What’s the difference between Instagram Shopping and Facebook Shopping?

Instagram Shopping and Facebook Shopping are two sides of the same coin. Both are managed through Meta’s Commerce Manager and share a single product catalog, but they appear on different platforms. The main difference lies in user experience and audience: Instagram Shopping takes place on Instagram – a visual environment where people discover products through photos, videos, and influencers. It’s very inspiration-driven. Products are tagged in creative content, and users often make spontaneous purchases. Facebook Shopping happens on Facebook – typically through the shop section on a business page or via Marketplace. Facebook’s audience is slightly broader in age, and users are accustomed to browsing store pages. It feels more like targeted shopping or flipping through a catalog, such as via the Facebook Shop tab on your page. In practice, you can use both as a retailer. You upload your products once and activate both Instagram and Facebook as sales channels. Instagram focuses on content-driven sales (tags in posts, stories), while Facebook offers a more traditional storefront on your page. A customer on Instagram might click your product in a Reel; a Facebook user might visit your business page or see a shared product post. The two channels complement each other. Important to know: both follow the same basic requirements (you must have a business account, meet commerce eligibility, and manage it all via Commerce Manager).

Why am I not eligible for Instagram Shopping?

If your application for Instagram Shopping has been rejected, there could be several reasons. Instagram enforces strict criteria for its shop features. Here are a few things to check: Policies and products: Make sure you only sell products that comply with Instagram/Facebook’s policies. Prohibited or illegal products (such as weapons, drugs, counterfeits, or unverified health claims) will result in rejection. Own website & domain: You must have your own website or webshop and verify ownership of your domain. During setup, you link your domain to Facebook (Meta) to prove ownership. Without verification, approval will fail. Professional profile: Your Instagram profile should look like a business account. That means: a recognizable business name, preferably a logo or business-related profile photo (not a personal one), and sufficient content. Instagram often requires a foundation — for instance, at least 9 posts on your profile. If your account looks brand new with little content, it may raise doubts. Overall trustworthiness: Ensure your profile information is complete (bio, contact info) and your business appears legitimate. Some accounts are rejected for not looking “authentic” or having very little visible information. If you believe you meet all the requirements but are still not approved, check whether you might have missed a step (like linking Business Manager or setting the correct country settings). You can also appeal or reapply after making improvements. Usually, the reason lies within one of the points above. Review them critically, make necessary adjustments, and resubmit your account for review. Once compliant, nothing should stand in the way of activating Instagram Shopping.

Retail vandaag

Facebook & Instagram Shopping are back in Belgium (2025)

by Vincent Gaillard

9 min read

(October 21)

After a period of uncertainty, it's finally here! Facebook and Instagram Shopping are officially back in Belgium. For many retailers, the summer of 2023 still felt like a cold shower. At the time, Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) suddenly shut down all Shops in our country because Belgian web shops could not meet the in-app checkout requirement. The result? Companies could no longer tag products in their posts, Stories or Reels. The popular product tags that were once a powerful sales tool disappeared overnight. Only ads with product tags remained.

Instagram shopping available again in Belgium
What is Instagram Shopping?
Facebook Shopping: what can you do with it?
Why commit to Facebook and Instagram Shopping (again)?
Practical tips to sell more via Instagram Shopping
Frequently asked questions
How Tilroy helps you

Instagram shopping available again in Belgium

Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) suddenly disabled all Shops in our country in 2023 because Belgian webshops could not comply with the requirement that customers had to checkout their purchases entirely within Facebook and Instagram's apps, rather than on the webshop itself. The result? Companies could no longer tag products in their posts, Stories or Reels. The popular product tags that were once a powerful sales tool disappeared overnight. Only ads with product tags remained.

Fast forward to 2025: Meta reversed its restrictions on Shops in many markets for 2023 and is moving away from requiring checkout in the app. That means that as a Belgian retailer, you can re-activate a Shop through the Meta Commerce Manager and tag your products in your content again. An important nuance: product tags are again available today in Instagram feedposts, Stories and Facebook posts, as well as in ads, of course. The only component missing for now are the organic Reels tags that Meta does not yet work with in Belgium.

For retailers, this is a huge opportunity. The features you may have been using since 2018 disappeared in 2023, but now, two years later, they have largely been restored. It's an opportunity to relaunch your social commerce and lead your customers on their favorite platforms directly to your products.

What is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram Shopping is your virtual showcase in the feed. As a retailer, you tag products directly in your photos, Stories and Reels. Users tap on the tag, immediately see the price and product information, and can then proceed to your shop with one click. This blurs the line between scrolling and buying, your inspiration becomes instant sales. In addition, your profile gets a Shop tab, where visitors can browse through all your products without ever leaving the app. Set it up? A matter of linking your catalog, tagging products and done. In a few steps, you'll be ready for sales the moment you post that great post.

