Meta will be switching on product browsing in Facebook and Instagram ads on October 28, unless advertisers opt out before then, according to a notification sent to businesses. When the feature is enabled, tapping an ad will open a full-screen catalog page inside the app that shows the brand’s products, prices, and descriptions, and shoppers will have to tap another button to visit the brand’s website.
The feature has been available as an optional setting that could be turned on manually, but moving forward, advertisers will be auto-opted-in and have to manually opt out via a per-ad toggle in Advantage+ Creative and Destination settings.
Wait, so now Meta wants me to pay them to NOT drive the first click to my website?
Meta says a test with roughly 117,700 advertisers in August raised conversions 3% on average, but is that number based on total ad clicks or just how many users eventually landed on the advertiser’s website, which has higher intent anyway? Meta didn’t say.
Either way, it’s an obvious first step that will soon be followed by adding a “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” button to the catalog page, as platforms simultaneously shove their agentic commerce features down our throats and up our butts. It’s an easy call to make, given that Meta already offered in-app checkout on Facebook and Instagram at one point in 2025.
Earlier today, I wrote about how Big Tech is building a moat around our storefronts and forcing users into their own shopping experiences. This is another example of a push in that direction.
