How to link a Facebook app with an existing fan page

Question

Now that Facebook has depreciated the landing pages for apps, how do I get my app to point to the Fan page for it's landing page?

I've checked under the Advanced tab and contacts -- but there's no place I can see to list my Fan page as being linked to my application.

According to this blog post from December, new apps can create a new Fan page, but there's no information on how to do it for existing pages -- they just say that "it will be linked automatically." Unfortunately it was not -- when you post something from our app onto your wall, the link takes you to our website rather than our Fan page.

I'd love for that link to take you to our fanpage again, but I seemingly can't find any documentation on this.

There was a migration option in place when this was announced but it's been finished since Feb 7th - why not just post links which point to your page? — Igy, Feb 13 '12 at 17:33
Unfortunately I just started here and was given access today, so that migration option is no longer available to me. We can post links which point to our page, but when you post from the app it prints out your app name. That used to link to our app page, but now it just links to our site. — tkone, Feb 13 '12 at 17:38
In now days there is no "App" or "App Page" category, is there any other approach to link existing page to new create app ? — Armen, Jul 13 '22 at 15:10

score 216 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 23 '22 at 07:48

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It is possible. I had the same problem. What you need to do is the following:

Categorize your existing page under "App Page" (found under "Brands & Products").
Change your page name to mach your App name.
Go to your App and select "App Details"
Under "Contact Info" you will find "App Page". There you will be able to create a new page or if all went well, select your page from a list.

I found the info in the little question-mark next to "App page".

edited Dec 23 '22 at 07:48

starball

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answered Dec 16 '12 at 18:14

Dvir Levy

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Note: you can change the Category back to what you had previously once you've linked the page. – Andrew Winter Dec 20 '12 at 04:37
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Yes, but if the category changes the 'go to app' link is no longer displayed – Igy Feb 23 '13 at 01:23
@Igy I was about to try this. Is there someway the 'go to app' can be retained with changing the category? Do you also want to have a look at [this](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20106853) query of mine? – Ethan Nov 21 '13 at 22:32
No, only App Pages in the 'App Page' category get the functionality specific to App Pages, including the 'Go to App' link – Igy Nov 22 '13 at 02:15
I've two doubts on your answer. 1, How to categorize existing page under "App Page" (found under "Brands & Products"). 2. My app name means is app's display name ? – Mar 06 '14 at 05:51
1. Settings -> Page Info -> Category. 2. Settings -> Page Info -> Name – XeNoN Aug 13 '14 at 10:46
Before you start pulling out lumps of hair - as I did - go change your (personal) language to "English (US)". For non-English languages, some item namings make little if any sense, and some items flat out don't appear! Geez, Facebook... – Kafoso Mar 07 '15 at 16:01
this is not working for me. I am the app creator but not the page creator. I am just administrator in the page – albanx Mar 16 '15 at 00:49
@albanx it should work. I am app creator and page editor and it wored for me. – deb2fast Apr 24 '15 at 04:47
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This works, you just need to go to Setting -> Advanced when you select your app to do part 4 which took me a little bit of time to figure out. – applecrusher Aug 06 '16 at 06:23
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Changing the page name takes time. Can I change the app name instead? – Steven2163712 May 25 '17 at 04:49
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The key is making sure App Page is the ONLY category. We had "Video Game" and "App Page" and this didn't work until we removed "Video Game." As an aside Facebook's workflow is insane--almost like it was written by a 19-year-old in his dorm room. – Mike Pandolfini Feb 26 '20 at 21:26
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I couldn't even find the "App Page" category (Jun 2022)! Have they removed it? – Anh Nguyen Jun 12 '22 at 17:14
In now days there is no "App" or "App Page" category, is there any other aproach to link existing page to new create app ? – Armen Jul 13 '22 at 15:09

score 25 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:31

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It is possible to add the application to any page you administer. This can be achieved from solutions mentioned below:

