With the Meta product feed, you can display your online store's products on Facebook and Instagram.

The Meta product feed is part of the Product Feeds extension. The extension also includes conversion tracking, which provides comprehensive information about the effectiveness of your advertising (e.g., how many people have clicked on your ad and then placed an order in your online store).

Ordering product feeds

Only an admin account can order product feeds.

Here's how to order a new Meta product feed for an online store version.

  1. In the admin panel, go to Account > Apps > Product feeds.
  2. Press Order new product feed and select the store version to which the product feed is associated.

    The product feed contains information about all products that are visible in the store version.

  3. Select the target countries for the feed.
    • You can target the feed to any country you choose, regardless of the store version and language.
    • To add or remove target countries afterwards, press the three-point icon on the product feed row and select Edit.
  4. Define the presentation style of products that have variations in the Use the main product name as the variation product name section.

    If you choose to display the main product name, the variation name is included in a separate additional_variant_attribute field in the feed.

  5. Accept the terms of service and save the feed.
  6. Optional: If necessary, enter the Meta conversion settings (Meta dataset ID and Meta Conversion API access token) which can be accessed via the three-point icon on the product feed row.

    Read more about setting up Meta conversion tracking.

The identifier and address of the feed you ordered will now appear at the bottom of the extension page. You can inspect the contents of the feed by copying its address and pasting it into the address bar of your browser.

After you have saved the feed, its costs will be included in the next invoice you receive from MyCashflow.

Availability

This section explores how the Meta feed supports different countries, languages and currencies. After setting these correctly you can, for example, create Facebook ads optimized for a certain target area.

Feed destination countries

From the list below, see where you can advertise your products with the Meta product feed. You can target the feed to any country you choose, regardless of the store version and language. Learn more about using product feeds in different languages and currencies.

  • Netherlands*
  • Australia
  • Belgium*
  • Spain
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Austria*
  • Greece
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxemburg
  • Portugali
  • France
  • Sweden**
  • Germany
  • Slovakia
  • Finland**
  • Denmark
  • Estonia

* you must offer home delivery for the products on offer.

** you must offer home delivery or pickup from a pickup point for the products on offer.

If a country you are interested in is missing from the table, please contact the MyCashflow customer support via the admin panel's chat feature, for example. We can investigate whether it is possible to broaden the support for countries.

Updating the product feed

Product feeds are updated automatically once a day in the early morning. Changes made to products in the online store or additions or deletions of products are therefore not immediately visible in the feeds.

You can also update the product feed manually on the admin panel page Account > Apps > Product feeds by pressing the button next to the feed to be updated. You can update the feed once every 30 minutes.

Specifying the language and currency of a product feed

You can specify the language and currency of your product feed according to the target country, which will make your ads more efficient in this country.

Here's how to specify the language and currency according to the target country:

  1. Enable the Currency Converter extension, and select the target country's currency in its settings.

    If you sell to Sweden, you may want to enable Klarna Payments in your Swedish version in order to be able to accept payments directly in the Swedish krona.

  2. Create a store version in the language of the target country.
    • Select the target country's currency as the version's default currency.
    • Select the target country as the version's default country.

When you specify store version settings according to the instructions above, your customers will see the same information and prices both in the ads that appear in the Facebook networks and in your online store.

Using product features to modify the contents of the product feed

Almost all of the product data supported by Google can be specified as product features, including details for which there is no built-in support in MyCashflow (e.g., condition or energy efficiency class).

This is how you can add new product information:

  1. Create a new product feature for the product data you want to add:

    As the product feature identifier, enter the Google product data identifier (e.g., condition).

  2. Create the necessary values for the product feature.
  3. Add the product feature to products that should contain the product data in the Google product feed.

    New product information will be included in the product feed when the feed is next updated .

Setting up Meta conversion tracking

To enable Meta conversion tracking, your Facebook page must have a Business Manager account and ad account.

If necessary, see Meta's instructions on creating Business Manager accounts and ad accounts.

When you enable Meta conversion settings through the Product Feeds extension, they replace the conversion tracking of the old Facebook extension.

Once you have ordered the Meta feed you need for the online store and your Facebook page is ready for advertising, you can attach the Meta feed to the product catalog in Meta Business Manager and enable Meta conversion tracking in the online store:

1/4 Obtaining a product feed address

In order to attach a product feed to the Meta product catalog, you need the Meta feed address from the online store's admin panel:

  1. In your online store's admin panel, go to Account > Apps > Product feeds.
  2. Copy the desired Meta feed's URL from the Meta feeds section.

    Save the address, for example, in a separate text file. It will be used later in the Meta Business Manager.

