Facebook Moving Away From FBML

Earlier today Facebook announced that they are moving away from FBML toward iFrames, both for canvas applications as well as Facebook Page tabs. In fact, Facebook will soon end the creation of new FBML applications. Also, while not yet completely deprecating the old REST API, Facebook is moving in that direction, opting to focus on the following three things: “OAuth 2.0, the Graph API, and the JavaScript SDK”.

Namita Gupta posted more details about the change earlier today:

We are also moving toward IFrames instead of FBML for both canvas applications and Page tabs. As a part of this process, we will be standardizing on a small set of core FBML tags that will work with both applications on Facebook and external Web pages via our JavaScript SDK, effectively eliminating the technical difference between developing an application on and off Facebook.com.

We will begin supporting IFrames for Page tabs in the next few months. Developers building canvas applications should start using IFrames immediately. By the end of this year, we will no longer allow new FBML applications to be created, so all new canvas applications and Page tabs will have to be based on IFrames and our JavaScript SDK. We will, however, continue to support existing implementations of the older authentication mechanism as well as FBML on Page tabs and applications.

This is a relatively significant change as FBML has long been a core component of Facebook’s Platform. More recently however, many developers that I’ve spoken to have been working primarily with iFrame applications anyways. For those who prefer FBML, you’ll need to begin making the shift ASAP. This is part of a broader push toward the new Platform APIs and away from the old structure. As this shift takes place Facebook will also eventually pull the developer wiki.

All of the upcoming changes are reflected in a new developer roadmap (found here).

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1751729 CommentsFacebook+Moving+Away+From+FBML2010-08-19+21%3A04%3A00Nick+O%27Neill »

Hi,

May I suggest that Allfacebook consider putting Qzone, the largest social network in China, on the "Add This" mouseover sharing list? It does not seem to make sense to put Baidu here among all Chinese websites for Chinese allfacebook readers.

regards,

Dowson

Comment by Dowson Tong — August 19, 2010 @ 3:48 pm
Does this include XFBML or just FBML?

Comment by Jen — August 19, 2010 @ 7:52 pm
So, profile tabs are going away too??? Didn't they tell us that we should spend all of this effort getting people to add tabs because boxes are going away? It was for nothing????

Comment by Ron Schnell — August 19, 2010 @ 9:02 pm
Interesting. I read everywhere when I started developing for Facebook to go for FBML, and now this is going to trash. Fool me once…

Comment by prouted — August 19, 2010 @ 9:22 pm
So facebook profiles are about to get really boring, no tabs and no apps. They just want everyone to create a page and I think and then they'll just get rid of the profiles completely perhaps.

Comment by Mik — August 19, 2010 @ 10:20 pm
What does that mean for the Static FBML-app?

Comment by Annette Schwindt — August 20, 2010 @ 12:53 am
> Also, while not yet completely deprecating the old REST API, Facebook is moving in that direction

Hopefully they will hurry up and offer the equivalent functionality in the Graph API before ditching the REST API.

Comment by Hans Peter Nielsen — August 20, 2010 @ 2:10 am
Sounds to me like a bad joke. Is the scope of FBML to be limited only on tab pages, or all over Facebook? Will the giant ever be trusted with newer technologies it demands it's developers have to embrace?

As an organizer for the Silicon Valley FB Dev Meetup, I feel I'll have to be the first to lodge a protest, and say outright how ludicrous this sounds. Really, sounds like an April Fool's joke; trouble is, the fool may be the one looking at the calendar.

Comment by Abbas Zaidi — August 20, 2010 @ 3:16 am
This is a good news for developper !

Comment by Mr Calsaire — August 20, 2010 @ 5:26 am
I'm not a developer nor a Facebook expert, although I am trying to learn. I just read yesterday a PPT from Facebook saying that iFrame is going away for Pages and that all custom content will need to be on a separate, custom tab (that use FMBL). Which is it?

