Shopify Posts: How to Use the New Shop Feed Feature (2026)

On April 7, 2026, Shopify replaced Updates with a new feature called Posts — and it changes how the Shop feed works. Your content is no longer limited to people who already follow your store. Posts surface to new shoppers based on relevancy, turning the Shop feed into a discovery channel instead of a broadcast tool.

With Shop Pay crossing 200 million users and the Shop app serving over 100 million registered buyers, this is a distribution channel worth paying attention to. If you used Updates before, the reach was underwhelming — content only showed up for existing followers. Posts fixes that by ranking your content alongside other merchants and showing it to shoppers who've never heard of your brand.

What Changed: Updates vs. Shopify Posts

Updates was a follower-only broadcast tool. You'd write a caption, attach a product, and hope your existing followers opened the Shop app that day. Posts is a discovery tool. Your content gets ranked alongside other merchants' posts and shown to relevant shoppers based on their browsing and purchase history.

The feature upgrades go beyond distribution:

• Video support: Upload videos up to 2 minutes long. Updates was image-only.
• Product tagging: Tag up to 10 products or an entire collection per post. Updates allowed one product link.
• Scheduling: Set publish dates and optional expiration dates. No more posting and hoping for the best timing.
• App integrations: Connect apps like Tolstoy and Videowise to automatically sync shoppable video content to your Posts feed.

The biggest shift is reach. Updates talked to people who already knew you. Posts introduces you to people who don't.

How to Create Your First Post

Posts live inside the Shop channel in your Shopify admin. If you don't have the Shop channel installed, add it from the Shopify App Store first — it's free.

1. Go to Sales channels → Shop → Posts in your Shopify admin.
2. Click Create post.
3. Add an image or video (up to 2 minutes). Vertical format works best since most Shop app users browse on mobile.
4. Write a caption. Keep it short — the first two lines are what shoppers see before tapping "more."
5. Add an optional headline for extra context.
6. Tag up to 10 products or a collection. Tagged products appear as shoppable links directly on the post.
7. Choose to publish immediately or schedule for later. Set an expiration date if the content is time-sensitive (flash sales, seasonal launches).

That's it. No design tools required. If you can post to Instagram, you can use Shopify Posts.

What Content Actually Works in the Shop Feed

The Shop feed isn't Instagram. People browsing the Shop app are already in buying mode — they have payment methods saved, addresses on file, and purchase history driving what they see. Your content needs to match that intent.

Product-in-action videos convert best. A 30-second clip showing your product being used, unboxed, or styled gives shoppers context a product photo can't. With roughly 70% of Shopify traffic coming from mobile devices, short vertical video is the format shoppers expect. If you haven't started creating product videos yet, this phone-only product video template is a good starting point.

New arrival announcements with multiple product tags. Tag the full collection instead of a single SKU. A shopper who doesn't want the blue version might want the black one — give them options without making them leave the post.

Limited-time offers with expiration dates. Use the scheduling feature to auto-expire posts when a sale ends. Stale "20% off this weekend" posts sitting in your feed on Tuesday hurt credibility.

Behind-the-scenes content that shows your process. Packaging videos, production clips, team introductions. Shop feed shoppers are discovering your brand for the first time — they're deciding whether to trust you, not just whether to buy a product. User-generated content works especially well here because it feels authentic rather than polished.

Use Video Apps to Post Without Extra Work

If you already use a shoppable video app on your store, you might not need to create Posts manually. Shopify built integrations that let apps like Tolstoy and Videowise sync video content directly to your Posts feed.

Connect a supported app from the Posts page in your Shop channel settings. Once connected, videos you've already tagged with products can automatically appear as Posts in the Shop feed. Your product page videos pull double duty — converting on-site visitors and reaching new shoppers in the Shop app.

If you're producing video content for TikTok or Instagram Reels, repurposing those clips as Posts takes under a minute. Same vertical format, same short runtime, different audience with higher purchase intent.

Is It Worth the Time for Small Stores?

This is the honest question. If you're running a small Shopify store, adding another content channel sounds like more work for uncertain return.

Two things make the Shopify Posts feature different from other "you should post here too" advice. First, the audience is pre-qualified. Everyone on the Shop app is a Shopify buyer with saved payment info. The friction between seeing your post and completing a purchase is lower than any social platform.

Second, the time investment is minimal. A single product photo with a two-sentence caption and product tags takes under 3 minutes to publish.

Start with one post per week. Feature your best-selling product or newest arrival. Track whether you're getting Shop channel sales you weren't getting before. If the numbers move, increase frequency. If they don't after a month, you've spent maybe an hour total finding out.

Posts won't replace your main marketing channels. But for a free feature that takes minutes to use and puts your products in front of buyers who are already logged in with a credit card on file, the effort-to-upside ratio is hard to beat.

Three Mistakes to Avoid

Posting without product tags. An untagged post in the Shop feed is a dead end. Every post should tag at least one product. The entire point is making the content shoppable — a pretty photo with no purchase path wastes the impression.

Reposting your Instagram grid without editing. Instagram captions are written for engagement (comments, saves, shares). Shop feed captions should be written for purchase decisions. Swap the engagement hooks for product details: materials, sizing, what's included, why this product over alternatives.

Ignoring scheduling for time-sensitive content. If you're promoting a weekend sale, schedule the post to expire Monday morning. The Shop feed algorithm ranks by relevancy, and stale promotional content signals that your store isn't actively managed.

Your Next Step

Open your Shopify admin, go to Sales channels → Shop → Posts, and publish one post today. Pick your top seller, add a photo or short video, write two sentences about why customers love it, and tag the product. The whole process takes less time than reading this article did. The Shop feed is a new discovery channel with over 100 million logged-in buyers — and right now, most merchants haven't started posting. That early-mover window won't stay open long.