    The feed addresses are in the form https://example.mycashflow.fi/feeds/b5ecd6be-6fb6-4e8b-9f01-138d2d887aea

Next, you can create a new product catalog in Meta and attach the product feed address to its settings.

2/4 Attaching a product feed to your Meta product catalog

  1. Go to the Meta Business Manager settings at https://business.facebook.com/settings
  2. Go through the sidebar to the Accounts > Ad accounts and select an ad account.

    You will be directed to the ad management.

  3. Go through the side bar to the page Commerce Manager.
  4. Add a new catalog by pressing the + Add catalog button and going through the setting as follows:
    1. In the Product category step, select Online Store > OnlineProducts .
    2. In Configure Settings, select Download Product Information.
    3. In the Finalize step, make sure that the list was created successfully and press Show catalog.

    You will be directed to the catalog details.

  5. In the catalog details, go to the page Catalog > Data Sources, and select Data feed.
  6. Paste the product feed address that you copied from the store's admin panel to the data feed's URL field.

    When you save the URL, the page asks you to complete input-specific settings, such as currency and input updates (when and how often product information is synced from the online store Meta).

    Once you have saved your settings, the first synchronization starts.

Now, the products of the version you selected have been designated to be synced to Facebook.

Next, you can specify conversion events.

3/4 Configuring conversion settings

To implement conversion tracking, you will need the Meta dataset ID and the Meta Conversions API access token. You get these identifiers by creating a new dataset in Meta Business Manager. The completed credentials must be entered into your desired Meta product feed's conversion settings in the store's admin panel.

  1. Go to the Meta Business Manager business settings and through the sidebar to the page Events Manager.
  2. In the top right corner, select the same ad account under which you previously created the product catalog.
  3. Add a new dataset by pressing the sidebar's + Connect Data Sources button and then going through settings as follows:
    1. In the Connect a new data source step, select Web and press the Next button.
    2. In the Create a new dataset step, enter the name of the dataset, e.g. Online shop, and press the Create button.
    3. In the Add to your site step, enter your online store's address, press Check, and then press the Next panel.
    4. Under Find a method, select Do it yourself and press the Next button.
    5. In the Choose how to connect your website step, select Meta Pixel and Conversions API and press the Next button.
    6. In the Configure the conversion API for sending events step select Connect manually and close the window

Next, finalize the required codes and add them to the Meta product feed's conversion settings in the store's admin panel.

4/4 Setting up conversion tracking in the online store

  1. Through the Meta Business Manager side bar go to the page Data Sources and select the data set you created from the menu.
  2. Go to the Settings tab.
  3. Search the settings for the dataset ID and copy it to a separate text file.

    The ID is in the following format: 1307902819342161

  4. In the settings, under Specify direct integration, press the Create access token link.

    A new access token is added to the page. Copy it and save it to a text file, for example.

    The token appears only once.

  5. Back in the MyCashflow admin panel, go to Account > Apps > Product feeds.
  6. Open the desired Meta feed's conversion settings and attach the dataset ID and access token you copied into the settings.
  7. Save the conversion settings.

Meta conversion tracking is now active. The information about events in your online store will be updated to an overview of the dataset you created in Meta Business Manager.

If you wish, you can enable automatic website matching search that allows you to automatically match your customers' details to Meta users based on the information they provide (such as email address or phone number).

You can enable the feature in the dataset settings in Meta Business Manager.

The Meta product feed's conversion events

MyCashflow's Meta conversion tracking covers the following events:
  • page view (PageView): user visits any page of the store
  • content view (ViewContent): user visits a product page
  • cart addition (AddToCart): user adds a product to cart
  • checkout access (InitiateCheckout): user moves to the checkout
  • purchase (Purchase): the user makes an order and goes to the thanks page.

For each event to be tracked, the following data is collected:

  • event name (event_name)
  • time (event_time)
  • location (action_source) where the conversion took place (e.g. email, website or store)
  • visitor information (user_data)
  • other event-specific information.

Deleting a product feed

Here's how to delete a product feed from a version and terminate the associated advertising:

  1. In the admin panel, go to Account > Apps > Product feeds.

    The ordered product feeds are listed in the bottom section on the extension page.

  2. Press the Delete button for the product feed to be deleted.

    A dialog window opens, asking for confirmation that you want to delete the feed permanently.

  3. Press the Delete button in the dialog window.

    The product feed is deleted from the list of feeds.

The advertising associated with the deleted product feed will cease once the ad service's bot next time checks the updates for your product feeds.

Product feed content

The product information is included in the feed entries, some of which are automatically determined by system-generated information and some by the product information you define yourself. Additionally, you can define optional input fields with MyCashflow's product features.

The type of input field below is indicated by the entry's font according to the following format:

The input is in XML format.