Facebook Shopping: what can you do with it?

Like Instagram, Facebook has also created the ability to offer a shopping experience within the platform. With Facebook Shopping, you turn your business profile into a digital shopping outlet. You link your products in the Meta Commerce Manager and see them appear on your company profile, with photos, description and price. Visitors stay within Facebook to discover your offer and click through to your site to checkout. You reach a wider audience, especially slightly older audiences who continue to visit Facebook faithfully. And the best part? You manage one product catalog for both sales on Instagram and Facebook.

Why leverage Facebook and Instagram Shopping (again) now?

Social shopping is taking off in Belgium. Recent data shows that more than one in three Belgians make online purchases via social media, with even 54% of young people (Gen Z) already shopping via Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. In just one year, this number increased by a whopping 24%. Growing evidence that this buying channel is powerful and has momentum according to a recent publication by Gondola.

Furthermore, we see that 76.4% of Belgians use social media which translates into about 9 million profiles that dwell in apps daily.(DataReportal - Global Digital InsightsD-Asset) This means that most of your market is online and open to purchase temptations.

In summary:

1 in 3 Belgians already buy through social channels, with increase especially among younger consumers.
9 million Belgians are active on social media, ready to shop.

As a retailer, you can no longer ignore social commerce today: it is the direct way to sell more, expand your audience and build a stronger connection with your target group.

Practical tips to sell more via Instagram Shopping

1. Use product tags in all your content

Make sure your products are visible as much as possible by systematically tagging them in your feed posts, Stories and ads. Every time you show a product without a tag, you are missing an opportunity. By tagging consistently, you increase your discoverability in the Instagram Explore section and make it much easier for customers to go from inspiration to purchase. Remember: a click on a product tag is often the first step toward conversion.

2. Deploy video and Reels as a product showcase

Videos attract more attention than photos and linger longer. In short Reels or Stories, show how your product is used in everyday life. Think "how-to" demos, unboxings or customer case studies. Optimize your videos for mobile and keep them short and sweet. Add subtitles for users watching without sound, and always end with a clear call-to-action.

3. Activate user-generated content

Customers believe customers. Encourage your community to share photos and videos featuring your products and repost that content on your own channel. This creates trust and increases your social proof. Tip: launch a branded hashtag or offer a small incentive for those who share their experience. Enhance their posts by adding product tags to them so followers can click through immediately.

4. Collaborate with micro-influencers

Not only big influencers do well. Micro-influencers with several thousand followers often have a closer relationship with their audience. Their recommendations feel more authentic and often yield higher conversion rates. Look for profiles that fit your niche perfectly and have them integrate products into their content with shopping tags.

5. Experiment with interactive Stories

Stories are ideal for quick and playful engagement. Use polls, quizzes or countdown stickers to actively engage customers. Combine this with product stickers so that your Stories not only inspire, but also convert. In addition, create Highlights on your profile with a "Shop" category so that your best Stories remain permanently visible.

6. Optimize your hashtags and SEO

Hashtags and descriptions are more than just fun additions, they are your findability. Use search terms that customers actually type in when they are looking for your product. Consider niche hashtags (#endurance) alongside broad categories (#fashion). Also, make sure your product descriptions in the catalog are SEO-proof: clear titles, relevant keywords and complete info.

7. Deploy targeted ads

Want to reach new customers outside your own circle of followers? Then ads with product tags are indispensable. Thanks to Meta's targeting capabilities, you can target exactly the audience that is likely to be interested in your offer. Combine visually strong content with clear product tags and measure the results via Ads Manager. This allows you to scale up and optimize your campaigns step by step.

👉With these tips, you will increase the visibility of your products on Instagram and lower the threshold for customers to make a purchase. The most important thing is to always think from the customer experience: make shopping as fun and easy as possible. Then you as an entrepreneur will reap the rewards in the form of higher sales and happier customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

For users, Instagram Shopping can be found directly within the Instagram app. There used to be a separate Shop tab, but nowadays you mainly discover products through content or brand accounts. As a business, you set up Instagram Shopping via Settings > Business > Shopping on your profile (this only appears after your account has been approved as a shop). After that, visitors to your profile will see a Shop button. Users can also tap on products in your posts to go to a special product page within Instagram. In short, customers can find Instagram Shopping by clicking on product tags in posts or by visiting your profile shop.

