The recent meta shops update, phasing out the in-app “checkout on facebook and instagram,” has forced nearly all merchants to transition to “checkout on the website,” creating a conversion nightmare.
The problem is that a simple redirect leads to an empty cart or a generic landing page, increasing abandonment. the fix is technical but essential: implementing a meta shops compatible checkout url endpoint.
this dedicated url is programmed to receive product data via a specific query string parameter (e.g.,
?products=id:qty). When a customer clicks a product on instagram or facebook, meta automatically generates this specialized url. your website’s endpoint intercepts the link, reads the product data, automatically adds the items to the customer’s cart, and instantly redirects them to the final pre-filled checkout page.
This process restores the critical one-click-to-purchase experience, minimizing friction and maximizing sales for merchants navigating this major platform shift.
The big Meta Shops checkout shift:
Last year, meta announced a significant change to its e-commerce platform: the discontinuation of the native “checkout on facebook and instagram” option for most shops globally, which is being phased out through 2025. for all merchants outside of a handful of supported regions, the only available checkout method is now “checkout on the website.”
This transition has caused massive confusion and a broken customer experience. instead of a seamless in-app purchase, shoppers are redirected to an external website. for many businesses, this simple redirection sends the customer to a generic product page, a collection page, or, even worse, the home page—with an empty cart. this added friction kills conversions.
The good news? the correct, official fix not only keeps your shop visible but allows customers who click a product on facebook or instagram to be sent directly to your website’s cart or checkout page with all their selected items already added. this is the secret to minimizing friction and salvaging your social commerce conversions.
The Old Way vs. The New Mandate:
What is Meta Shops?
Meta shops is a feature on facebook and instagram that allows businesses to create an online store to showcase and sell products directly on their page or account. it serves as a powerful traffic and sales channel.
The Old Checkout Options:
Before the change, you had a choice of checkout methods (though native checkout was limited to the us/select markets):
checkout by messages:
customers message you to complete the sale. (still available)
checkout on the website:
customers were redirected to a product page on your site. (the old, clunky method)
checkout on facebook and instagram (onsite):
the seamless, in-app purchase option. (being retired)
The New Mandate: "Checkout On The Website" Requires a Special Url
The update forces all shops to use “checkout on the website.” to ensure a high-converting experience, meta now requires your website to have a dedicated checkout endpoint that can receive product data via the url. your website, in turn, uses this data to automatically:
identify the product(s) the user clicked.
add them to the shopping cart.
display the pre-filled cart or final checkout page.
The Fix: Building The High-converting Checkout Url Endpoint
The technical fix is to configure your website’s checkout url to correctly read and process the product information that meta passes via the link. this link is known as the meta shops compatible checkout url.
The Required URL Structure:
when a customer clicks a product, meta builds a link that looks like this:
https://yourdomain.com/checkout_endpoint?products=product_id:quantity,product_id:quantity&coupon=promo_cod
How to decode the URL parameters:
checkout Endpoint:
This is the specific page on your site that is programmed to process the rest of the url. for most, this is your standard /checkout or /cart page.
products:
this is the crucial parameter. it’s a comma-separated list where each item is defined by a product id and a quantity, separated by a colon (e.g.,
12345:1 means product id 12345 with a quantity of 1). coupon (optional):
if you have a promotion running, meta can pass a coupon code to be applied automatically.
Your website must be programmed to instantly empty the cart, read these product id/quantity pairs, execute the “add to cart” action for each item, and then redirect the user to a clean checkout page.
Implementation Guide By Platform:
The method for setting this up depends entirely on your e-commerce platform:
| platform | implementation method |
| shopify, bigcommerce, ecwid | automatic setup. the official meta sales channel app for these platforms usually handles the checkout url endpoint and automatic cart-fill feature behind the scenes. ensure your app is up-to-date. |
| woocommerce | requires a plugin or code. you must use a dedicated plugin or a custom php code snippet to intercept the ?products= url, empty the cart, add the products, and redirect to the final checkout. |
| custom/headless e-commerce | developer required. you must build a custom endpoint (a specific api route) that parses the query parameters and uses your platform’s api to modify the user’s cart session before redirecting them to the final checkout ui. |
Action Step in Commerce Manager:
Once your website’s endpoint is ready, you must update the setting in meta commerce manager:
go to commerce manager, then settings, then checkout method.
select checkout on another website.
enter the base url for your checkout endpoint (e.g.,
https://yourdomain.com/checkoutor the url provided by your e-commerce app/developer).
How We Can Help?
The biggest pain point in this transition is for businesses with custom-built websites or complex integrations (like woocommerce) that do not automatically handle the sophisticated
?products= query string.
At Mbial Business, we specialize in custom e-commerce integrations. if you are outside a meta-supported market, like turkey, and need to ensure your “checkout on the website” option works perfectly—filling the cart automatically and directing customers straight to the checkout page—we can build the custom endpoint you need.
Don’t let the meta update kill your conversion rate. contact us today to ensure your meta shops traffic converts seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
1. why is my shopping cart empty when customers click a product on instagram?
this is the core problem the url fix solves. it means your website is not configured to receive and process the product data that meta passes through the url. instead of adding the item, your site redirects them to the generic cart or checkout page. you need the specialized checkout url endpoint.
2. do i still need the meta pixel after switching to website checkout?
yes, the meta pixel (or the conversions api) is more important than ever. since the transaction now happens on your website (off-meta), the pixel is the only way for meta to track the “purchase” and other standard events for ad optimization and accurate reporting. the in-app metrics like “meta purchases” are being retired, making the pixel essential for tracking success on your site.
3. will i still manage orders and refunds in commerce manager?
no. once your shop transitions to “checkout on the website,” all post-purchase activities—including order management, fulfillment, refunds, and returns for new orders—must be handled entirely on your own e-commerce platform (e.g., shopify, woocommerce, bigcommerce). commerce manager is shifting its focus to product discovery and catalog management.
4. what happens to my historical data and existing orders placed via in-app checkout?
Yes. If your account is public, anyone can see who you follow. If your account is private, only your approved followers can see the accounts you follow by navigating to the “Following” section on your profile.
5. Can I Make My Followers Visible Again Later?
historical data for metrics like “meta purchases” will remain in your ads reporting, but no new data will be added after the transition. for existing orders placed before the transition date, you should continue to process and manage them (including any necessary refunds or disputes) using the legacy tools in commerce manager until all those orders are fulfilled and closed.
Final Thoughts:
The transition away from native “checkout on facebook and instagram” is more than just a policy change; it is a critical shift of control and accountability back to the merchant’s website. while the broken link issue can cause a painful drop in conversion rates, implementing the specialized checkout url endpoint reverses this damage. by correctly programming your website to recognize the ?products=… query string, you successfully bridge the gap between social discovery and on-site purchase.
The merchants who treat this not as a hurdle, but as an opportunity to fully own their customer data (via their own pixel and analytics) and the entire post-purchase experience (fulfillment, returns, branding) will ultimately be the most successful. the fix restores the friction-free, one-click experience customers expect, ensuring your facebook and instagram shops remain powerful engines for sales growth.
