# Connect Facebook with your own app

Create a Meta app and use its App ID and App secret to connect Facebook Pages to Beacon.

Use your own Meta app when you want to manage the app credentials for your Facebook connection.
You control the app in Meta and save its credentials in your Beacon workspace.

Beacon publishes to **Facebook Pages**. Your personal Facebook account signs in and grants access to Pages you manage.
You cannot use this connection to publish to your personal timeline.

If **Connect with Beacon** is available, you can use that option without creating your own app.
The steps below are for **Use your own Facebook app**.

## Before you start

You need:

- Workspace owner access to save app credentials in Beacon.
- A [Meta developer account](https://developers.facebook.com/apps/).
- Permission to create content on the Facebook Page you want to connect.
- Access to the business portfolio that will own your app, if Meta requires one.
- Public policy pages and accurate business information for your app.

The screenshots are examples from a test workspace. Identifying details have been blurred or cropped with AI image editing.
Minor visual details can differ from the current interface. Follow the written steps and the current Meta prompts.
Use your own app details and the callback shown in your Beacon workspace.

## 1 Copy your callback from Beacon

The callback URL is the address where Meta returns you after you approve access.

1. Open **Channels** in the workspace you want to use.
2. Select **Browse platforms** in the **Add an account** section.
3. Choose **Facebook**.
4. Expand **Use your own Facebook app**.
5. Copy the **OAuth callback URL**.

Keep Beacon open while you create your Meta app in another tab.
On the hosted Beacon site, the callback is:

```text
https://postwithbeacon.com/api/channels/facebook/callback
```

If Beacon shows a different callback, use the displayed value. Do not copy the test address from a screenshot.

## 2 Create your Meta app

1. Open [Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/apps/).
2. Select **Create App**.
3. If Meta asks for an app type, select **Business**.
4. Select **Next**.
5. Enter an app name that identifies your business and its Beacon connection.
6. Enter a contact email that you check regularly.
7. If Meta asks for a business portfolio, select the portfolio that should own this app.
8. Select **Create app**.

If the wizard starts with use cases, choose the path for Facebook Login for Business and Page access.
Meta can change the order of these screens.

![Meta app creation screen with the Business app type](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/app-type.png)

Keep the app in **Development** while you configure it.
Development mode limits who can use the app; it does not make posts on a real Page private.

## 3 Add Facebook Login for Business

1. In your Meta app dashboard, select **Add Product**.
2. Find **Facebook Login for Business**.
3. Select **Set up**.
4. Open **Facebook Login for Business > Settings**.

![Facebook Login for Business product with its Set up button](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/login-product.png)

Use **Add Product** for this step. **Add platform** under Basic settings opens a different setup.

## 4 Save the callback in Meta

In **Client OAuth settings**, check these values:

| Setting                           | Value |
| --------------------------------- | ----- |
| Client OAuth login                | Yes   |
| Web OAuth login                   | Yes   |
| Enforce HTTPS                     | Yes   |
| Use Strict Mode for redirect URIs | Yes   |

1. Paste your Beacon callback into **Valid OAuth Redirect URIs**.
2. Select **Save changes** at the bottom of the page.
3. Reload the page to confirm the value remains saved.

The URL must match exactly, including its hostname, path, and trailing slash.
The **Redirect URI Validator** checks a URL but does not save it in this field.

![Client OAuth settings showing the redirect URI field in a test app](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/oauth-settings.png)

This is a login callback. Do not enter it in a webhook callback field.

## 5 Complete your app details

Open **App settings > Basic** and complete the fields Meta requests.

| Field                 | What to enter                                                                                 |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Display name          | Your app name                                                                                 |
| Contact email         | An email address you monitor                                                                  |
| App domains           | The Beacon hostname from your callback, without `https://` or a path                          |
| Privacy policy URL    | A public policy that describes how your app handles personal data                             |
| Terms of Service URL  | The public terms that apply to your app                                                       |
| User data deletion    | Select **Data deletion instructions URL** and provide your app's public deletion instructions |
| App icon and Category | An icon and category that describe your app                                                   |

For `https://postwithbeacon.com/api/channels/facebook/callback`, the app domain is `postwithbeacon.com`.
Open your policy links in a signed-out browser to check that the pages are available.
Then select **Save Changes**.

![Meta Basic settings showing the domain and policy fields with identifying details blurred](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/basic-settings.png)

The policy URLs in this screenshot belong to the example app. Use policies that cover your app and its use of Beacon.
Read [Beacon's privacy policy](/privacy), [terms](/terms), and [deletion request information](/privacy#choices) when you prepare those details.
Beacon's policies describe Beacon's service; they do not replace your organization's own disclosures.

## 6 Complete Meta access requirements

Meta can request business verification, permission review, and data handling information before it enables access.
The requirements depend on your app and who will use it.

### Connect your business portfolio

If Meta shows **Verification required**, open **App settings > Basic > Business portfolio**.
Select the portfolio that should own your app, then select **Connect**.
If that portfolio is unverified, complete Meta's verification steps with your business records.