Link to story for reference: http://www.hyperarts.com/blog/changes-facebook-bo...

Comment by Andrea K — August 20, 2010 @ 8:15 am
I feel like most of you, this is getting a bit ridiculous! To have to change widths on custom tabbed pages is one thing, to have to completely scratch the way you work custom pages, completely different!

Comment by m a r c o — August 20, 2010 @ 6:39 pm
Finally! This is great news. FBML is slow and cumbersome and it takes forever for tabs to load on Pages. iFrames will pop right up and be able to do more. The whole FBML/FBJS is legacy from when an app could add a box to the main profile page… Peter

Comment by Peter Yared — August 21, 2010 @ 12:18 am
My main questions regarding this change are:

- how will be the "correct" method for creating a Facebook Page tab using an iframe?

– will it be as now, by creating a Facebook app and then adding it as tab?

– Or will we have any new feature for creating Facebook Page tabs (ie. a replacement for Static FBML)?

Comment by Julián Lander — August 24, 2010 @ 8:19 am
this news kinda shocks me.

for months ive been seeing that iframes would actually be phased out and now this shift back.

i think this makes it hard to really trust the stability and continuity of the platform.

now im just wondering what new roadblock, complication or incompatibility they are going to throw in once we've embraced iframes.

Comment by bryan — August 24, 2010 @ 8:58 am
They are finally allow to use iframes in Profile tabs. This is a great news!

Comment by Valery — August 25, 2010 @ 5:52 am
It is a good news. many developers have to change their chip… many opportunities to work

Comment by Murciano — August 26, 2010 @ 1:07 am
No they're not going to allow tabs on profiles. So no iframes for profile tabs.

"Finally, due to low usage rates, we will remove application tabs from user profiles in the next couple months. Application tabs will continue to be supported on Facebook Pages." http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.ph...

Comment by Kari — August 26, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
You already cannot access the Static FBML.

Comment by CoachReenie — August 30, 2010 @ 9:53 am
Can't access Facebook from anywhere. Why??? Did they change and just don't tell normal users???? That's SO LOW!

Comment by Annalien van Rensbur — August 31, 2010 @ 5:48 am
I'm surprised with such a big announcement that no one else has commented?

We run a single tab for all our 10 Live Chat sites (eg http://www.Facebook.com/LiveBaseballChat ) and have gone through the issues of "narrowing" our content recently. I really wish they announced the narrowing and the frames at the ame time and we could have made a single transition rather than two steps.

Comment by dean collins — September 9, 2010 @ 10:12 am
Hi, is there an editprial who to use iFrames? I create my tabs in fanpages always with FBML and I like this simple "programming language". But if IFrames are the better one, I will try it. But I dont have any editorial found on the web.
Thanks for help!

Comment by Sirko Pabst — September 23, 2010 @ 4:13 am
Agreed I would like to see a tutorial for how to use iFrames? If anyone has one, please share.

Comment by Mike Shaffer — September 25, 2010 @ 12:45 pm
http://www.google.com/search?q=iframe+tutorial&am...

Comment by John — October 18, 2010 @ 2:00 pm
How do we implement the iframes now? I just went in to create some nice FBML stuff on my fan page and now I see I cannot even edit my other FBML pages. So what are the steps now to do custom tabs in Facebook Fan pages? Do we have to create a mini app for each tab/client?

So if I was going to drop in my iframe how would I do that on a tab?

Comment by Michael — November 3, 2010 @ 11:06 am
Nice post. Here is an example of a simple but attractive FBML page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Khrobin…

Comment by Kazi Hassan Robin — January 21, 2011 @ 9:51 am
i cant change my FBML tab name
What 2 do now

Comment by andy — February 22, 2011 @ 4:04 pm
Nice post. Can't wait to see what the iframes are like and whether they will help business promotoe their website on facebook

Comment by Rob — February 23, 2011 @ 7:36 pm
I am so fed up with facebook I could throw up! First they elimiate the ":Suggest To Friends" , now they have gotten rid of Static FBML pages and tabs ( which was so simple to create a fantastic landing page Now you have to use iFrames! I did find a great resource that goes step by step, but when I printed it out…17 flippen pages!! RIDICULOUS! It goes step-by-step and I am happy to find it, but….good lord it's not as simple as the old static FBML!
http://socialmouths.com/blog/2011/03/16/how-to-bu...

