Facebook Product Feed Specifications 2025: A Complete Guide

Facebook isn’t a social media platform anymore—it is a full fledged marketing engine for merchants and shoppers alike. With 3.07 billion monthly active users, the platform attracts more eCommerce merchants to run ad campaigns.

Meta was the second largest sought after digital advertising platform in the world in 2024, with a global ad spend of 21.8%, slightly behind Google’s 28.6%. 

Meta’s powerful ecosystem can’t be ignored especially when it comes to Facebook Ads. It offers advanced targeting, a variety of ad formats, different placements on Meta’s extensive network, a built-in shopping experience and so much more!

To unlock Facebook’s full selling potential, you need to get one thing right: your product feed. The very foundation of your ad campaigns and Shops is the product feed. Thus, knowing the Facebook product feed specifications is important. 

Let’s explore the exact Facebook product feed specifications Meta requires so you can sync your catalogs smoothly, optimize performance, and run successful campaigns/Shops. 

Facebook Product Feed Specifications 

A Facebook Product feed is a file (usually in CSV, TSV, or XML format) used to populate product information on your Facebook catalog. You can upload it manually, host it online via URL, or integrate it via an eCommerce platform/app (Woocommerce, Shopify, etc).

Your Facebook catalog is used to generate image ads, video ads, carousel ads, Meta Advantage+ Catalogs ads, and more. The same catalog also generates other types of ads for Meta’s properties, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Sellers can also create Facebook or Instagram Shops with the catalog. 

A Facebook product feed has certain specifications that prevent feed rejection and maintains product visibility. Non-compliance may result in reduced visibility or removal of products from Facebook platforms, impacting your marketing strategy. 

Let’s take a look at these Facebook product feed specifications:

Field Name	Required?	Description	Format / Notes
id	✅ Required	Unique identifier for the product	Alphanumeric, no spaces or special characters
title	✅ Required	Product name	Max 150 characters
description	✅ Required	Detailed description of the product	Max 5,000 characters
availability	✅ Required	Product stock status	Values: in stock, out of stock, preorder
condition	✅ Required	Item condition	Values: new, refurbished, used
price	✅ Required	Price of the product	Format: 100.00 INR or 49.99 USD (use ISO currency code)
link	✅ Required	Product page URL	Must start with https:// and be clickable
image_link	✅ Required	Main product image	Min 500×500 px, no watermarks, 1:1 or 4:5 ratio preferred
brand	✅ Required	Manufacturer or brand name	Example: Nike, Apple
gtin / mpn	✅ Conditionally required	Unique product code OR manufacturer part number	Required if product is branded and sold by multiple retailers
item_group_id	Optional	Groups product variants together	Same for all variants (e.g., colors, sizes)
color	Optional	Primary color of the product	Example: Black, Red, Ivory
size	Optional	Size variant	Example: M, Large, US 8
sale_price	Optional	Discounted price (if applicable)	Format: 79.99 USD
custom_label_0-4	Optional	Advertiser-defined fields (e.g., season, margin, collection)	Helpful for campaign structuring
product_type	Optional	Product categorization (your internal taxonomy)	Example: Clothing > Women’s > Dresses
google_product_category	Recommended	Standardized product category from Google taxonomy	Helps with delivery and dynamic ads optimization
additional_image_link	Optional	Additional image URLs	Up to 10 alternate angles or views
shipping	⬜ Optional	Shipping cost and region info	Format: US:Standard:6.49 USD or use Meta’s shipping settings
inventory	⬜ Optional	Stock quantity	Integer (optional but may be used for tracking low-stock ads)
material, pattern	⬜ Optional	Composition or design details	Use if relevant to apparel, accessories, or decor
gender	⬜ Optional	Target gender	Values: male, female, unisex

Required Fields for Facebook Product Feed 

When creating a Facebook product feed there are certain fields that are mandatory. 

