Prepare your website and staff access

This guide describes Social Marketing 1.30. Install the matching nopCommerce 4.80 package with eStoreware Core, then use the normal restart/reload and plugin update process. Upgrade an existing installation in place; do not uninstall it to upgrade.

Open eStoreware → Social Marketing on the storefront domain you intend to manage. The domain determines the store; changing the general admin store selector does not switch Social Marketing’s scope.

Staff need Manage Social Marketing for drafts and content. AI configuration, social account connection, publishing, and Meta app configuration have separate permissions. Ask an administrator to grant the relevant access.

Drafting and manual exports can be used without connecting a social account. Connected publishing and scheduling require the installed publishing tools, eligible accounts, Meta app setup and the necessary access/approvals. Confirm those are configured for your website.

Set your brand and create a draft

1. Open Brand settings. Save the business name, tagline, audience, voice, brand color and hashtags.
2. Use Upload logo after saving if you want a logo in exported images. Use PNG or JPEG, up to 5 MB and 20 megapixels, with no side over 8000 pixels.
3. Choose Product posts, search by name or SKU and create a draft. For a general business message, create a brand post from Post drafts.
4. Edit the caption and channel, then choose Save and preview.

Template captions work without an AI key. Product drafts use the saved product facts and link; brand posts use the brand profile. Check prices, offers and factual claims before sharing a post.

Use optional AI caption suggestions

1. An authorized administrator opens AI settings, enables assistance, enters the website’s OpenAI API key, and chooses a model supported by that API account.
2. After saving, check Saved key: Yes. The password field intentionally stays blank. Leaving it blank preserves the existing key; use the explicit Clear option to remove it.
3. Save channel changes, reopen Edit draft, enter a creative brief, and choose Generate suggestion.
4. Read and edit the suggestion. Choose Use in editor, then Save and preview to persist the caption.

Generating or applying a suggestion does not save or publish the post automatically. Saved product facts, the brand profile and brief are sent to the AI provider. API usage charges are separate; review AI usage and the provider’s billing controls. A failed request may still incur a charge. Social Marketing has its own AI settings and does not reuse the AI Assistant plugin’s key.

Create and download a branded image

1. Open the draft’s Image studio.
2. Choose Spotlight or Minimal and Square (1080 × 1080) or Portrait (1080 × 1350).
3. Review the headline, subheading and call to action, then choose Generate and save image.
4. Inspect the saved preview. Download the PNG and caption for manual posting if you are not using connected publishing.

Images combine catalog photos, an uploaded logo, brand colors and text. They do not generate synthetic product photos or change catalog assets. Product drafts need a local catalog photo; brand cards can use typography alone. Local image rendering has no AI API charge.

Saved images are snapshots. If the brand, caption or image text changes, generate the image again. Upload a logo rather than relying on an external logo URL for the renderer.

Connect eligible Facebook and Instagram accounts

1. Have the website/account administrator configure the public HTTPS store URL and a Meta app with the required Facebook Login and publishing access.
2. In Meta settings, configure the app ID, app secret and a supported Graph API version from the Meta dashboard. Use the exact OAuth redirect URI displayed in the plugin.
3. In Connected accounts, choose Connect or reconnect with Facebook and authorize the intended Pages in Meta’s consent screen.
4. Check the saved destinations and reconnect deadline. Reconnect when requested or when access is revoked.

Facebook destinations are Pages, not personal profiles. Instagram must be a professional Business/Creator account linked to a Facebook Page. Missing Instagram access need not prevent an otherwise eligible Facebook Page connection.

Meta determines app/account eligibility, permissions and review approval. Website setup and acceptance must be completed for your account; a local package check does not establish live delivery. You can continue using manual exports while connected publishing is being configured.

Review and approve a post

1. Choose Review and publish and select a connected destination matching the saved channel.
2. Choose Prepare final review. Check the exact caption, image and destination. Preparing the review sends nothing to Meta.
3. Approve Publish now within the review’s 30-minute window, or use Publish later. If the content needs revision, discard the unsubmitted review, edit the draft and prepare another review.
4. Check publication history and the actual destination after publishing.

The review freezes its caption, image and account. Later draft or brand edits do not alter it. The plugin supports Facebook Page caption-only or single-photo posts and Instagram single-image feed posts. Generate a branded image first if it should be included; the catalog thumbnail is not silently attached. Put required links in the caption; Instagram caption URLs are not clickable links.

For Instagram, the approved image is made available through a temporary protected URL so Meta can retrieve it. Private drafts remain restricted. Reels, Stories, carousels and product tags are outside this release.

Schedule, reschedule or cancel

1. Prepare the final review, then choose a date, time and timezone under Publish later.
2. Approve automatic publication and choose Schedule approved post. Choose a time at least two minutes and no more than 365 days ahead, before the account’s reconnect deadline.
3. Use Scheduling calendar to browse the month in your preferred display timezone. Changing the display timezone does not move the stored publication time.
4. The approving owner can open a scheduled post to save a new time or cancel before processing starts. To change the caption, image or account, cancel the schedule and prepare a fresh review.

Editing or deleting the original draft does not cancel or alter an approved schedule. Choose an unambiguous time around daylight-saving changes; nonexistent or repeated local times are rejected.

Ask the website administrator to keep eStoreware Social Marketing scheduled publishing enabled in Scheduled tasks and the application running. It checks for due posts about every minute. Downtime, a backlog or Instagram image processing can delay delivery. Recurring and bulk scheduling are not included.

Understand history and recover safely

The plugin avoids automatically retrying an uncertain publish request to reduce duplicates. A timeout can occur after a platform accepted a post. Manage edits and removal of an already published post on the social platform.

A key, image or destination is missing

Check the current storefront domain, staff permissions, Saved key indicator, draft’s local product photo, uploaded logo and connection expiry. Create a new product draft if its saved catalog snapshot is outdated. Do not paste API keys or social tokens into support messages.

Does it report campaign sales?

Publication history is included. Campaign/order attribution and platform engagement reporting are not part of the current release.