How to create a Facebook app

Video: Create a Simple Facebook App (part 1 of 2)

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Create a Facebook Application
Part 2 of 3: Building a Facebook app
Part 3 of 3: Adding Content to the Application
What do you need

If you are ready to take your business or app concept to the social media level, the Facebook app will enable you to make all your plans come true. While there are countless tutorials and how-tos on the Internet, you should be as careful about building a quality app as you would when creating a new website. After all, the data for your application will come from the code pages that you upload to the online server. If you have no programming experience, you may need the help of someone who has it.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Create a Facebook Application

1 Determine which social platforms can be useful for your business. This information will go a long way in helping you decide whether a Facebook app is worth the time (or even the cost) it will take to build it or not. Look for similar business solutions on the internet or blogs of people in the same industry, but don't expect the Facebook app to be the solution to all your problems.
2 Make a concept for your application. What result do you want to achieve? Maybe you just want to expand the functionality of your clients? Knowing what your application needs to do will make it much easier to achieve this goal.
- You need to be as clear as possible about what your application should look like. If you do not have the required programming skills, you will most likely have to describe your vision to the person who will then write the code for your application.If you have a clear idea of what the final product will be, it will not be difficult for you to describe your requirements to the programmer.
3 Think over efficient algorithms and designs. You never know what will make your app hit and create buzz in the business, but by carefully evaluating and showcasing some of the content prior to release, you will have a much clearer idea of which ideas are successful and which are not.
4 Let quality be your watchword. Even if your application is famous for its high functionality, poor integration with Facebook can render it unprofessional or raw, thereby alienating users. High-res images, cool graphics, and artful styling don't guarantee success, but they go a long way towards bringing your app to the next level among professional developers.
5 Map out possible paths for user interaction. How will you communicate with users through this application? Think about the kind of people your app will attract and what they want to know. Then figure out how to deliver this information through your application. It is also worth considering the following:
- What should users see on their profile page in the application window?
- Why should users visit their page regularly?
- What can motivate users to invite their friends?
6 Establish a project development schedule. This is especially true if you work in a team, but even if only you or one programmer is involved in the project, be sure to draw up a fair schedule and familiarize the team with it. Some aspects of programming take longer to develop than others, so remember that your schedule may change to accommodate these complexities.
- Creating a development schedule will allow you to focus on the task at hand while setting production targets for your team.

Part 2 of 3: Building a Facebook app

1 Check out the Facebook developer page (developers.facebook.com). Here you will find guides, explanatory information, and tools to help you take your Facebook app to the next level. This is where you can register as a developer and download the required applications for development.
2 Register as a developer. It's as easy as clicking on the My Apps button in the navigation bar and agreeing to the terms of use in the pop-up window. After that, the Facebook Canvas is at your complete disposal.
3 Choose canvas as your platform. Blank pages, where the content of your application will subsequently be located, are referred to by Facebook as "canvases". Select Canvas from the developer page by clicking My Apps in the navigation bar, then Create App from the drop-down menu, and select Facebook Canvas as the platform.
4 Open the canvas overview. Open the Documents tab on the blue navigation bar to access the Documentation page, or follow the link: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/. On the left side of the page is the product documentation, including the Games item, which is closer to the middle of the list. Select Games, then expand the Game Development Services tab and select Canvas Hosting. Check out all the properties of Facebook Canvas here.
5 Create a new app. To do this, hover the cursor over the text "My Apps" in the navigation bar and select "Add New Application" from the drop-down menu, or simply enter developers.facebook.com/apps into the address bar. Click on the green button with the text "Add a new application" on the right side of the page.
- Before proceeding, Facebook will check if the name you have chosen for your application is free.
6 Prove that you are human. As part of authentication and security checks, you must prove that you are not a robot, but exactly who you say you are. To prove that you are not a bot, you will most likely be asked to provide some personal information (phone number or credit card information), as well as enter the text of the captcha.
7 Fill your app with content. Although your Facebook app has already been created, it is currently completely empty. Take sample code, write the code yourself, or outsource content creation to third parties. This is where the planning phase comes into play!

Part 3 of 3: Adding Content to the Application

1 Change the settings. Before you can view the page, you need to make changes to your account settings. If you do not plan to pay to protect your application, it will only be available to the people you specify in the settings. Open your account settings by hovering your mouse over the person icon in the upper right corner of the page and selecting "Settings" from the drop-down menu. Find the "Security" section in the left pane and open it to access a new menu, at the top of which is the "Safe Browsing" feature. Disable this feature and save your changes.
- You will receive a warning message to enable Safe Browsing, but ignore these prompts while using your application.
- As long as Safe Browsing is off, you will be able to browse your app. If at this stage of development anyone wants to see your application, they should also turn off Safe Browsing.
2 Work in a test environment. This will reduce the number of people who can see your application, which is the best option during the development phase. These settings, along with other permissions, can be found in your Account Settings, namely the Status & Overview section.
3 Upload the pages to your online server. The data on the server will be stored as pages of code, HTML or PHP files that Facebook will use to power your application. Create a separate folder for your new application and upload all files there.
4 Consider using ready-made PHP files. Wanting to help with app integration and other issues, Facebook allows users to use pre-built code pages. Usually such a code consists of lines in which you need to insert an identifier and a hidden personal code.
- Find out your ID and hidden personal code by opening your account settings and examining your profile information.
- As you browse through the code, look for the "appId" and "secret" entries so you know where to insert your credentials.
5 Fill in the required parts of the code. Some functions, such as Require, which runs one script inside another, need to be populated with specific data. These functions are quite easy to use and explain where the required code is located.
- If you can't download the PHP file, but you have access to the complete code, cut and paste the code into a text editor (notepad ++ is quite common), and then save the file as a ".php" extension.
6 Host your application on a secure server. Now that the app is built, shaped and filled with engaging content, host it on a secure server, re-enable Safe Browsing. This will make your application accessible to the general public.