Systems and methods for using a social networking system to purchase products

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to marketing products through a social networking system. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the present invention relate to allowing social networking users to purchase products through the social networking system and to add products to shopping carts associated with third-party merchants.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 obtaining, by a social networking system comprising at least one computing device, product data for a product available for purchase from a third-party merchant;   creating, using the product data, a product node in a social graph of the social networking system, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges representing relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of edges comprises one or more edges connecting the product node to one or more other nodes;   determining, based on text input from a client device into a social networking communication, that the social networking communication indicates the product;   inserting, by the social networking system in response to determining that the social networking communication indicates the product, a tag of the product within the social networking communication, the tag referencing the product node in the social graph;   modifying, by the social networking system in response to inserting the tag into the social networking communication, the social networking communication to include a selectable option to add the product to a shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant; and   providing, by the social networking system, the social networking communication including the selectable option for display on a second client device associated with the social networking system.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein inserting the tag of the product within the social networking communication comprises:
 identifying, from the text input from the client device, one or more products corresponding to the text input;   providing, for display on the client device, a list of the one or more products;   receiving an indication of user selection of the product from the list of the one or more products; and   inserting the tag, based on the user selection, as a selectable portion of text linking to a product page within the social networking system and corresponding to the product node in the social graph.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising modifying the social networking communication by, in response to inserting the tag into the social networking communication, automatically populating the social networking communication with an additional selectable option to add the product to a different shopping cart associated with a different third-party merchant. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining that a user associated with the second client device has an account associated with the third-party merchant; and   wherein modifying the social networking communication to include the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant is based on determining that the user has the account associated with the third-party merchant.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication of user selection of the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant; and   providing a request to the third-party merchant to add the product to the shopping cart without redirecting away from the social networking system.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining that a user associated with the second client device does not have an account associated with the third-party merchant; and   wherein modifying the social networking communication to include the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant comprises providing, based on determining that the user does not have an account associated with the third-party merchant, the selectable option to add the product to a temporary shopping cart maintained by the social networking system and accessible by the third-party merchant.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein providing the social networking communication for display on the second client device comprises providing text corresponding to the text input for display together with the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant. 
     
     
         28 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 obtain, by a social networking system comprising at least one computing device, product data for a product available for purchase from a third-party merchant; 
 create, using the product data, a product node in a social graph of the social networking system, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges representing relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of edges comprises one or more edges connecting the product node to one or more other nodes; 
 determine, based on text input from a client device into a social networking communication, that the social networking communication indicates the product; 
 insert, by the social networking system in response to determining that the social networking communication indicates the product, a tag of the product within the social networking communication, the tag referencing the product node in the social graph; 
 modify, by the social networking system in response to inserting the tag into the social networking communication, the social networking communication to include a selectable option to add the product to a shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant; and 
 provide, by the social networking system, the social networking communication including the selectable option for display on a second client device associated with the social networking system. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to insert the tag of the product within the social networking communication by:
 identifying, from the text input from the client device, one or more products corresponding to the text input;   providing, for display on the client device, a list of the one or more products;   receiving an indication of user selection of the product from the list of the one or more products; and   inserting the tag as a selectable portion of text linking to a product page within the social networking system and corresponding to the product node in the social graph.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to modify the social networking communication by, in response to inserting the tag into the social networking communication, automatically populating the social networking communication with an additional selectable option to add the product to a different shopping cart associated with a different third-party merchant. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 determine that a user associated with the second client device has an account associated with the third-party merchant; and   modify the social networking communication to include the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant based on determining that the user has the account associated with the third-party merchant.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 receive an indication of user selection of the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant; and   provide a request to the third-party merchant to add the product to the shopping cart without redirecting away from the social networking system.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 determine that a user associated with the second client device does not have an account associated with the third-party merchant; and   modify the social networking communication to include the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant by providing, based on determining that the user does not have an account associated with the third-party merchant, the selectable option to add the product to a temporary shopping cart maintained by the social networking system and accessible by the third-party merchant.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide the social networking communication for display on the second client device by providing text corresponding to the text input for display together with the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant. 
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:
 obtain, by a social networking system comprising at least one computing device, product data for a product available for purchase from a third-party merchant;   create, using the product data, a product node in a social graph of the social networking system, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges representing relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of edges comprises one or more edges connecting the product node to one or more other nodes;   determine, based on text input from a client device into a social networking communication, that the social networking communication indicates the product;   insert, by the social networking system in response to determining that the social networking communication indicates the product, a tag of the product within the social networking communication, the tag referencing the product node in the social graph;   modify, by the social networking system in response to inserting the tag into the social networking communication, the social networking communication to include a selectable option to add the product to a shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant; and   provide, by the social networking system, the social networking communication including the selectable option for display on a second client device associated with the social networking system.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 35 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to insert the tag of the product within the social networking communication by:
 identifying, from the text input from the client device, one or more products corresponding to the text input;   providing, for display on the client device, a list of the one or more products;   receiving an indication of user selection of the product from the list of the one or more products; and   inserting the tag as a selectable portion of text linking to a product page within the social networking system and corresponding to the product node in the social graph.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 35 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to modify the social networking communication by, in response to inserting the tag into the social networking communication, automatically populating the social networking communication with an additional selectable option to add the product to a different shopping cart associated with a different third-party merchant. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 35 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
 determine that a user associated with the second client device has an account associated with the third-party merchant; and   modify the social networking communication to include the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant based on determining that the user has the account associated with the third-party merchant.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 35 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
 receive an indication of user selection of the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant; and   provide a request to the third-party merchant to add the product to the shopping cart without redirecting away from the social networking system.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 35 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
 determine that a user associated with the second client device does not have an account associated with the third-party merchant; and   modify the social networking communication to include the selectable option to add the product to the shopping cart associated with the third-party merchant by providing, based on determining that the user does not have an account associated with the third-party merchant, the selectable option to add the product to a temporary shopping cart maintained by the social networking system and accessible by the third-party merchant.