Instagram Shopping works by integrating products into the social media experience. As a user, you might come across a post in your feed or Stories with a small shopping bag icon – that means the post is shoppable. If you tap on it, you’ll see the product name and price, and can click for more details. Essentially, you can discover a product while casually scrolling. You stay within the Instagram app while browsing products. From the product page, you can often go directly to the seller’s website to check out (or within the app if that feature is available). There’s also a collection page (Explore > Shop or via the search function) where you can see products from various brands, including recommendations based on your interests. For businesses, this means bringing the shop closer to the customer: people can make a purchase with just a few taps from an inspiring post, without unnecessary steps.

Yes, using Instagram Shopping is free for both users and businesses. It costs nothing to set up an Instagram Shop on your profile, tag products in your content, or create a Facebook/Instagram Shop in Commerce Manager. However, there are indirect costs or considerations: you need to have a webshop or product feed to connect, and if you advertise on Instagram (for example, to promote shoppable posts or your shop), you’ll pay advertising costs to Meta. There may also be payment provider or transaction fees if you use Instagram’s checkout feature (in countries where available). But simply displaying and tagging products on Instagram is free. So it’s an extra sales channel you can use without additional platform fees.

Many people no longer use Instagram just to see photos of friends, but also to find inspiration – for example in fashion, home decor, or beauty. Users scroll and see things they want. As an entrepreneur, you can capitalize on this by offering your products where your customers already are. Instagram Shopping makes it incredibly easy for consumers to make a purchase. See something you like in a post? One tap shows the product tag with the price; a second tap takes them to the product in your shop. Compare that to the old situation: a user sees something, has to go to your bio, click the website link, and then find that product on your site... those are many steps where you can lose a potential customer. Instagram Shopping removes those barriers and encourages impulse buying in a positive way. It also increases brand awareness – even if someone doesn’t buy immediately, they still see your brand and products in a place they spend time daily. The real question is: why not use Instagram Shopping? It’s an easy way to boost your revenue and reach new customers, while also improving the customer experience.

Instagram Shopping and Facebook Shopping are two sides of the same coin. Both are managed through Meta’s Commerce Manager and share a single product catalog, but they appear on different platforms. The main difference lies in user experience and audience:

Instagram Shopping takes place on Instagram – a visual environment where people discover products through photos, videos, and influencers. It’s very inspiration-driven. Products are tagged in creative content, and users often make spontaneous purchases.
Facebook Shopping happens on Facebook – typically through the shop section on a business page or via Marketplace. Facebook’s audience is slightly broader in age, and users are accustomed to browsing store pages. It feels more like targeted shopping or flipping through a catalog.

In practice, you can use both as a retailer. You upload your products once and activate both Instagram and Facebook as sales channels. Instagram focuses on content-driven sales (tags in posts, stories), while Facebook offers a more traditional storefront on your page. A customer on Instagram might click your product in a Reel; a Facebook user might visit your business page or see a shared product post. The two channels complement each other. Important to know: both follow the same basic requirements (you must have a business account, meet commerce eligibility, and manage it all via Commerce Manager).

If your application for Instagram Shopping has been rejected, there could be several reasons. Instagram enforces strict criteria for its shop features. Here are a few things to check:

Policies and products: Make sure you only sell products that comply with Instagram/Facebook’s policies. Prohibited or illegal products (such as weapons, drugs, counterfeits, or unverified health claims) will result in rejection.
Own website & domain: You must have your own website or webshop and verify ownership of your domain. During setup, you link your domain to Facebook (Meta) to prove ownership. Without verification, approval will fail.
Professional profile: Your Instagram profile should look like a business account. That means: a recognizable business name, preferably a logo or business-related profile photo (not a personal one), and sufficient content. Instagram often requires a foundation — for instance, at least 9 posts on your profile. If your account looks brand new with little content, it may raise doubts.
Overall trustworthiness: Ensure your profile information is complete (bio, contact info) and your business appears legitimate. Some accounts are rejected for not looking “authentic” or having very little visible information.

If you believe you meet all the requirements but are still not approved, check whether you might have missed a step (like linking Business Manager or setting the correct country settings). You can also appeal or reapply after making improvements. Usually, the reason lies within one of the points above. Review them critically, make necessary adjustments, and resubmit your account for review. Once compliant, nothing should stand in the way of activating Instagram Shopping.

How Tilroy helps you

Tilroy connects your physical store and webshop with social sales channels such as Facebook and Instagram through a product feed. This way, you manage your stock centrally, synchronize products automatically to your Meta catalog, and make it easy to deploy Shopping without duplication. The result? More sales and a seamless experience for your customers.

Interested in syncing you product collections to Instagram, Bol and other marketplaces?

Get in touch