Solution 1

http://facebook.com/add.php?api_key=[YOUR_APP_KEY]&pages=1&page=[YOUR_PAGE_ID]

YOUR_APP_KEY You can get it from application settings, its App Id

YOUR_PAGE_ID You can get it through Graph Explorer https://graph.facebook.com/[PAGE_NAME]

Solution 2

https://www.facebook.com/dialog/pagetab?app_id=[YOUR_APP_KEY]&next=[REDIRECT_URL]

YOUR_APP_KEY You can get it from application settings, its App Id

REDIRECT_URL Any URL you want to redirect back to after adding the tab

Official Solution
Answer from @Dvir Levy is the official solution from Facebook. The issue with that approach is that we mostly can not follow that solution. Suppose we had to add an application tab to a brand page like 'ABCXYZ', if we follow that answer then we had to change the brand page name, and we can't do it, brands/clients we work for doesn't allow these changes.

edited May 23 '17 at 10:31

Community

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answered Apr 01 '13 at 08:08

Qarib Haider

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It works but how to list all the apps connected to the page? I don't understand why so crucial option isn't accessible in visible place on app's or page's settings page. – Łukasz Jagodziński Jul 10 '13 at 13:19
im unable to guess it either :P – Qarib Haider Jul 13 '13 at 18:19
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I've found the solution. List Applications installed on Page: /[PAGE_ID]/tabs/ access_token: [PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN] List of application managed by user: /me/applications/developer – Łukasz Jagodziński Jul 14 '13 at 09:04
Is it possible to add the application if you are not an administrator of it ? – LoverBugs Feb 20 '17 at 13:01
@LoverBugs No, you need to have sufficient permissions on the page to add/edit anything on it – Qarib Haider Feb 21 '17 at 07:15
In now days there is no "App" or "App Page" category, is there any other approach to link existing page to new create app ? – Armen Jul 13 '22 at 15:09

Gabriel G. · Answer 3 · 2019-08-05T13:51:29.973

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Due the recent changes on the Facebook UI, some options have changed or are under a different place.

I would like to share the up to date way to achieve this.

On your page

Access the About section
Click on Edit Page Info on the top right side.
Set one of your categories to App page

PS: May be needed your page and app share the same name, but can't confirm this.

On your app

Access your app from the Facebook Developers apps panel.

Access Settings on the left side menu.
Set the category to Apps for pages and hit Save. [@JohnMc mentioned this has to be the only category selected.]
Open the Advanced section and find the App Page block.
Under Existing page select your page and hit Save.

All set!

Note: If you remove the link between the page and the app you won't be able to link them again.

Edit: As @John Mc pointed out in the comments, App page has to be the only category selected.

edited Aug 05 '19 at 13:51

answered Oct 31 '17 at 09:21

Gabriel G.

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Great to see this. But why am I not be able to see existing page on my App Page after following all your steps? – Emerald Dec 13 '17 at 03:46
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There is actually no reason to show the link on the app page. If you want your page followers to use your app you can use one of the page-action buttons. – Gabriel G. Dec 13 '17 at 11:21
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For me there is no existing page :( I can only create a new one. Even tough I do have an app page. Any idea? – Georg May 24 '18 at 08:09
I had the same. I couldn't get [Existing page] appear. Solution is to make "App page" category first on the list. – Artur Michajluk Nov 07 '18 at 20:25
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I tried keeping the existing category and adding the "App Page" category. I wasn't able to select existing page in Developer settings until I removed the existing category. I.e your existing page should only have one category and that needs to be "App Page". – John Mc Dec 07 '18 at 01:14
Nice catch @JohnMc. ;) – Gabriel G. Dec 07 '18 at 10:50
Both the Page and the App must share exactly the same name. In my case, one had a space and the other didn't. In the App settings I couldn't find the page, as soon as I changed the app name, the page appeared. – Douglas Schmidt May 13 '20 at 00:39
"App page has to be the only category selected." This is very important! – Damián Herrera Dec 17 '20 at 14:36
@GabrielG. What if I remove the link? I did it without knowing I wouldn't be able to link them again – Diogo Silva Apr 08 '21 at 00:15
In now days there is no "App" or "App Page" category, is there any other approach to link existing page to new create app ? – Armen Jul 13 '22 at 15:09

