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Smart Feed (New): Creating a Meta Product Feed (Limited Access)

This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to help you create and manage a Meta product feed using Smart Feed (New). It covers product synchronization, account connection, product filtering, field configuration, product submission, scheduled updates, error troubleshooting, and the feature for automatically syncing SHOPLINE product categories to Meta Product Sets.

Note: This feature is currently available only to whitelisted users. If you are interested in using it, please contact SHOPLINE Support to request access for your store.

 

 

Before You Begin

To successfully create a Meta Product Feed, ensure that:

  • Your products are created and maintained in the SHOPLINE Admin.
  • You have access to a Meta personal account and a Business Manager (BM).
  • A Meta product catalog is available or can be created during the setup.

 

Creating and Managing a Meta Product Feed

Step 1: Connect Your Meta Account

In Smart Feed, go to Channel Management > Channel Connection > Meta, then click Add Channel.
 

A dialog will appear, asking you to choose your preferred sync method before proceeding:

Sync Method Logic & Interaction Details
API (Recommended)

When API is selected:

  1. Option displays as API (Recommended) with additional description: Faster sync speed, suitable for users who can complete BM authorization.
  2. Click Next to proceed to MBE authorization. After completing authorization, you will be redirected back to the existing Meta channel details page (or follow the existing onboarding flow if in onboarding state).
XML

When XML is selected:

  1. Option displays with additional description: Slower sync speed, suitable for users who cannot complete BM authorization.
  2. Click Next to enter the Meta Feed Management page. The Auto-Sync Product Categories module will not be shown on this page (as it relies on API).
  3. A Generate XML button is added below the Product Sync Scope settings. Clicking it generates the corresponding XML link, which supports one-click copy.
  4. A persistent reminder is displayed below the XML link:

Important: If you reuse this XML link in other channels, please verify whether the product ID rules of those channels match the current channel. If they differ, the channel will treat them as new products requiring re-review before they can appear in ads again. Historical performance data accumulated under the original product IDs will also be lost. Please use with caution!

  1. When returning to the Feed Management list, the sync method displays 'XML' along with the specific link (same logic as other XML channels).
  2. In the product management list, the status displays XML Written (same logic as other XML channels).
  3. After the XML link is generated, viewing the Meta channel details from Channel Management > Channel Connection will enter the Meta Feed Management page (same logic as other XML channels).


Additional Requirements for API Sync

If you choose API sync, the Facebook account used for authorization must have Full control permissions for the following Meta assets:

  • Business Manager (BM)
  • Facebook Page
  • Catalog
  • Ad Account
  • Pixel (Dataset)
Important: If your Ad Account is managed by a partner agency, having Full control access alone may not be sufficient. Your Business Manager must also receive sharing authorization from the Ad Account Owner.

For more information about obtaining access from the Owner BM, refer to: Meta Official Help Center 

To avoid authorization failure:

  • Ensure your BM has received sharing access from the Ad Account Owner BM
  • Do NOT select Instagram Account during the MBE authorization process
Note: Once the sync method is selected and the Feed is generated, it cannot be changed.


Step 2: Define Product Sync Scope

Product filtering rules determine which products will be synced to your Meta catalog.

Available Methods

  • Define products based on your business needs
  • Filter using conditions such as:
    • SKU ID
    • SPU ID
    • Product title
  • Upload a spreadsheet with SPU ID / SKU ID for bulk selection 

Notes:

  • These rules apply only to the Meta channel and do not affect other channels.
  • Only products that meet the criteria will be synced.
  • If a previously synced product no longer meets the criteria, it will be removed from the Meta catalog.
  • After updating rules, click Sync Now to apply changes.

 

If you selected XML sync: 

After defining the sync scope, click the Generate XML button to generate your XML feed link. This link can be copied with one click and used in Meta's Catalog > Data sources > Upload data file. 

Important: If you reuse this XML link in other channels, please verify whether the product ID rules of those channels match the current channel. If they differ, the channel will treat them as new products requiring re-review before they can appear in ads again. Historical performance data accumulated under the original product IDs will also be lost. Please use with caution.

 

Step 3: Configure Product Fields

Smart Feed allows you to customize how product attributes map to Meta catalog fields.

Field Configuration

  • Core fields are pre-configured based on Meta best practices and are recommended to remain enabled.
  • You may adjust field sources based on your needs, such as:
    • Product category name
    • Product type
    • SHOPLINE custom attributes

Advanced Mapping (Macro Settings)

For fields such as color, size, material, and pattern, you can configure custom macro values.

Example:
If you set the macro value as colour, Smart Feed will retrieve the corresponding value (e.g., "red") from SHOPLINE product attributes and sync it to Meta.

After configuration, use the Preview Product feature to verify whether field values are correctly mapped.

Note: For XML sync users, the Automatically Sync Product Categories module is not available when using XML sync, as this feature relies on the API connection.


Step 4: Preview Products

The preview displays the exact product data that will be submitted to the Meta catalog.

We recommend previewing several familiar products to confirm:

  • Field values are correct
  • Variants are displayed as expected
  • Product IDs remain consistent (especially for migrated stores)

Step 5: Submit Products to Meta

In Smart Feed (New), click Update from SHOPLINE to fetch product data via API.

Recommended Usage

Run a sync when:

  • You have updated products in bulk
  • Key product information has changed

Estimated Sync Time

  • Up to 10,000 variants: ~30 minutes
  • Up to 50,000 variants: ~2 hours
Note: If sync exceeds 2 hours, please contact us for support.

Click Submit on the Field Settings page to start syncing products to Meta.

