How to Get Approved for Shopping on Instagram

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This article has been updated with the new Instagram Commerce Eligibility Requirements introduced on July 9, 2020.

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Selling your products on Instagram can take your business to a new level. By expanding your reach, it’s you can gain new customers and grow your business!

You might want to know how to get approved for shopping on Instagram for the first time or are appealing a rejected app.

Whichever it is, this guide will help you increase your chances of bringing your customers a shopping experience on Instagram.

How to Get Approved for Instagram Shopping: What You Need

If you’ve been wondering how to get approved for Instagram shopping, this is a great place to start. To get accepted your Instagram business profile must meet Instagram’s criteria.

In June, Instagram announced new Commerce Eligibility Requirements to help more businesses and Creators sell on Instagram. As of July 9, 2020, here’s what you’ll need before you can sell on Instagram:

• Comply with Instagram Policy – Your Instagram Business account or Creator account must comply with Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines. You’ll also need to comply with:
  • Commerce Product Merchant Agreement
  • Commerce Policy
  • Instagram Ad Policy
  • Pages, Groups and Events Policy

• Products available to direct purchase from your website or Instagram Checkout. If you’re selling from your website, you’ll need to provide it to Instagram – and you may be asked to verify your domain.

• Provide accurate information and follow best practices – Your products should not have misleading pricing or availability information. Refund and return policies must be clearly displayed and easily accessible on either your website or on Instagram.

Signing Up For Instagram Shopping Step-by-Step

After you have navigated how to get Instagram approved and you have the green light to sell, it’s time to set up shop. Follow this short list of steps to sign up for Instagram shopping.

1. Open Instagram app on your phone and navigate to your profile.
2. Tap the menu in the right-hand corner.
3. Tap ‘Settings’.
4. Tap ‘Business’.
5. Tap ‘Sign Up for Shopping‘.
6. Follow the prompts.

How Long Does It Take For Instagram to Approve Shopping?

Since time is money, many users wonder how long does it take for Instagram to approve shopping.

Overall, it takes between 1 day to 2 weeks for Instagram to give shopping approval. The good news is that the average is somewhere in between this time bracket, which means that you might not need to wait two weeks.

In the best-case scenario, you can get approved even by the next day!

How Do I Know If I’ve Been Approved For Instagram Shopping?

If you’ve been pursuing how to approve shopping on Instagram for a while, the minutes can feel like hours!

In the latest update to the Instagram Shopping application, you’ll receive a notification as soon as you’re approved. You’ll see a banner on top of your business profile that prompts you to “Start Tagging Now“.

If you aren’t approved, the new Instagram Shopping update will now give you a clear reason so that you can correct the issue.

Your Account Was Not Approved For Instagram Shopping (What to Do Next)

If your account was not approved for Instagram shopping, don’t give up. There are a few steps you can take to develop a new strategy and create a better application! After fixing your account, you can apply again.

Step One: Review Instagram’s Policies

Most accounts that are not approved for Instagram shopping go against Instagram commerce policies.

Knowing the rules gives you an edge in your next application.

Review these major points from the commerce policies and see if your account complies with these regulations. Note that this list covers the basics and you’ll need to read both the community standards and commerce policies thoroughly to be fully informed!

• Your account doesn’t abide by community standards: Instagram’s vision is to remain “an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression”. Anything in your account that goes against these values can be a reason for rejection. Therefore, make sure your store is overall legal, useful, safe, and respectful to others. 
  
• Your inventory contains prohibited products: If your inventory contains prohibited items, then your business will not be approved. Prohibited products include any commerce listings that violate community standards, such as adult products, knockoffs, alcohol, animals, digital media and electronic devices, legal documents, hazardous substances, and more. Facebook’s commerce policies flesh out the full details of each prohibited item. 
  
• You don’t sell physical goods: If your inventory is empty, your account will not be approved. Your Instagram merchant account must have physical goods for sale. 
  
• There’s discrimination in your store: If there’s evidence of discrimination anywhere in your listings, your business can be rejected for Instagram shopping. Make sure your products don’t discriminate against anyone’s “race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, marital status, disability, or medical or genetic condition”  

Step Two: Make Sure Your Facebook Business Page and Catalog Are Set Up Correctly

Sometimes an issue with your Facebook business page and catalog manager can trigger the message “Instagram shopping account not approved“. Here are a few things you should check to make sure that these pages are set up correctly for Instagram Shopping:

• Connect Accounts: Check to see if your Facebook Business Manager account is attached to your Instagram profile. If these accounts are not connected, Instagram can’t see the connection between your product listings and Instagram account. 
  
• Make sure you’re using the Facebook Business Page Shopping Template: Without this Facebook page setting, Instagram will not recognize your business as selling goods.
  
• Add physical products and descriptions to your catalog: If your store is empty or has no descriptions for products, Instagram can deny your approval. Give as much information as possible to make the best case to be approved. 
  
• Make sure all your products abide by community guidelines: A product may look good to you, but it can violate some rules. Double-check the commerce policies and comb through your listings. Remove anything questionable.

Step Three: Appeal Instagram’s Decision to Not Approve Your Instagram Shopping Account

If your application was denied, don’t give up. A good number of users who asked themselves “how to appeal Instagram shopping if I wasn’t approved” have tried again and succeeded.

After you check your Instagram account and Facebook Business Page for all the possible reasons for rejection, fix the problems, and request verification again.

Prior to the update, the process for appeals wasn’t clear on Instagram and didn’t follow the same process as Facebook.

Therefore, users used several channels to make successful appeals. Those who have had success used Facebook support tickets, Ad review request forms, or marketplace item request forms. Some have also contacted Instagram support with good results.

Thankfully, Instagram is streamlining the appeals process in the new Instagram Shopping update!

Check your Business Manager page and catalog to ensure that all the necessary details are included before you resubmit. Taking these steps will decrease the chances of you being not approved for Instagram shopping appeal!

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