### Enable public profile access

If Facebook Login for Business asks for advanced access to `public_profile`:

1. Open **App Review > Permissions and Features**.
2. Search for `public_profile`.
3. Select **Request advanced access**.
4. Complete the steps Meta displays.
5. Confirm that the row shows **Advanced access granted**.

![The public_profile permission showing Advanced access granted](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/advanced-granted.png)

This permission provides basic identity information. It does not give Beacon permission to publish Page posts.

### Check the Page permissions

Beacon requests these permissions for your Facebook connection:

| Permission              | Purpose                                              |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `pages_show_list`       | Find the Pages available to your Facebook account    |
| `pages_manage_posts`    | Publish posts to an authorized Page                  |
| `pages_read_engagement` | Read the Page information required by the connection |

Find each permission in **Permissions and Features** and complete any requirements Meta shows.
Approval for `public_profile` does not approve these Page permissions.

Before people outside your app roles connect, complete Meta's required reviews and enable **Live** mode.
If your app accesses other businesses' assets, check any separate **Access verification** requirement.
Use [Meta's Facebook Login for Business guidance](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/facebook-login/facebook-login-for-business/) for current requirements.

### Answer the data handling questions

Answer from your organization's actual practices. Do not copy another app's business name, country, or policy answers.

- **Data processors or service providers:** list companies that process Meta data for your app.
- **Responsible person or entity:** enter the legal name of the person or organization responsible for that data.
- **Country:** select where that responsible person or organization is located.
- **Requests from public authorities:** answer from your records for the period Meta specifies.
- **Policies or processes:** select only the processes you already have in place.

For hosted Beacon, include Beacon as a service provider that processes your connection data.
Use [Beacon's privacy contact](/privacy#changes-and-contact) to confirm its legal provider name and processing countries if needed.
Your own location and a provider's processing location can differ.

Review the answers before you select **Submit**. If Meta opens a confirmation dialog, confirm the submission.

## 7 Save your credentials in Beacon

Keep your App secret private. Enter it directly in Beacon; do not send it in chat or include it in screenshots.

1. In your Meta app, open **App settings > Basic**.
2. Copy the **App ID**.
3. Return to **Use your own Facebook app** in Beacon.
4. Paste the value into **App ID**.
5. In Meta, reveal and copy the **App secret**.
6. Paste it into **App secret** in Beacon.
7. Select **Save app credentials**.
8. Select **Continue with your app**.

Beacon encrypts the secret and does not display it again after you save it.
Use the Facebook app credentials for this connection. Instagram and Threads credentials belong to their separate connections.

![Beacon Facebook connection form with App ID and App secret fields](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/beacon-credentials.png)

If Beacon shows **Workspace owner access required**, ask a workspace owner to save the credentials.

## 8 Authorize your Page and check the connection

1. Sign in to Meta with the Facebook account that manages your Page.
2. Grant the requested access to the Page you want to connect.
3. Return to Beacon after the permission flow completes.
4. Confirm the Page name in **Channels**.
5. Check that the Page shows **Ready to publish**.

![Beacon Channels with a Facebook Page marked Ready to publish and account details blurred](/images/docs/facebook-own-app/connected.png)

To check publishing, open [Compose](/docs/product/compose) and select that Page.
Prepare a post that you intend to publish, then publish it.
Open the resulting Facebook link to confirm the post appears on the correct Page.

**Ready to publish** describes the connection. A successful post confirms that Beacon could publish to the Page.

## Fix a setup problem

### Invalid Privacy Policy URL

Check **App settings > Basic > Privacy policy URL**.
Use the full HTTPS address of your app's public policy and save the change.
Confirm that the page opens without sign-in before you request access again.

### Redirect URL does not match

Copy the callback from Beacon again.
Replace the entry in **Valid OAuth Redirect URIs**, then save it.
Check that you updated the same Meta app whose credentials you saved in Beacon.

### Facebook Login is unavailable

Check `public_profile`, **Required actions**, and the app's **Development** or **Live** mode.
In Development mode, check that the person who signs in has an allowed app role.
Complete any verification or review that Meta requests.

### Your Page does not appear

Check that you signed in with the correct Facebook account.
Confirm that the account can create content on the Page and granted Beacon access to it.
Then repeat the connection flow.

### You changed or reset the App secret

Open **Use your own Facebook app** and select **Replace credentials**.
Save the current App ID and App secret, then reconnect affected Pages if Beacon requests it.
The saved credentials belong to the workspace, so coordinate changes with other workspace members.

### The Page connects but a post fails

Read the error in Beacon and check the Page permissions in your Meta app.
Follow the recovery steps in [publishing statuses](/docs/product/publishing-statuses).
If the result is **Checking**, confirm whether Facebook received the post before you try again.

## Related guides

- [Manage channels](/docs/product/channels)
- [Prepare a post](/docs/product/compose)
- [Meta Pages API guide](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/pages-api/getting-started/)