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Social Commerce Guides for Sellers and Brands
Social commerce guides for sellers who use social apps and brands that operate an online store. What the term means first, then the guides.
Social commerce guides on Social Media Twist cover selling products through social apps for two groups, namely sellers who use them and brands that operate an online store. None is published yet. Twenty five are planned. Until then, this hub explains what the term means, how three platforms say selling works and which market figures have been reported. Every guide will be marked Tested or Checked, as our editorial policy explains.
What Social Commerce Means
Shopify defines social commerce as the use of social media platforms to promote and sell products or services. The sale can happen through in app checkout or by sending shoppers to a retailer's website. eMarketer counts it more widely. Its definition covers purchases made on a platform, purchases through links with an immediate buy option and deals agreed on a platform where payment happens elsewhere. Facebook Marketplace sales between individuals are included. Because definitions differ, a market figure only makes sense next to the definition it uses.
How Platforms Sell
Every platform describes selling in its own words. The table shows what we could read.
| Platform | How selling works |
|---|---|
| TikTok Shop | Sellers sell through in feed videos, LIVE videos and a shopping tab on the profile |
| Meta Shops | One store shown on Facebook and Instagram |
| Listing is free with no commission and shoppers go to your site |
TikTok's help article was last updated in June 2026. It lists 15 countries where TikTok Shop is available, among them the United States, the United Kingdom and Indonesia. India is not on that list. Pinterest Shopping says Pinterest does not handle checkout. On Meta, BigCommerce says checkout on Facebook and Instagram ended on 4 September 2025 and shoppers now complete the purchase on the merchant's website. Shopify reports the same change. X also lists X Shopping among its professional account tools, which our Twitter for business topic covers. Meta's own help articles could not be read by our tools.
Guides by Topic
Every topic gets its own entry. A card links there once it is live.
Ecommerce Sales Channels and Holiday Forecast
Sixteen are planned, from holiday campaigns to content marketing for a store.
Social Shops on Shopify
Nine are planned, from what social selling is to selling luxury goods.
Reported Market Figures
The three figures below use different definitions and regions, so they are listed side by side and not compared.
| Figure | Region | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nearly $102 billion forecast for 2026 | Global | Shopify |
| About 108 million social shoppers in 2026 | US | Shopify |
| Close to £12 billion in sales in 2026 | UK | eMarketer |
Shopify names no source for its first two figures. Its article shows a March 2025 publish date although it cites 2026 data. The eMarketer chart is dated 1 November 2025 and says UK sales will almost quadruple from 2023. Its full data sits behind a login.
Where Our Guides Stand
Platform shopping tools change without notice, so a guide here shows when it was last checked. A guide is Tested when Namrata Arora tried the steps on a real store or account and Checked when it was compared with official help only. Changes are logged on our change log. To find a selling term, use the SMTwist search or the social media glossary. If you have sold through a social app yourself, you can pitch it through Write for Us.
Sources: Shopify on social commerce, eMarketer on UK social commerce sales, TikTok Shop help, Pinterest Business on selling products and BigCommerce on Meta Shops checkout.
FAQ
What is social commerce?
Shopify defines it as the use of social media platforms to promote and sell products or services. The sale can happen inside an app or on a retailer's website. Other sources count it differently, so figures from different reports do not match.
Which social commerce guides are published?
None yet. Twenty five are planned across two topics. A guide appears here and on our change log the day it goes live.
Can you still check out inside Facebook and Instagram?
Not according to BigCommerce and Shopify. BigCommerce says checkout on Facebook and Instagram ended on 4 September 2025 and shoppers now go to the merchant's website. Meta's own help articles could not be read by our tools, so check your Commerce Manager.
Is Social Media Twist part of any platform?
No. We are independent and not affiliated with TikTok, Meta, Pinterest or any other platform.