How to Set Up a Facebook Shop in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up a Facebook Shop in 2026 looks different from the tutorials you saw two years ago. The biggest change: for most US sellers, checkout no longer happens inside Facebook or Instagram — buyers are sent to your own website to complete the purchase. Per Meta's own guidance, US merchants began transitioning off in-app checkout in mid-2025, and the native purchase flow was deprecated after that. People still browse inside Facebook and Instagram — product tags, the Shop tab, collections — but when they tap "buy," they're routed to your website to finish checkout.

So the right mental model today is: Facebook and Instagram handle discovery, your website handles the sale. This guide walks the setup from scratch. Important: Meta's interface, policies, and market availability change constantly, so treat every step below as direction and confirm the actual options you see in your 2026 Commerce Manager (verify in Commerce Manager, 2026).

If you want to understand Commerce Manager itself first, pair this with the Meta Commerce Manager setup guide.

First, clear the eligibility bar

Before building, confirm you meet the basics — otherwise your submission will likely be rejected. As of 2026 guidance, this usually includes:

Selling only services, purely digital goods, or subscriptions is generally not eligible for Shops. For the finer thresholds, see Facebook and Instagram Shop eligibility requirements.

Step-by-step setup

1. Open Commerce Manager and choose "Create a shop." If you don't have a Page or catalog yet, you can create both during setup; if you already have them, make sure you have full control of the business portfolio, the Page, and the catalog.

2. Choose your checkout method. This is the pivotal 2026 step. For US sellers, the option is typically "Checkout on another website" — the sale happens on your own site. Don't hunt for "in-app checkout" from old tutorials; that native checkout is deprecated for the US.

3. Connect your Facebook Page. Pick the Page to link, then add shop details like your shop name, contact info, and return window.

4. Enter your Checkout URL. This is the heart of website checkout. In shop settings you add the link that sends customers to your website's checkout. Per Meta's guidance, this URL usually also needs to accept cart information passed from Meta — product IDs, quantities, and optional promotion/coupon parameters — so buyers land on the right checkout. Confirm the exact format in your account.

5. Verify your website domain. Verify through Commerce Manager using a DNS TXT record or HTML file upload. Products should point to a single primary domain you own, or you risk a "domain / checkout mismatch" at review.

6. Add products (build the catalog). If you use Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce, you can usually connect an existing catalog to sync products; you can also add items manually or via a CSV / feed URL. Use clean original images and fill required fields. For the details, see catalog and product feed setup. On Shopify, see connect Shopify to your Facebook and Instagram Shop.

7. Customize the shop layout and preview. Set featured products, collections, and colors, then preview how the shop looks to buyers inside Facebook and Instagram.

8. Submit for review. Meta reviews your shop and catalog. Reviews are commonly reported within a day or two, but 2026 timelines vary — trust the status in your account.

9. Close the "ads to website" loop. Because the sale happens on your own site, make sure your website checkout, Pixel / Conversions API, and returns and post-purchase email flows are ready — Meta no longer hosts these on-platform.

What website checkout really means (don't get burned)

• The sale lives on your site, not Meta. After buyers tap purchase, they're routed to your site to pay, and you control checkout, branding, and post-purchase.
• Some on-platform metrics disappear. Meta's native-checkout metrics — purchases completed on-platform, checkouts initiated, on-platform conversion value — are no longer collected once you switch to website checkout. You measure conversion on your own site and analytics.
• Your website has to handle the load and the checkout. Pre-test page speed, mobile experience, and payment methods; sending traffic to a site that can't complete the sale wastes the referral.

For the full arc of what changed, see Facebook Shop checkout changes: native checkout removed.

Frequently asked

What's the biggest difference in setting up a Facebook Shop in 2026? The location of checkout. For most US sellers, native in-app checkout is deprecated, and the sale is routed to your own website. So during setup you typically choose "checkout on another website" and enter a Checkout URL, rather than the in-app checkout old tutorials describe.

Can I set up a Facebook Shop without a website? In the US, that's now hard. Because checkout must complete on your own verified domain, you need a website domain that can check out. The old on-platform-only model no longer applies to the US. Confirm the options you actually see in your account.

How long does Facebook Shop review take? Often a day or two by user reports, but 2026 timelines vary and can be longer. Trust the live status in Commerce Manager, and don't machine-gun resubmissions after a rejection.

What exactly goes in the Checkout URL? It's the link that sends buyers from your shop to your website's checkout. Per Meta's guidance, the URL usually also needs to accept cart parameters passed from Meta (product IDs, quantities, optional promotions). Confirm the exact requirement in Commerce Manager (verify in Commerce Manager, 2026).

Is a Facebook Shop free? Building the shop itself has no subscription fee. Because the sale completes on your own website, those orders don't incur Meta transaction fees, but you cover your own website and payment costs. Confirm against official guidance.

Is it easier with Shopify? Usually. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce can sync your catalog and handle checkout on your site, saving manual uploads. See connect Shopify to your Facebook and Instagram Shop.

Ready to build? Clear the eligibility requirements, use the Commerce Manager guide to create the shop, set up your catalog, and make sure your website checkout can catch the traffic.