Setting Up Meta Shop Ads (Limited Access)

Meta Shop Ads leverage Meta’s machine-learning technology to automatically optimize ad delivery, helping you drive more conversions across Facebook and Instagram. 

With Shop Ads, Meta intelligently sends shoppers to the destination where they are most likely to convert: either your website or your Facebook/Instagram Shop, while maintaining a consistent checkout experience.

This article explains what Meta Shop Ads are, why we recommend using them, and how to set them up in SHOPLINE step by step.

What Are Meta Shop Ads?

Meta Shop Ads are catalog-based ads powered by Meta’s Advantage+ automation. They dynamically promote your products and automatically optimize:

• Audience targeting

• Creative selection

• Ad placement

• Budget allocation

• Destination routing (Shop or Website)

With the latest lightweight Shops integration, shoppers can browse products within Facebook or Instagram, then complete checkout directly on your website, preserving your existing checkout flow while benefiting from Meta’s high-conversion Shop experience.

How Meta Shop Ads Work

When you run Shop Ads, Meta’s machine learning determines where each shopper is most likely to convert:

• Facebook / Instagram Shop (product discovery experience)

• Your website (checkout completed on your store)

This destination automation helps maximize conversion performance while ensuring price, availability, and promotions remain consistent with your website.

Why Use Meta Shop Ads with SHOPLINE?

We recommend Meta Shop Ads because they help you:

• Increase conversion rates with machine-learning optimization

• Reach high-intent shoppers on Facebook and Instagram

• Maintain your existing website checkout experience

• Improve ad performance through richer product data

• Align with Meta’s latest commerce and advertising strategy

Before You Start: Pre-Setup Checklist

Before enabling Meta Shop Ads, make sure you have:

• A Facebook Page (actively maintained is recommended)
  
  

• A Business Manager (BM) account with administrator access
   

• Administrator permissions for:

  • Facebook Page

  • Ad Account 

  • Product Catalog

  • Meta Pixel

• A SHOPLINE store with:

  • Smart Feed App installed

  • Products synced to Meta via XML feed

Setting Up Meta Shop Ads in SHOPLINE

Step 1: Sync Products Using Smart Feed

To use Meta Shop Ads, your products must first be synced to Meta.

1. Install Smart Feed in your SHOPLINE admin
2. In the app, generate a Meta product feed (XML). For detailed instructions on creating a Meta feed, refer to the Smart Feed: Creating a Facebook Feed guide.
   
   
3. Log in to your Business Manager (BM) account, go to Settings > Datasets & Pixels, and click + Add to upload the XML feed to your Meta Product Catalog.
   
   
4. Use SKU ID as the product ID (required for multi-variant products).
   
   
5. Upload all variants (recommended)

Step 2: Set Up Eligible Discounts

To improve conversion performance, we recommend creating at least one discount that meets the following criteria:

• Discount type:
  • Product discount
  • Order discount (recommended)
• Target customer: All customers
• Applied markets: All
• Applied channels:
  • Online Store
  • Facebook

Only supported discounts will be synced to Meta.

Step 3: Connect Accounts via Meta Business Extension (MBE)

Next, connect your assets through Meta Business Extension (MBE).

1. Go to SHOPLINE Admin > Channels > Facebook
2. In Meta Shop Ads section, click Setup > Start Authorization to authorize Meta Business Extension (MBE).
   
   
   
   
3. Log in with your Facebook personal account
   
   
4. Select and authorize:
   • Facebook Business portfolios
   • Product Catalog
   • Ad Account
   • Pixel (linked to the selected catalog)
     
     
     
     
5. Enter your official customer support email
   
6. Confirm return policy and submit.
   
   
   
    

Once completed:

• A Facebook Shop will be created
• Discounts will sync to your catalog
• Meta will begin review (usually 1–2 business days)
  
  
   

Step 4: Wait for Review & Approval

• Shop review: 1–2 business days
• Product review: 1–2 business days (for first-time sync)

After approval, your products will appear under the Shop tab on your Facebook Page.

Step 5: Create and Test Meta Shop Ads

To evaluate performance, we recommend running an experiment:

1. Create two similar campaigns:
   • Same audience
   • Same creatives
   • Same bidding strategy
2. Set the destinations as follows:
   • Campaign A: Website
   • Campaign B: Shop
3. Compare ROAS and conversion results

Ensure at least one conversion occurs for meaningful comparison.

Important Notes & Best Practices

• Product price, availability, and promotions should match your website.

• Keep product data updated (stock, variants, pricing).

• Rich content improves performance:

  • Multiple images

  • Size charts

  • Clear descriptions

  • Ratings & reviews (if available)

Meta may dynamically change buyer experiences over time