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Let’s face it.
You were more than excited when Instagram opened up its intuitive shopping arm with Instagram Shopping. It creates an easy way for creators and brands to showcase their products through tags, stories, and posts; among the diverse and actually active audience. However, this comes with a price and i.e at the beginning of it: First, to apply for Instagram Shopping and second being, Instagram Shopping account not approved.
What is this fuss about Instagram Shopping approval?
Well, Instagram shopping allows you to tag products in your posts and navigate people to make the purchases right from the app with checkout or from your dedicated brand’s store. However, to get access to the product tags, you need to have Instagram Shopping approval.
As a business when submitting your account for Shopping, you need to fulfill Instagram Shopping requirements and request approval from Instagram. While sometimes it might take some time to get the approval, it may also take longer than weeks to actually get the access. However, at times, you are even, not approved for Instagram Shopping.
You may be wondering why? Because you already cross-checked everything before submission.
This workpiece has put together your pain points with the most suitable solutions that might help you in the easy setup of your shopping canvas on Instagram.
Reason 1: Not Meeting the Commerce Eligibility
One of the most common reasons for getting your account rejected from the Instagram Shopping is: not meeting the Commerce eligibility criteria. Facebook has released the sets of requirements meeting which only, you will be able to move further with your account for Instagram Shopping.
The requirements may look very simple but yet it carries much importance for getting your account approval. The eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Comply with Facebook policies
- Have a physical product and a domain of active business
- Be located in a supported market
- Have a considerable business presence
- Give accurate business information and follow best practices
Solution
When it is about Facebook and Instagram you cannot deny the new updates rolling in every now and then. The recent Commerce eligibility for Instagram got its release on the 09th of July 2020. While Facebook dropped down more specific instructions about eligibility, it also expanded Instagram Shopping to more countries. Some of the additional things you should keep in mind while applying for Instagram Shopping are:
- Check if you have the latest Instagram app with you.
- Make sure that your products do not fall under any of the prohibited categories.
- Adhere to the community guidelines of Instagram, any action or posts that fall under the guidelines will affect
- Try to be accurate with your shop and pricing policies, any misleading information may harm your request.
Reason 2: No “Shop Template” of Facebook Page
One of the tricky reasons for your Instagram Shopping rejection is: not having a Facebook page based on the “Shop template.” By default when you create a new Facebook page, it does get created as a general business page.
However, if you have the planning to use that page for selling across Facebook commerce surfaces, you have to use the Facebook shopping template on your business page. Failing which, your account may not get approved for Instagram Shopping.
Solution
Facebook has a customized set of Page templates for each type of page you are building. Page templates have the default tabs and buttons designed for different kinds of Pages (example: a Restaurants & Cafes template for restaurant Pages). You can change the templates as and when you wish to.
To do this,
- Head to Settings for your Facebook page.
- In the left menu, select Templates and Tabs.
- On the right under Templates, select “Shopping”.
If you have a pre-set template, simply click the “Edit” button under the “Templates section” to switch it to Shopping.
Reason 3: Not Enough Instagram Business Presence
Another significant reason for getting your account not approved for Instagram Shopping is a considerable amount of business presence among the virtual audience. Your Instagram account should not be a very new account, as it will have very few followers to establish your brand as a known business.
Because of the above fact, it may happen that your approval gets rejected for Instagram Shopping. However, there is still not any clarification or a follower’s cap for accounts to get the Shopping feature.
Solution
While this factor is among one of the commerce eligibility for Instagram Shopping, businesses often tend to overlook the importance of the same. The core idea of Instagram Shopping is to enable you to garner maximum visibility for your products through existing connections.
Hence, your Instagram professional accounts must have demonstrated trustworthiness, including an authentic, and established presence. So, still, you are a newbie who is willing to harness Instagram Shopping, consider garnering some followers to your business profile; as it will help your account to get easily discoverable and acquire much attention.
Reason 4: Domain Verification
You may miss the chance of getting the approval of Instagram Shopping if you haven’t paid much attention to connect and verify your original domain or store. As your connection will be either buying your products from in-app checkout or from your eCommerce store. you must provide Facebook with the single non-shortened domain.
If you do not have a functional store or if you have provided any domain that does not originally represent you or your business then you might suffer from the rejection for Instagram Shopping through which you sell.
Solution
Domain verification is the process where Facebook ensures that only verified business owners showcase their products across Facebook and Instagram. And, in the event that you are onboarding to Instagram Shopping with a connector, from your existing store, say Shopify, it becomes easy to get the verified domain.
On the other hand, if you get approval manually, you may have to verify your domain. To do so, you can choose either of the three methods:
- Add a DNS TXT entry to your DNS record to confirm that you own the domain
- Upload an HTML file provided by Facebook to your web directory and confirm domain ownership in Business Manager.
- Add a meta tag to the <head> section of your domain home page
Reason 5: Not Having Physical Products
In some cases, it may happen that your account is not approved for Instagram Shopping because of the products. This majorly happens when you have created a very new catalog on Instagram and it is either empty or has one or two products.
On the other hand, there could also be one more reason i.e. if you are selling a non-physical or a digital kind of product. At any point in the setup either on Facebook or Instagram if you have selected a digital product category or you originally dealt in one; you may not be eligible for Instagram Shopping.
Solution
Instagram Shopping powers direct shopping from direct buyers. To have a physical product to sell is one of the important criteria to get approved for Shopping, hence you have to deal with physical products.
Meanwhile, if you have created a new Instagram product catalog, in order to get the approval you must have at least 9 products in your catalog. For example, if you have 4 pairs of trousers with size 30 and 32 and 3 shirts in size M and L, your total products are (4*4) + (3*3) = 25.
Instagram Shopping Account Not Approved: Appeal for Reapply
If you were not approved for Instagram Shopping in the first place, don’t give up. There are many businesses and merchants who get rejected and then search for “how to get approved for Instagram Shopping”; succeeding in the attempt too.
Do keep an eagle eye on your Instagram account and Facebook Business Page for all the possible reasons for rejection, try to fix the problems, and request for verification again.
However, you can also work with the partners who will assist you in complete onboarding through the connector with the utmost preparation that your chances of denial become minimal. In case you need a helping hand, drop comments, and rest assured.