ID, Title, and Description

• ID: An ID is a unique identifier for each product. You can use the stock keeping unit (SKU) number for this. Ensure the content ID only appears once in your catalog to avoid product disapprovals. This field is case sensitive i.e. if you create two IDS “abc123” and “ABC123”, it will create 2 different items. The character limit is 100. 

Note: If you intend on using a particular item for Advantage+ Catalog ads, the content ID in your Meta Pixel code should match the corresponding ID used in your product feed.  

• Title: Use a clear and relevant title for the product, written in the title case. The maximum length is 200 characters, but Facebook recommends using fewer than 65 characters to prevent titles from cutting off. Avoid using promotional language like “Sale” or “Discount”, use numerals instead of spelling it out, avoid subjective phrases such as “Best Seller” or “Hot Item”.  

For example: Set of 2 Blue Cotton T-Shirts

• Description: A detailed plain text description without links. Include specific and unique features like material, color, or fabric. The description should be longer and different from the title. Avoid all capital letters and excessive punctuation such as “!!”. The character limit is 9,999. 

For example: A breezy olive green linen midi dress with adjustable straps and side pockets. Lightweight and flattering for everyday summer wear.

Note: Facebook recommends also adding a rich text description to enable HTML formatting if your description is longer than 200 characters. HTML formatting includes a bulleted list of multiple paragraphs making the text easier to read. Rich text description is unavailable if you manage products manually in Commerce Manager.

Availability, Condition, and Price

• Availability: The availability is whether the product is in stock or out of stock. Facebook recommends updating the availability of items in your catalog regularly so customers can see accurate information. Products can still appear in shops on Facebook and Instagram for up to 56 days but will show as sold out.

Ensure you are updating the availability from through the feed file or through the feed source (e.g., Shopify, Google Sheets, XML feed or manual upload). 

• Condition: The condition describes the product’s condition such as new, used or refurbished (these are the only supported values). 

• Price: The current price of the product. Format it correctly with the currency code. For example, the price should be a number with a space in between and then add the 3-letter ISO 4217 currency code. Always use a period (.) instead of a comma (,) to indicate decimal values. Do not use currency symbols such as $, ¢,¥,₩, ₦. One feed should have one currency. If you want to add prices in other currencies to sell in different countries, then use a country feed. 

For example: 10.55 USD or 500 JPY 

Link, Image Link, and Brand/MPN/GTIN

• Link: This is a link to the specific product page on your website where customers purchase the product or learn more about it. Links should begin with http:// or https//, be valid and hosted on the official domain of your business website.

For example: http://www.kimstore.com/products/skirt

• Image Link: The URL for the main image of your product  on your website. The image should have a minimum resolution of 500 x 500 pixels, a maximum size of 8 MB and be in JPEG or PNG format. Include one image per product. Different ad formats such as carousel, single image or collection have different size requirements. Facebook recommends using product images with a white backdrop. The main image should show the product in its entirety. 

For example: http://www.kimstore.com/products/skirts.jpg 

Note: If you replace the image in your product feed, the new image should have a different URL so Facebook can recognize the change and refresh it.

There are a few more image specifications such as cropping settings, size requirements for Facebook/Instagram Shop and ad formats requirements. You can read them here. 

• Brand: This is the brand name of the item. The character limit is 100. 

For example: Kim’s Store

Optional Fields for Facebook Product Feed 

Advertisers can include many optional fields to share more information about their products or services with customers. It also enables more control over how items are displayed. To add optional fields ensure you are adding it in the source file or feed. 

When you add optional fields it provides Meta’s algorithm with richer data to accurately match your product to relevant interests, behaviors, and customers. 

If you use custom fields (also called metafields or attributes) on an ecommerce platform, note that they do not display on your Facebook catalog. Your best option is to use a product feed management software to tackle this issue. 

Sale Price and Sale Effective Date

• Sale Price: If you have an item that is on sale then you can use the option sale_price field to indicate a discount price. The formatting is the same as the price field. 

