What’s an ‘Access Token’ and do I need one?
No, you don’t need an Access Token in order to use the Custom Facebook Feed plugin. An Access Token is required by Facebook in order to access their public data API. The plugin has a shared token built into it and so it isn’t necessary for you to have your own to use the plugin. However, some users prefer to use their own dedicated Access Token. If you don’t have an Access Token but you’d like to use your own in the plugin then just follow the instructions here.
Can I display feeds from multiple pages?
Yep, you sure can. Here’s how:
WordPress Plugin
You can set your default Facebook Page ID on the Custom Facebook Feed settings page within the WordPress admin, you can then define different page IDs in the shortcodes you use to show multiple feeds from different Facebook pages. Just use the id option in your shortcode like so: [custom-facebook-feed id=another_page_id]. You can use as many shortcodes as you like with as many different IDs as you like.
Standalone Version
You can set you default Facebook Page ID within the fbfeed-settings.php file, you can then pass other Page IDs into the fbFeed() function to show multiple feeds from different Facebook pages, like so:
$custom = array(
'id' => '171662759544449',
);
fbFeed($settings, $custom);
Is the content of my feed crawlable by search engines?
It sure is. Unlike other Facebook plugins which use iframes to embed your feed into your page once it’s loaded, the Custom Facebook Feed uses server-side code to embed your feed content directly into your page. This adds dynamic, search engine crawlable content to your site.
Could you explain further?
Sure! When a Google bot (or any other search bot) crawls your website they don’t load the website in a browser as we do, instead they come across your URL and send requests to your web server to retrieve the content of each page. On a website, most of the content is available on the page as it’s returned from the server – your page content, blog posts, HTML structure (anything you can see when you right click on a web page and select ‘View Source’). Some content is not loaded or rendered until after the page is returned from the server – CSS/stylesheets, JavaScript files, fonts, iframe content, etc. When the bot crawls the site, as they don’t view it in a browser then they don’t see any of the stuff which is loaded in by the browser after the page is returned from the server. They just see what you see if you right click on the page and view the source. The Custom Facebook Feed plugin uses server-side code to embed the content into the page so that when it’s returned by the server then the content is already there. This means that a Google bot can see and read the content just as though it was a blog post or any other part of your page. Many social media plugins will load in content after the page has loaded (such as the official Facebook widget) either using JavaScript or iframes, which means that the content can’t be seen by bots. Another advantage is that Google loves new content, and as Facebook feeds are typically updated on a regular basis then every time the bot crawls the site it will see new relevant content.
Can I display the feed from a personal Facebook profile?
Due to Facebook’s privacy policy you’re not able to use the plugin to display all of your posts from a personal profile, only from a public page or group, as posts from a personal profile are protected for privacy reasons. You may have limited success in displaying certain posts from a personal profile but most posts are not able to be displayed. If you’re using the profile to represent a business, organization, product, public figure or the like, then we’d advise converting your profile to a page per Facebook’s recommendation: http://www.facebook.com/help/175644189234902/, as there are many advantages to using pages over profiles. Once you’ve done so, the plugin will be able to retrieve and display all of your posts.
Can I display the feed from a Facebook group?
Yes, you can display posts from Facebook groups. See this FAQ for more information.
Can I display a feed from a private Facebook page?
We’re afraid not. As the plugin allows you to display your Facebook feed publicly on your website for the whole world to see then posts from private groups cannot be displayed.
Which version of the plugin is right for me? The WordPress plugin or the PHP Standalone version?
If your site is built on WordPress then we’d definitely recommend the WordPress plugin. Both versions can display your feed in the same way and don’t look any different on the front-end, but there are a few key differences to consider:
- The WordPress plugin requires the site to be built on WordPress, whereas the Standalone version is more suitable for static sites
- The WordPress plugin utilizes database caching and so is faster to load, whereas the Standalone version does not
- The WordPress plugin can receive automatic updates whereas the Standalone version requires manual updates
- The WordPress plugin allows you to change the options and settings for the plugin through your WordPress admin pages, whereas the Standalone version uses a settings PHP file which you would need to edit
If you have any specific questions about either version of the plugin then feel free to contact us.
Are there any technical/server requirements for running the plugin?
Your web server should have either cURL or the PHP allow_url_fopen function enabled. If you don’t know what these are then don’t worry as they’re enabled on the majority of web servers by default. In the very rare occasion that both of these are disabled then please contact support. The Standalone Version is written in PHP and so requires PHP in order to work. PHP is installed on the majority of web servers by default. If you’re not sure whether you have PHP installed then here’s how to check that it’s running on your server.
I need to activate my Personal license on a development site prior to launch. Can I do this and still activate on my live site after launch?
A Personal license can only be activated on 1 domain at a time. You can activate your license on a development site, then when you’re ready to launch you can deactivate it and activate it again on your live site. The same Personal license cannot be activated on two different domains at the same time.
Is the plugin a one-time purchase? Can I still get support after one year?
Yep, it’s just a one-time purchase. Your purchase includes either a 1 or 2 year license for support and updates (depending on the license type purchased). If you wish to have access to support or updates after the this period is up then you can renew your license within 60 days of it’s expiration at a discounted rate of 50%. After the 60 day window all renewals are at full price. If you choose not to renew your license then your plugin will still continue to work – you just won’t have access to support or updates. You can renew your license either via your Account or by contacting us on our support page. You will receive an email notification 1 month before your license is due to expire.
How do I renew my license?
Renewing your license is super easy, just view your Account page (or register for one if you don’t have one already) and click on the ‘renew’ link next to your license under the ‘Your Downloads’ tab. You can renew your license at a 50% discount off the purchase price of a new license.
Why renew?
Customer support Without a valid license key you will no longer be able to receive updates or support for the Custom Facebook Feed plugin. A renewed license key grants you access to our top-notch, quick and effective support for another full year. Maintenance With both WordPress and the Facebook API being updated on a regular basis we stay on top of the latest changes and provide frequent updates to keep pace. New features We’re continually adding new features to the plugin, based on both customer suggestions and our own ideas for ways to make it better, more useful, more customizable, more robust and just more awesome! Renew your license to prevent from missing out on any of the new features added in the future. Extensions In order to utilize the latest plugin extensions you need to be using the latest version of the plugin. Keep your plugin up to date and check out the new extensions as they are released. If you have any questions at all about renewing your license then just ask using the form on the Support page.
What types of payments do you accept?
We currently accept PayPal and all major Credit/Debit Cards: Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover.
What if I have an issue or need to ask a question?
The quickest way to find the answer to your question is to read through the FAQs and documentation on this site. If you’re not able to find the answer to your question or are still having an issue then don’t hesitate to send a support request and we’ll get back to you in no time.
How fast is your support?
Very fast. If you request support within the standard support hours (stated below) then priority support requests are usually answered within a couple of hours or even minutes. Regular support requests are usually within 2-6 hours depending on the request. If requests are outside of standard support hours then it may take up to 12-18 hours to receive a reply. Standard support hours are between 8am – 5pm CST (US Central Time) Mon-Fri. Although it’s not uncommon to receive a reply outside of these times, please be aware that we need to eat, sleep and have a social life too!