Instagram is now testing ads in the Shop tab

If you thought Instagram had run out of ad real estate, think again. The company confirmed to TechCrunch today that it’s starting a new test that’ll involve putting ads on its Shop tab. Ads will involve either a single image or carousel of them, and of course, will be shoppable. Only certain advertisers will have access at first, but there are plans to expand the product in the future. (Initial US-based partners include Away, Fenty Beauty, and Clare paint.)

Of course, it’s no surprise Instagram is trying more ads in more places — that’s Instagram and its parent company Facebook’s main revenue driver. Earlier this year, Instagram officially rolled out ads in Reels, another new format that debuted only last year. The company also began testing sticker ads, which would allow people to include stickers in their stories advertising a product. Users will receive a cut of any revenue made through people tapping on the sticker and buying a product.

Basically, if there’s unused space on Instagram, you should expect ads to show up there soon enough. It’s unclear how successful these ads are in driving purchases, but brands presumably will want to try it out regardless, if only to ensure their products are seen by Instagram’s billion users.