For example: 9.99 USD 

• Sale Effective Date: The sale effective date field is the date, time and time zone of when your sale starts and ends. If you don’t add this particular field, the items on sale will remain on sale until you remove their sale price. 

The recommended format is: 

YYYY-MM-DDT23:59+00:00 or YYYY-MM-DDT23:59+00:00

Enter the sale start date in YYYY-MM-DD format, followed by a T for the time.

Enter the start time in 24 hour format followed by the UTC time zone. 

Use a slash “/” to indicate the sale end date and time. 

For example: using PST time zone -08:00:
2020-04-30T09:30-08:00/2020-05-30T23:59-08:00

Item Group ID and Status

• Item Group ID: Use an Item Group ID to set up variants of the same product. This could be different colors, patterns, sizes or material. Use the same group ID in this field for all the variants of the same product to indicate they are a part of a group. You can add up to 100 variants per product manually, and you must update all other fields such as price and availability manually. Each variant should have a unique link. 

There are a lot more nitty gritties to Item Group ID, read them here. 

For example:

id	title	item_group_id	color	size	link
sku101-MenTee-Red	Men’s Cotton T-Shirt – Red	group123	Red	M	https://example.com/red-tee
sku102-MenTee-Blue	Men’s Cotton T-Shirt – Blue	group123	Blue	M	https://example.com/blue-tee
sku103-MenTee-Green	Men’s Cotton T-Shirt – Green	group123	Green	M	https://example.com/green-tee

• Status (previously known as visibility): The status field of an item indicates whether it is active or archived in your catalog. If you mark an item as ‘archived’ it will not be visible to people in your ads or shops. If you are a Shopify user and have marked the status of a product as ‘staging’, it will have the same effect as archived in your Facebook catalog. 

Use the status field and the availability field together, especially if you manage your catalog manually. This is because all items are active by default. 

Additional Image Links and Descriptive Attributes

With additional image links, customers can view products from multiple angles, improving engagement. You can use extra images to highlight specific features, textures, craftsmanship or unique selling points that might not be visible in the main image. For example, a close up shot of a stitching pattern on a handwoven garment. 

You can add up to 20 additional images of your item. Ensure the links are separately by a comma, semicolon,space or a vertical bar. The same image specifications apply to this field as image_link. 

For example: http://kimstore.com/products/skirt1.jpg

http://kimstore.com/products/skirt2.jpg

The following is a list of descriptive attributes (fields) that enhance your Facebook Ads’ or Instagram/Facebook Shops’ performance:

• Gender
• Age group
• Color
• Material
• Pattern

Facebook and Google Categories 

A product category is a taxonomy used to categorize specific types of products in your product feed. For example, Electronics > Audio > Headphones > Headsets. There are two types of optional categories you can add for items in your catalog: 

• Fb product category: Use the categories from this list or this one. You can submit either the full category path or the number ID that corresponds to that category in Meta’s taxonomy (refer to aforementioned lists for the number ID). The category lists are also available in other languages, over here. 

• Google product category (recommended by Facebook): The Google product category is a globally recognized and detailed product classification system–which is why Facebook prefers this over their own. Choose the Google product category from this list or this one. You can submit the full category or the number ID found in the lists. The category lists are also available in other languages, over here. 

Note: Meta recommends using category specific fields if you are using either Fb or Google product category. This means adding more fields specific to the category. Find the comprehensive list here.

MPN/GTIN

• MPN: A manufacturer part number (MPN) is a unique alphanumeric code by a manufacturer to identify a specific product or part. Find it on the label, packaging, or the product’s body. Facebook recommends using a MPN if you don’t have a GTIN. Some items may not have a MPN. Only use a MPN if you are sure it is the correct one. The character limit is 100. 

For example: 00638HAY

• GTIN: This is the item’s Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and is unique to each product. Adding a GTIN is highly recommended to help classify the item. The GTIN is usually encoded in a barcode, packaging or book cover. Not all products will have a GTIN. Only add a GTIN if you are sure it is correct. 