Comment by Donna — August 18, 2011 @ 5:00 pm
PandaCMS is a FREE iFrame software and can do the same as the old FBML

SEE APP HERE.
https://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=...

Comment by Guðmundur Jónsson — October 23, 2011 @ 7:26 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Hi,

May I suggest that Allfacebook consider putting Qzone, the largest social network in China, on the "Add This" mouseover sharing list? It does not seem to make sense to put Baidu here among all Chinese websites for Chinese allfacebook readers.

regards,

Dowson

Comment by Dowson Tong — August 19, 2010 @ 3:48 pm

Does this include XFBML or just FBML?

Comment by Jen — August 19, 2010 @ 7:52 pm

So, profile tabs are going away too??? Didn't they tell us that we should spend all of this effort getting people to add tabs because boxes are going away? It was for nothing????

Comment by Ron Schnell — August 19, 2010 @ 9:02 pm

Interesting. I read everywhere when I started developing for Facebook to go for FBML, and now this is going to trash. Fool me once…

Comment by prouted — August 19, 2010 @ 9:22 pm

So facebook profiles are about to get really boring, no tabs and no apps. They just want everyone to create a page and I think and then they'll just get rid of the profiles completely perhaps.

Comment by Mik — August 19, 2010 @ 10:20 pm

What does that mean for the Static FBML-app?

Comment by Annette Schwindt — August 20, 2010 @ 12:53 am

> Also, while not yet completely deprecating the old REST API, Facebook is moving in that direction

Hopefully they will hurry up and offer the equivalent functionality in the Graph API before ditching the REST API.

Comment by Hans Peter Nielsen — August 20, 2010 @ 2:10 am

Sounds to me like a bad joke. Is the scope of FBML to be limited only on tab pages, or all over Facebook? Will the giant ever be trusted with newer technologies it demands it's developers have to embrace?

As an organizer for the Silicon Valley FB Dev Meetup, I feel I'll have to be the first to lodge a protest, and say outright how ludicrous this sounds. Really, sounds like an April Fool's joke; trouble is, the fool may be the one looking at the calendar.

Comment by Abbas Zaidi — August 20, 2010 @ 3:16 am

This is a good news for developper !

Comment by Mr Calsaire — August 20, 2010 @ 5:26 am

I'm not a developer nor a Facebook expert, although I am trying to learn. I just read yesterday a PPT from Facebook saying that iFrame is going away for Pages and that all custom content will need to be on a separate, custom tab (that use FMBL). Which is it?

Link to story for reference: http://www.hyperarts.com/blog/changes-facebook-bo...

Comment by Andrea K — August 20, 2010 @ 8:15 am

I feel like most of you, this is getting a bit ridiculous! To have to change widths on custom tabbed pages is one thing, to have to completely scratch the way you work custom pages, completely different!

Comment by m a r c o — August 20, 2010 @ 6:39 pm

Finally! This is great news. FBML is slow and cumbersome and it takes forever for tabs to load on Pages. iFrames will pop right up and be able to do more. The whole FBML/FBJS is legacy from when an app could add a box to the main profile page… Peter

Comment by Peter Yared — August 21, 2010 @ 12:18 am

My main questions regarding this change are:

- how will be the "correct" method for creating a Facebook Page tab using an iframe?

– will it be as now, by creating a Facebook app and then adding it as tab?

– Or will we have any new feature for creating Facebook Page tabs (ie. a replacement for Static FBML)?

