Meta's New Checkout Policy Affects Squarespace Merchants on Facebook and Instagram
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer powerful opportunities to sell and promote your products directly to your target audience. Here's how to effectively set up and manage your shop integration:
Prerequisites:
- Physical products only (no digital products or services)
- Products must have images (minimum 500px × 500px), names, and descriptions
- Site must have a title and no site-wide password
- Products must comply with Meta's business policies
- Instagram Business account required for Instagram selling
Setup Process:
- Open Products panel and click "Connect with Facebook"
- Log in with your personal Facebook account
- Choose features to enable:
- Facebook Ads
- Facebook Shops
- Instagram Shopping
- Follow Facebook's prompts to connect or create required accounts
What Syncs:
- Product ID
- Title
- Description
- Main product image
- Lowest price
- Availability status
Updates sync automatically every hour between platforms.
Important Changes (April 2024):
U.S. merchants must now enable Checkout on Facebook and Instagram. Key impacts:
- One-way sync from Squarespace to Meta
- Sales on Meta platforms won't sync with Squarespace
- Separate inventory management required
- Orders won't appear in Squarespace analytics
- Meta's Commerce Manager handles platform sales
Managing Your Shop:
- Wait 24-48 hours for Meta's review process
- Ensure payment method is set to Checkout on Facebook/Instagram
- Use Meta Business Help Center for shop management
- Create Facebook Dynamic Ads to reach interested customers
- Tag products in Instagram posts and stories
Unlinking Products:
- Open Products and Services panel
- Click Facebook and Instagram
- Select Disconnect twice
Note: Unlinking removes products from Meta catalog and breaks existing product tags.
For support:
- Squarespace: Contact for product syncing issues
- Platform-specific: Use Instagram Help Center or Meta Business Help Center
The integration serves best for advertising purposes. Consider maintaining separate inventory if selling on both Squarespace and Meta platforms.