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How to create a Facebook app ID

By Hannah Voss, Editor · Reviewed September 2026 · 3 min read

Quick answer

To create a Facebook app ID, sign in to the Meta for Developers dashboard with a developer account, create an app, choose the use case that fits, name it and add your contact email. The App ID appears on the app's dashboard and under Settings, Basic. Add your site's domain and a privacy policy address there before using it in a plugin.

On this page
  1. What an app ID is for
  2. Create the app
  3. Adding the fb:app_id tag
  4. Like button not visible
  5. Questions

What an app ID is for

An app ID identifies your site to Facebook's platform. Share plugins use it to build an app access token for share counts, to load official like and comment widgets, and to fill the optional fb:app_id tag that the Sharing Debugger checks for. The old knowledge base article on creating a Facebook app ID was among the most linked pages this domain had, alongside its companion on like buttons that disappeared when the app ID was wrong.

Create the app

  1. Register as a developer

    Sign in at Meta for Developers with your Facebook account and accept the developer terms if asked. You may need to verify a phone number.

  2. Create an app

    Choose My Apps, then Create App. Pick the use case closest to what you need; for share counts and login-free widgets, the simplest option offered for other or general use is usually right. The wording of these screens changes often.

  3. Name it

    Use your site name. Add a contact email you check.

  4. Open Settings, Basic

    Copy the App ID. Add your site domain under App Domains, a privacy policy URL, and a site URL.

  5. Switch to live if required

    Some features only work for people other than you once the app is in live mode, which requires the privacy policy URL.

Creating a Facebook app ID01Developer accountverified02Create appchoose use case03Settings, Basicdomains, policy04App IDcopy to plugin
The App ID is public; the App Secret on the same screen is not.

Adding the fb:app_id tag

The tag is <meta property="fb:app_id" content="{your app ID}"> in the page head. It is optional. The Sharing Debugger shows a warning when it is missing, but link previews work without it. SEO plugins usually have a field for it in their social settings.

Like button not visible

  • The app is in development mode, so only you see the widget.
  • The site domain is not listed under App Domains.
  • A consent tool is blocking the widget until visitors accept, as it should in the EU.
  • An ad or tracker blocker in your own browser is hiding it; test in a clean profile.

Questions

Is the Facebook app ID secret?

No. The App ID is public and appears in page source. The App Secret is private.

Do I need fb:app_id for link previews?

No. It is optional; previews depend on your Open Graph tags.

Why can only I see my Facebook like button?

The app is probably still in development mode. Add a privacy policy URL and switch it to live.

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Hannah Voss, Editor. Checks every guide against a working WordPress install and the networks' current documentation. Last reviewed September 2026.

About the editor and our methods

  1. How to create a Facebook access tokenCreate the right Facebook access token for share counts and plugins: user, page and app tokens compared, how long each lasts, and how to keep the token safe.3 min read
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  3. Facebook share count: getting it from the Graph APIHow to get the Facebook share count for a URL from the Graph API, why the old REST API stopped working, rate limits, and how plugins should cache the result.3 min read