Required

At least the following information must be specified for Meta to accept the product into its system:

  • Name <g:title>: the product name must be specified in the product form's Name field. If the product has variations, the same input field will also include the variation name from the Stock tab of the product card.
  • Visibility (the product must be visible in the product feed's store version and belong to a product category that is visible in some version).
  • Package size (which must be supported by at least one shipping method available for shipments to the target country).
  • Description <g:description>: write a short description in the product form field Description.
  • Price <g:price>: the normal price and currency of the product or product variation.
  • Product type <g:product_type>: the entire category path of the product in the online store.
  • Image link <g:image_link>: the URL address for the main image of the product or product variation.
  • Google product category <g:google_product_category>: Product category according to Google's classification system (which can also be used in other service providers' systems).

    If the Google product category is Apparel & Accessories, also specify the following attributes of the target audience and the product:

    • gender
    • age group
    • product color
    • product size.

    The gender and age group can be set by using CSV import. To set the color and size, use product features.

Manufacturer's product identifiers

The manufacturer's product identifiers identify the product on the international market and improve its findability. However, not all products have an identifier. If you're not sure what the correct product identifier is, leave the information unspecified, as incorrect information may result in product disapproval.

  • GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) <g:gtin>: a primary product identifier, typically an EAN identified by a barcode on the product or its packaging. (Enter the ID in the Barcode field on the product card's Stock tab. Learn more about barcodes.)
  • Brand <g:brand>: a brand that is clearly visible on the product or its packaging. (If the brand has already been added to your store, it will be included in the Brand drop-down menu in the product form's Visibility settings section. Learn more about adding and editing brands.)
  • MPN (Manufacturer Part Number) <g:mpn>: manufacturer's product number. (Enter the product number in the Product code field in the product form's Purchasing price, product numbers & suppliers information section.)
  • Identifier exists <g:identifier_exists>: the value is true if GTIN or both brand and MPN have been specified. The value is false, if no product identifier has been specified, or if only brand or MPN has been specified.

Read more about the manufacturer's product identifiers on Google's website.

Additional product management information

  • ID <g:id>: the store's own identifier to identify a product or product variation.
  • Link <g:link>: the URL address for the product or product variation page.
  • Additional image link <additional_image_link>: the URL address for an additional product image (max. 20 additional images).

Detailed product description

  • Text description with formatting <rich_text_description>: An optional input field supporting HTML markup, including data from the product form's Description and Product information fields.
  • Item group ID <g:item_group_id>: a unique identifier for the main product of a product variation.
  • Condition <g:condition>
  • Material <g:material>
  • Pattern or graphic printing <g:pattern>
  • Color <g:color>
  • Size <g:size>
  • Gender <g:gender>
  • Age group <g:age_group>
  • Adult entertainment <g:adult>: the product is related to sex, is erotic in nature or contains nudity.
  • Details of the variation <additional_variant_attribute>: other feature of the variation using the following sub-definitions:
    • Attribute name <label>
    • Product feature value <value>

Availability and complementary pricing information

  • Availability <g:availability>: information regarding the availability of the product or product variation. Possible values:
    • in stock [in stock]
    • product out of stock [out of stock]
    • preorder [preorder], if the product form's Limited availability section includes a defined start date
    • available for order [available for order], if the product is out of stock and an alternative delivery time has been set for it in the stock settings.
  • Sale price <g:sale_price>: based on a discount campaign that applies to the product or product variation.
    The sale price has to meet the following requirements:
    • The product has been available at its regular price for at least 90 days.
    • The discount is greater than 5% and less than 90%.
    • The campaign duration is limited.
  • Sale price effective date <g:sale_price_effective_date>: the time the sale price for the product or product variation is effective.

Shipping

  • Shipping <g:shipping>: the following shipping information is fetched by the system:
    • Shipping country <g:country>: an allowed target country for the product.
    • Shipping price <g:price>: the price for shipping the product.
  • Shipment weight <g:shipping_weight>: a value based on the weight of the products contained in the shipment, used to calculate shipping costs.

Other settings

  • Own identifier 0–2 <g:custom_label_n>: your own identifier to .

Frequently Asked Questions

Solutions to problems related to the Meta product feed and conversion tracking.

Only PageView events are recorded in Facebook

If no conversion events other than PageView are recorded into Facebook, the Meta Conversions API access token is probably incorrect or missing from the product feed's conversion settings in the MyCashflow admin panel.

Recording PageView events works with the dataset ID, so if only PageView events go through, the dataset ID is probably correct, but the API access token is wrong.

No conversion events are recorded on Facebook

If Facebook does not record any conversion events from the online store, check that the credentials are correct in the Meta feed conversion settings.

Make sure that you use the dataset ID in the settings (the owner ID is not used anywhere in Meta feed conversion settings).