Types of GTINs: 

UPC (GTIN-12) – Used in North America; consists of 12 digits

EAN (GTIN-13) – Used in Europe and worldwide; consists of 13 digits

JAN (GTIN-13) – Specific to Japan; consists of 8 or 13 digits

ISBN (ISBN-13) – Used for books; consists of 13 digits (Note: convert older 10-digit ISBNs to ISBN-13)

ITF-14 (GTIN-14) – Used for product multipacks or cartons; consists of 14 digits

For Example: 4011200296908

Other optional fields

A few more optional fields offered by Meta:

• Shipping
• Shipping weight
• Internal label
• Custom label
• Custom number
• Video
• Rich text description
• Travel, automotive and real estate have separate supported fields

Extra Required Fields for Specific Regions

US-Specific Requirements

If you are an advertiser or seller in the US then you should know about the region specific requirements for a Facebook product feed. Businesses should stay updated on the evolving requirements to avoid product disapprovals or policy violations. 

The table below highlights additional fields that are required in addition to the standard mandatory fields.

Field	Required in US?	Description
brand	✅ Yes	Mandatory for branded products
gtin / mpn	✅ Yes (if branded)	One required when brand is present; e.g., UPC or Manufacturer Part Number
identifier_exists	✅ Conditional	Use false only for custom or handmade items
sales_tax	✅ Recommended	US-specific tax information (US:CA:7.25:n)
shipping	✅ Recommended	Shipping costs and method per region (US:Standard:5.00 USD)
color / size	✅ If applicable.  Size is mandatory for checkout on Facebook and Instagram.	Mandatory if the product comes in color or size variations
google_product_category	✅ Recommended	Helps Facebook understand and classify products more accurately in the US
quantity_to_sell	✅ Required for checkout on Facebook and Instagram.	The quantity you have available to sell.

EU-Specific Requirements

The table below highlights additional fields that are required in addition to the standard mandatory fields.

Field	Required in EU?	Description
brand	✅ Strongly Recommended	Required for branded goods; improves trust & delivery ranking
gtin / mpn	✅ Strongly Enforced	Required for most physical goods; EU retailers face stricter enforcement
identifier_exists	✅ Conditional	Must be false only if item is truly custom, handmade, or unique
shipping	✅ Recommended	Use if shipping isn’t included in price; format: DE:Standard:5.00 EUR
price (tax-included)	✅ Required	Must be inclusive of VAT (Value Added Tax) in displayed price
color / size	✅ If applicable	Required for variants; supports better matching and filtering
google_product_category	✅ Recommended	Helps improve delivery, categorization, and eligibility for EU formats

Supported File Formats and Size Limits 

Accepted File Formats

• The supported formats on Meta Commerce Manager are CSV, TSV, XML (RSS/ATOM), Excel (XLSX) and Google Sheets (a shareable link). 
• Google Sheets allows dynamics updates, as Facebook can convert shareable links to accepted formats. Ensure you set the file sharing option in Google Sheet to ‘anyone with a link’. 

Format	File Type	Description	Max File Size
CSV	.csv	Comma-separated values; ideal for spreadsheets and exports	100 MB
TSV	.tsv	Tab-separated values; preferred when commas exist in content	100 MB
XML (RSS/Atom)	.xml	Structured feed format for large or dynamic product catalogs	100 MB
Google Sheets	.gsheet (linked)	Cloud-based spreadsheet linked to Meta for scheduled fetches	Up to 5 million cells

Size Limitations for Uploads

• Limit one-time file uploads to 100 MB or 4 GB for scheduled feeds. Meta recommends compressing files over 1 GB into ZIP or GZIP format for faster uploads. 
• You can add up to 1 million items per data. If your item count exceeds that limit, divide them into several feeds and upload each one individually.
• The line length limit for each line or row is 5 MB (5,242,800 characters) of your data feed.