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 18 '13 at 09:56

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Happned to me. You need to add yourself (your developer account) as manager/admin of the page. Then it will recognize the link between you and the page and the app will show the app page so you'll be able to choose it.

answered Jun 18 '13 at 09:56

Eran

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score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 19 '13 at 14:40

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This is possible.

Go to you business page, add yourself as a managed (make sure you have liked the site first)

Then refresh the App Details developers page. Select the business app page from the App page contact section.

Note the Business page has to be the Brands & Products : App Page, and the same name as the App.

answered Jul 19 '13 at 14:40

Antony Cooper

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Is it possible to add the application if you are not an administrator of it ? – LoverBugs Feb 20 '17 at 13:01

score 0 · Answer 6 · edited Feb 13 '12 at 18:04

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Here's how to add a tab to a page.

https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/dialogs/add_to_page/

I use the direct URL Method. Go to your page and then type the following into the address bar of your browser.

https://www.facebook.com/dialog/pagetab?app_id=YOUR_APP_ID&display=popup&next=YOUR_URL

Where YOUR_APP_ID is the app id shown in the app configuration page, and YOUR_URL is the page you want to to be redirected to once you close the dialog.

edited Feb 13 '12 at 18:04

Lix

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answered Feb 13 '12 at 18:00

Art Ianuzzi

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This doesn't change the URL that is linked to when the app posts an item to your wall and is for integrating our app into someone's profile. That's not what the question is. The question is how do I get the app in the Facebook developer app to have the Fanpage associated with it? – tkone Feb 13 '12 at 18:27
@Lix What is the purpose of the pagetab? Is there an example? – Ethan Nov 20 '13 at 19:29

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Feb 13 '12 at 19:13

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In the Facebook app config settings will be Site URL. This is the place where it's currently going, correct? So have your marketing people make a "pretty" landing page for the app, and you can change your app settings to point to the pretty landing page. Maybe all that landing page is a redirect to your Facebook fan page.

answered Feb 13 '12 at 19:13

DMCS

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The problem is apparently you can do this for a new application -- I want to do it on an existing application. f'ing facebook. – tkone Feb 14 '12 at 21:50
I have over 38 existing apps on Facebook (have deleted about 15 others as they've become deprecated over the last four+ years I've been deving for the various Facebook APIs). I went to one of the oldest ones I have and that setting is there. How "old" are yours? – DMCS Feb 14 '12 at 22:17
I have a site URL field. But I want to link the existing application to the existing fan page. This is not something I can do. Can you? – tkone Feb 15 '12 at 02:44
As stated above: "Maybe all that landing page is a redirect to your Facebook fan page" – DMCS Feb 15 '12 at 15:53
Yes, I could do that. But why when I make a new app I don't have to do that? – tkone Feb 15 '12 at 17:21
You asked "how do I get my app to point to the Fan page for it's landing page?" and I answered "Maybe all that landing page is a redirect to your Facebook fan page". So if you don't want to do that, then why not create a new app for it (as you've pointed out that it works with new apps)? – DMCS Feb 15 '12 at 18:09
No this did not answer my question. That is why I did not accept it. The question I asked was impossible to do. Hence accepting my answer which was correct. – tkone Apr 17 '12 at 22:51
It's not impossible. As stated before, in our discussion, all you need to do is create a new app. That is the answer, is it not? – DMCS Apr 18 '12 at 16:15
I've one doubt. it may be silly, but my question is I created fan page using one facebook id and create apps using another id. Now can I connect those two app and fan page? is it possible? – Mar 13 '14 at 10:11

How to link a Facebook app with an existing fan page

7 Answers7

On your page

On your app

Linked