Shopee & Meta launch Instagram affiliate partnerships

Shopee and Meta have launched affiliate partnerships on Instagram for eligible creators across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Brazil, extending their existing Facebook partnership to Instagram.

Eligible creators can link a Shopee affiliate account to an Instagram professional account, select products from Shopee and tag them in Reels and Feed posts. They earn commissions when viewers complete qualifying purchases on Shopee.

The launch covers Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Brazil. Creators can feature multiple products in a single post, marked with a shopping icon and commission label.

The Instagram rollout follows take-up on Facebook. As of March 2026, more than 5 million creators worldwide had linked their Facebook account to the Shopee Affiliate Program, and about half had joined an affiliate scheme for the first time.

That points to the growing importance of creator-led sales tools for social media and online marketplaces, particularly in Southeast Asia, where live shopping, short-form video and affiliate marketing are closely tied to eCommerce activity.

For Shopee, the agreement adds another way for merchants and brands to promote goods through social content, rather than relying only on search and in-app discovery. For Meta, it gives creators another way to earn from posts while keeping shopping activity connected to its platforms.

Both companies are also testing an affiliate advertising product in selected Southeast Asian markets. Under the arrangement, sellers and brands can promote affiliate content as paid advertisements through Meta's ad tools, subject to the creator's consent.

Promotions will be clearly labelled. Account linking and affiliate activity data will be handled in line with applicable data protection laws, and creators will retain control over connected accounts.

Creator income

The expansion reflects growing competition among platforms and marketplaces for creator attention as recommendation-led shopping becomes more common. By linking product tagging to commission payments, social media groups and retailers are trying to turn entertainment content into direct sales channels.

Shopee described Instagram as a natural extension of activity already taking place on Reels and other short-form formats. Early signs from the initial Instagram Reels rollout showed strong creator interest in using short video to share product recommendations.

"Our success with Meta on Facebook affiliate partnerships has shown how powerful creator-led commerce can be when content, trust and shopping come together. We are excited to build on this momentum with Instagram, giving creators more ways to earn from product recommendations across Reels and Feed, while helping shoppers discover and purchase Shopee products more seamlessly. This is part of Shopee's broader commitment to supporting creators, sellers and brands as content becomes an increasingly important part of the online shopping journey," said Peggy Zhu, Executive Director, Brand and Growth Marketing at Shopee.

The arrangement is one of Meta's early affiliate partnerships on Instagram outside the US. That gives the launch added significance in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, where social commerce has expanded quickly and platforms are under pressure to show clearer returns for creators and advertisers.

Brazil's inclusion also highlights Shopee's ambitions beyond Asia. The company has built a large presence there in recent years, making it one of its most important growth markets outside its traditional regional base.

Ad testing

The affiliate ads test could give brands a way to put spending behind creator posts that have already gained traction with audiences. Instead of commissioning separate ad creative, sellers can boost existing affiliate content, provided the creator agrees.

That may appeal to merchants looking for a more direct link between creator endorsements and purchases. It also gives Meta another commerce-related advertising format at a time when social platforms are seeking more measurable outcomes from brand campaigns.

A creator involved in the programme in Indonesia said the integration removes friction from the recommendation process on Instagram.

"As a creator, I've always used Instagram Reels to share product recommendations in a way that feels personal and useful for my followers. Affiliate partnerships on Instagram make this even easier because I can add Shopee products directly to my Reels, helping viewers find what I'm recommending more quickly. It also gives me more opportunities to earn from the content I already enjoy creating," said Ekida.

Meta said demand for creator commerce tools had already been demonstrated through its earlier Facebook partnership with Shopee.

"By bringing affiliate partnerships to Instagram with Shopee, we're creating more opportunities for creators to earn from the content they love making, while helping businesses of all sizes reach new customers. The strong adoption we've seen on Facebook shows the real demand for tools that turn creative content into meaningful commerce," said Tan.