Creating a Facebook Product Feed

You are now fully prepared to begin creating your Facebook product feed. For this, you have several options: you can create it manually, use a commerce platform integration (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Magneto), use a product feed management app (Scheduled data feed via URL or product feed API). 

For the purpose of this blog, we will discuss the two mostly used methods: a) manual creation process and b) commerce platform integration (Shopify)

It is assumed you already have a Facebook Business Account (required). 

Manual Creation Process

If you are using the manual creation process, then it is applicable for product feed management apps as well (excluding product feed API).

Step 1: Access Meta Commerce Manager within your Facebook Business Account (click on Meta Business Suite).

Step 2: Prepare your feed file and ensure you are adding the required fields we discussed above. 

Step 3: In Meta Commerce Manager, go to Catalogs > Data Sources > Add and select Create a new catalog.

Step 4: Select the “Use Data Feeds” option or you can manually enter the product data as well. 

Step 5: Select “Upload From Computer” or “Use a URL”. For the URL option, provide the URL of your product feed file (e.g., Google Sheets, from your ecommerce platform or the data feed URL from your product feed app). 

Step 6: Schedule automatic updates to keep your product feed updated. 

Step 7: Review the feed settings and confirm the upload. 

Step 8: Click on “Import” to start the import process. 

Step 9: Lastly, after the upload review your catalog in the Products tab for any errors it may have. 

Step 10 (optional): If you are running ads, connect or create your Meta Pixel from Meta Events Manager. 

Commerce Platform Integration (Shopify)

Step 1: In your Shopify account, download the Facebook & Instagram app 

Step 2: Connect your Facebook Account and grant the necessary permissions.

Step 3: Connect your Facebook assets such as your Facebook Page, Ad Account, and Business Manager. 

Step 4: Create a new catalog or connect an existing one. If you are creating a new one, choose “E-commerce platform” as the source and select “Shopify”. 

Step 5: Sync your product catalog. Once connected, select the products or collections you want to sync from your Shopify store to your Facebook catalog. 

Step 6: You can manage and view the catalog within Facebook Commerce Manager. Check for issues, rejected products, request reviews and customize your shop’s layout (if you are using this feature). 

Step 7 (optional): If you are running ads, then connect the Meta Pixel from the Facebook & Instagram app on Shopify. Set the data sharing level to maximum. 

Note: To create ads access Meta Ads manager. Your catalog will already be available because you have synced it successfully. 

You can also use Shopify Facebook Product feed apps to connect your Shopify store to Facebook Commerce Manager.

Best Facebook Product Feed Creation Software 

Creating a Facebook product feed on your own can be a complex task. A lot of the fields are case sensitive, and minor errors could result in issues with the feed. 

We have compiled a list of the software that can help with Facebook product feed creation. 

• AdNabu: AdNabu is best suited for Shopify merchants. It uses a data feed URL to export your Shopify product feed to Facebook. Any changes made to your Shopify store are automatically reflected on Facebook. This makes it easier to manage a large dynamic inventory and facilitate effective marketing efforts. Pricing starts at $39.99 with 14-day free trial available. A fully free plan is also available for smaller inventories. 

• Socioh: Socioh is for businesses looking for extensive customized options and optimization of their product feeds. It offers pre-built templates, Canva-level designer, A/B testing, advanced catalog customization, custom review mapping, etc. Socioh focuses on dynamic product ads and branded catalogs. The pricing depends on your total revenue and has no free trial.

• DataFeedWatch: DataFeedWatch has a direct integration with Meta Commerce Manager. It helps with feed optimization, offers pre-built templates, detects errors in your feed, etc. It is suitable for businesses with large product catalogs. Their pricing starts at $64 with a 15-day free trial.

• Flexify: Flexify also offers a direct integration with Meta Commerce Manager. It is best suited for Shopify merchants. It focuses on improving product data quality, optimized Facebook catalogs, automatic attribute extraction, etc. Their pricing starts at $29 with a 30-day free trial. A free forever plan is also available.