Submission Process

  • Smart Feed sends eligible products to Meta via the Meta Content API.
  • Processing time depends on product volume.

Check Sync Status

  • Push Logs: View task start time and number of successfully submitted products
  • Submitted Products: View products successfully written to the Meta catalog

You can also check records under: Product Management > Submitted

Step 6: Automatic Scheduled Updates

To keep product information up to date, Smart Feed automatically updates the Meta catalog once per day.

You can review update records and execution times in Push Logs.

Step 7: View Failed or Rejected Products

Products that fail submission or are disapproved by Meta can be found under Error Messages.

Common causes

  • Missing required fields
  • Invalid field formats
  • Incomplete product data in SHOPLINE

Recommended troubleshooting steps

  1. Check Field Settings to ensure required fields are correctly mapped.
  2. Verify product attributes in SHOPLINE Admin > Products.
  3. Filter errors by type to identify patterns and resolve issues efficiently.

Upgrading from the Previous Version of Smart Feed

If your store has been upgraded from a previous version of Smart Feed to the new version, a notification banner will appear, prompting you to set up your Meta channel sync method.

Banner Details:

  • Banner text: "Please set the Meta channel Feed sync method, Go to Settings"
  • Display location: Both the Product Management tab and the Channel Management tab (previously only shown in the Product Management tab).
  • Clicking Go to Settings in the banner will automatically open the sync method selection dialog, where you can choose between API or XML.

XML Sync for Migrated Stores

For stores that were previously migrated from other platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, and Shoplazza), when generating an XML feed, the product IDs and product group IDs will follow the product ID rules defined at the time of migration for the Meta channel. This ensures continuity and avoids products being treated as new items by Meta.

Automatically Sync SHOPLINE Product Categories to Meta Product Sets

Smart Feed (New) supports automatic synchronization of SHOPLINE product categories to Meta Product Sets, helping you manage catalogs and optimize ad campaigns more efficiently.

Note: This feature is only available when using API sync. It is not available for XML sync.

Why This Matters

Once enabled, Smart Feed will:

  • Automatically create corresponding Product Sets in Meta based on SHOPLINE categories.
  • Automatically update Product Sets when category products change.
  • Reduce manual work in managing Product Sets in Meta.

How Category Sync Works

Enable Category Sync

In Meta Channel > Product Sync Settings, turn on Automatically Sync Product Categories (default: off).

Once enabled:

  • All selected SHOPLINE categories will be synced to Meta as product sets.
  • Category names are used as the product set names in Meta.

Sync Timing

Category sync is triggered when:

  • Products are synced for the first time
  • Products are added to or removed from a category
  • Category names are added, deleted, or modified
  • Product attributes such as price or inventory are updated

Smart Feed runs automatic sync tasks every 8 hours, starting from 00:00 daily.

 

 

Sync Rules and Limitations

  • Maximum number of categories: up to 1,000
    • Priority order: manual categories > smart categories
  • Per-category product limit: subject to Meta API size limitations
    • If a category exceeds the limit, the entire category will not be synced
    • A message will indicate that manual creation in Meta is recommended

One-way synchronization

  • Changes made in Meta do not affect SHOPLINE categories
  • Deleting a category in Meta does not stop it from being re-synced from SHOPLINE

Duplicate category names

  • If Meta already contains a product set with the same name, Smart Feed will update the existing product set instead of creating a new one
  • If multiple sets share the same name in Meta, Smart Feed updates the first matched set

 

 

Important Notes

  • Enabling category sync does not affect existing product sets in Meta.
  • If a synced category is deleted in SHOPLINE, the corresponding Meta product set will not be automatically removed.
  • If a product category exceeds Meta API limits, Smart Feed will notify you to manage it manually in Meta.

By following this guide, you can create, manage, and optimize your Meta Product Feed using Smart Feed (New), while leveraging automated category syncing to streamline catalog management and advertising workflows.

 

FAQ

Q: Why does Meta API authorization fail?

A: Authorization failures are usually caused by insufficient permissions. To successfully complete Meta Business Extension (MBE) authorization, ALL of the following conditions must be met:

  • Your Facebook account has Full control access to the Business Manager (BM)
  • Your Facebook account has Full control access to the following assets:
    • Facebook Page
    • Catalog
    • Ad Account
    • Pixel (Dataset)
  • Your Facebook account must either:
    • Be the Owner of the Ad Account, OR
    • The Ad Account Owner BM must share the Ad Account to your BM with Full control permissions

During authorization, do NOT select Instagram Account.


Q: How can I verify whether my BM has Owner access or shared access?

A: In Meta Business Manager:

  1. Go to the Ad Account settings page.
  2. Find the Ad Account you plan to authorize.
  3. Check whether:
    • The account shows an “Owner” label, OR
    • The account has already been shared to your BM by the Owner BM

If you only have Full control access but the Ad Account is still owned by another BM, you must request sharing authorization from the Owner BM.


Q: How can I obtain sharing access from the Ad Account Owner BM?

A: You may use any of the following methods (all require Full control permissions):

Method 1 (Recommended for CN merchants)

If your Ad Account was opened through an agency platform:

  • Ask the agency to associate your BM ID with the Ad Account through their agency account management backend.

Method 2

Request access directly from the Owner BM through Meta Business Manager: urlMeta Official Help Center — Request access to a partner's business assetshttps://www.facebook.com/business/help/408759743051505

Method 3

Contact your agency partner and ask them to:

  • Open their Business Manager
  • Locate the Ad Account
  • Share the Ad Account to your BM with Full control permissions