Comment by Julián Lander — August 24, 2010 @ 8:19 am

this news kinda shocks me.

for months ive been seeing that iframes would actually be phased out and now this shift back.

i think this makes it hard to really trust the stability and continuity of the platform.

now im just wondering what new roadblock, complication or incompatibility they are going to throw in once we've embraced iframes.

Comment by bryan — August 24, 2010 @ 8:58 am

They are finally allow to use iframes in Profile tabs. This is a great news!

Comment by Valery — August 25, 2010 @ 5:52 am

It is a good news. many developers have to change their chip… many opportunities to work

Comment by Murciano — August 26, 2010 @ 1:07 am

No they're not going to allow tabs on profiles. So no iframes for profile tabs.

"Finally, due to low usage rates, we will remove application tabs from user profiles in the next couple months. Application tabs will continue to be supported on Facebook Pages." http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.ph...

Comment by Kari — August 26, 2010 @ 12:58 pm

You already cannot access the Static FBML.

Comment by CoachReenie — August 30, 2010 @ 9:53 am

Can't access Facebook from anywhere. Why??? Did they change and just don't tell normal users???? That's SO LOW!

Comment by Annalien van Rensbur — August 31, 2010 @ 5:48 am

I'm surprised with such a big announcement that no one else has commented?

We run a single tab for all our 10 Live Chat sites (eg http://www.Facebook.com/LiveBaseballChat ) and have gone through the issues of "narrowing" our content recently. I really wish they announced the narrowing and the frames at the ame time and we could have made a single transition rather than two steps.

Comment by dean collins — September 9, 2010 @ 10:12 am

Hi, is there an editprial who to use iFrames? I create my tabs in fanpages always with FBML and I like this simple "programming language". But if IFrames are the better one, I will try it. But I dont have any editorial found on the web.
Thanks for help!

Comment by Sirko Pabst — September 23, 2010 @ 4:13 am

Agreed I would like to see a tutorial for how to use iFrames? If anyone has one, please share.

Comment by Mike Shaffer — September 25, 2010 @ 12:45 pm

http://www.google.com/search?q=iframe+tutorial&am...

Comment by John — October 18, 2010 @ 2:00 pm

How do we implement the iframes now? I just went in to create some nice FBML stuff on my fan page and now I see I cannot even edit my other FBML pages. So what are the steps now to do custom tabs in Facebook Fan pages? Do we have to create a mini app for each tab/client?

So if I was going to drop in my iframe how would I do that on a tab?

Comment by Michael — November 3, 2010 @ 11:06 am

Nice post. Here is an example of a simple but attractive FBML page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Khrobin…

Comment by Kazi Hassan Robin — January 21, 2011 @ 9:51 am

i cant change my FBML tab name
What 2 do now

Comment by andy — February 22, 2011 @ 4:04 pm

Nice post. Can't wait to see what the iframes are like and whether they will help business promotoe their website on facebook

Comment by Rob — February 23, 2011 @ 7:36 pm

I am so fed up with facebook I could throw up! First they elimiate the ":Suggest To Friends" , now they have gotten rid of Static FBML pages and tabs ( which was so simple to create a fantastic landing page Now you have to use iFrames! I did find a great resource that goes step by step, but when I printed it out…17 flippen pages!! RIDICULOUS! It goes step-by-step and I am happy to find it, but….good lord it's not as simple as the old static FBML!
http://socialmouths.com/blog/2011/03/16/how-to-bu...

Comment by Donna — August 18, 2011 @ 5:00 pm

PandaCMS is a FREE iFrame software and can do the same as the old FBML

SEE APP HERE.
https://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=...

Comment by Guðmundur Jónsson — October 23, 2011 @ 7:26 pm

Facebook Moving Away From FBML

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Digital Strategist

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See all jobs

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1751729 CommentsFacebook+Moving+Away+From+FBML2010-08-19+21%3A04%3A00Nick+O%27Neill »