• CTX Feed: CTX feed is another excellent solution for WooCommerce users looking to optimize their product feeds for Meta. It ensures product data is optimized for Meta and supports multi-language feeds. With CTX you can upload unlimited products, use Meta Pixel tracking and use their pre-configured templates. Their pricing starts at $119, they offer a free version of the plugin as well.

Checking for Errors and Troubleshooting

Your Facebook product feed can run into errors–hindering your marketing efforts. In this section, we will explain how to avoid errors and also the solutions to some of the most common ones.

Validating Feeds

Validating your product feed is the first step in error prevention. 

To ensure your feed is set up correctly use a product feed validator tool. It will help you identify and fix errors by checking for proper product details and ensuring it follows Facebook’s product feed specifications. One such tool is mysitemapgenerator’s Product Feed Validator. 

In addition to this, you use a broken link checker to ensure all product URLs lead to functional and correct product pages. 

Facebook also offers a catalog diagnostics tool to spot and resolve upload errors. To access it simply go to Meta Events Manager > Data Sources tab > select your catalog > click on the Diagnostics tab. 

You can use product feed management software to automate the process of generating and updating feeds, reducing manual errors and ensuring compliance with Facebook’s specifications.

Common Errors and Solutions

Error: Missing or incorrect product information

This ranges from missing attributes, incorrect prices, missing or invalid URLs, missing or duplicate IDs, missing descriptions and missing or insufficient categorization. 

Solution: 

Use product feed validators or do a manual check. 

Error: Policy Violations 

This happens when you violate Meta’s advertising policies or their product policies. 

Solution: 

Check the notification sent to you on Business Manager or Ads Manager. Or Go to Ads Manager directly and locate the ad that was rejected. Click on the “Edit” or the warning icon, resolve the issue according to the message provided. In case you are dealing with Commerce violations (e.g., shop or catalog) go to: Account Quality: https://www.facebook.com/accountquality/

Error: Image Errors

Image errors range from missing or invalid image links, image sizing issues, or image quality issues. 

Solution:

Check the affected products listed in the diagnostics. Ensure you fix the images issues in your data source (not the catalog). Reupload or refresh your feed. Wait for Meta to reprocess the feed. 

These are other common Facebook product feed errors that you can read more about in detail.

FAQs

How do I ensure my product images meet Facebook’s feed specifications?

Ensure images are high-quality, meet size requirements, and are in supported formats like JPEG or PNG.

How can I troubleshoot errors in my Facebook product feed upload?

Use Facebook’s diagnostics tools to identify errors and follow guidelines to correct them.

How do I handle product variants in a Facebook product feed?

To manage product variants in a Facebook product feed, assign a unique id to each individual variant and use the item_group_id field to group them under the same parent product. Use distinguishing attributes such as color, size, and material to differentiate each variant within the group.

How do I integrate dynamic pricing in my Facebook product feed?

Use the sale price and sale effective date fields to reflect dynamic pricing changes.

How can I ensure my product feed complies with Facebook’s advertising policies?

Regularly review Facebook’s advertising policies and ensure your feed adheres to all guidelines.

How do I update my Facebook product feed automatically?

Utilize automation tools or plugins that sync your product data with Facebook at regular intervals.

What are the required fields for a Facebook product feed, and how do I format them correctly?

Required fields include ID, title, description, and more. Format them according to Facebook product feed specifications.

What file formats are supported for Facebook product feed uploads?

Supported formats include CSV, XML, and TSV, each with specific formatting guidelines.

What are the specifications for Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Shop product feeds?

Facebook Marketplace does not require a product feed, products listed on there must follow commerce policy. Instagram Shop requires a linked Instagram Business Account and Facebook Page. The Facebook product feed specifications are the same as the Facebook catalog (for more information, refer here).

Check Out These Related Articles:

• Meta Advantage+ Placements
• Facebook XML Product Feed Example
• Advantage+ Placements vs Manual Placements