable posts are no different.

Firstly, to be eligible for the Shopping on an Instagram feature, you need an Instagram business account. This requires approval, and certain countries are currently excluded. Secondly, You must abide by the Instagram commerce policies and merchant agreement. Have a Facebook page + need an Instagram Business page. You can only sell physical goods on Instagram. Finally, make a Facebook catalog and link it to Instagram.

There are also plenty of other rules in the commerce policies and merchant agreement. For instance, I found out in a test run that Instagram doesn’t allow shoppable posts if your Instagram page doesn’t have much activity. Having said that, most businesses should have no problem configuring shoppable posts if you have a running store, Facebook page, and Instagram Business account.

Moreover, I’m assuming that your WooCommerce store is already working and with some physical items (you can’t sell digital items through Instagram shoppable posts). If you’d like assistance setting up WooCommerce, view our guide on it here. WooCommerce also has a setup wizard after you install it on WordPress.

Facebook Page & Catalog

Facebook is required to sell on Instagram, so you need to either generate a Facebook page or make sure your current one is ready to launch. Create a Facebook page.

Walkthrough the steps provided by Facebook. You have the option to completely skip your page setup, but we recommend filling in everything such as the profile picture, business description, and hours if you also run a physical store. Your Facebook store appears a lot less reputable when it’s not complete. Once the page is ready, go to the Facebook Catalog Manager page. Click on the Create Catalog button. We’ll assume your business is eCommerce, but feel free to select a different type of business if you’d like. Click the Next button.

The next page reveals an option to upload your product info manually. However, we’re more interested in linking a WooCommerce site. Click on the button that reads Connect E-Commerce Platform: Scroll down to click on the WooCommerce logo. Make sure you also have the right owner of the catalog. Click on the Finish Set-up button.

Linking WooCommerce Account

We need the Facebook Pixel Extension to upload into your WooCommerce account to enable Instagram shopping. This links the two accounts and makes product syncing possible. Click on the Download button to get your Facebook Pixel Extension. Select the Continue button when complete. Facebook provides a short tutorial on what to do next.

You’re just uploading a plugin, so go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Then, upload and install the plugin you recently downloaded from Facebook.

Products Addition Process

Go back to the Catalog Manager you started at before in the Facebook interface. Click on the catalog you’d like to use. Add products manually by clicking on the button to the right. Alternatively, you could download and install the Facebook WooCommerce extension to add a larger collection of products.

Business Profile

Open the Instagram mobile app. If you don’t have an account, create one by completing the following steps: Click on the Sign-Up button. Type in your email address or use your Facebook account to register. Once on Instagram, go to Settings > Switch to Business Profile to set WooCommerce Instagram Shopping.

After that, you’re able to fill in business profile information like your address and phone number. Note: If you already have a personal Instagram account, feel free to convert that to a business account. It’s the same process as the third step above. Go to Settings > Switch to Business Account.

Linking Facebook and Instagram For Set Shopping

The Instagram Business profile needs to be attached to your Facebook catalog for WooCommerce shopping. How do we go about doing this? Since the Facebook Catalog has already been created, go to that catalog. Select the Settings tab.

Scroll down to locate the area that asks you to connect Instagram Business profiles. Click Manage Profiles. This is where a list of your connected Instagram accounts comes up. If your page is already on the list, try to link the two accounts. If not, log in to your Instagram Business page. In the event of the Instagram page not yet being a Business profile, you’ll see the following message. Make sure to walk through those steps.

If your account isn’t eligible for Instagram shoppable posts, you’ll see an error and the reason for the problem. For instance, this first account I tried to link doesn’t have enough activity on the page. If all goes well, Instagram should approve your request within the day. Then, you’ll receive a push notification that says “You have been approved to tag products.”

Tag Products For WooCommerce Instagram Shopping

Although Facebook and Instagram and WooCommerce are now all connected, you still need to let Instagram now that you want to tag products (or activate Instagram shoppable posts). After you get the approval push notification, click on it to go to your profile. Find the message on your page that looks like the screenshot below. Click on the Get Started button. This brings you to the Shopping section on Instagram. You can also navigate to this page yourself. Select the Products option and choose the catalog you would like to link. Click on the Done button once complete.

Tagging Products In Instagram Guide

Now the fun part! It’s time to tag your products in whatever images you plan on posting. Begin the process by creating a regular Instagram post like you normally would. If you’ve never done this before, click on the “+” button in the bottom middle of your screen.

Find the picture you like in your library or take a photo right in your Instagram app. Once you have the photo, click Next, then choose a filter if you’d like to add one. Click Next again. This page is where you decide on the Instagram shoppable posts. You can write a caption and tag some people, but right under that, you’ll see a new button listed as Tag Products. Click on that to reveal a list of items in your catalog. Choose the items that make the most sense for the image. Make sure the tags are in the right locations on the image. After finding the product, choose a place on the image to a tag. Click on that spot, then click on ‘Done’.

You can drag to move the tag or even tap it to completely remove it from the image. Once the photo is posted, it will have the wonderful Instagram shoppable posts feature we’ve learned to love. Tip: You may have noticed that some of your favorite brands have “Shop” tabs with all of their listings organized into one section. This only appears after you’ve listed at least nine Instagram shoppable posts.

WooCommerce Instagram Shopping Setup Final Words

The main part of this tutorial that gets a little tricky is making a Facebook Business account and linking that catalog to your Instagram account. You may find that it ends up connecting to your account and not your business account, or maybe you have no experience with the confusing Facebook Ads interface. Whatever happens, walk through these steps one-by-one and I’m sure you’ll eventually find just how easy it is to manage and share Instagram shoppable posts.