iFrames on Facebook: What you need to know

Facebook recently rolled out some major changes for Facebook Pages. If you’re managing any Facebook Pages you should already be aware of the changes, which were forcibly implemented on March 9 across the board.

One of the biggest announcements concerning the upgrade is that Facebook is deprecating FBML (Facebook Markup Language) and FBJS (Facebook Java Script) as a primary technology for building apps on Facebook. The Static FBML tab has been the industry standard for creating apps for Facebook for a while now and is extremely popular (112 829 378 Monthly Active Users). Before you get your knickers in a Farrimond friction hitch (that’s a knot. I Googled it), Facebook in a statement said that by March 11 “you will no longer be able to create new FBML apps and Pages will no longer be able to add the Static FBML app.

While all existing apps on Pages using FBML or the Static FBML app will continue to work, we strongly recommend that these apps transition to iframes as soon as possible.” So by now you should have bulked up on how to use iFrames.

What the hell is an iFrame?

Whereas the FMBL coding allowed relative noobs to customise their fanpages, unfortunately iframes will boggle their minds if they aren’t au fait with basic HTML coding, CSS and JavaScript. Simply put, iframes are used as a means of embedding some “content” on a page of “padding”. If you’ve ever copied the “Embed” tag of a YouTube video in order to post it on your blog or website, then you’re already using iframes. Technically, the iframe creates a window on a site.

When you “look through” that window you will see the content that is actually hosted on another website. In other words, when you embed a YouTube video on your blog, it isn’t actually “embedded” on your blog. You have just created a window through which the video, still hosted on YouTube, can be viewed.

Using an iFrame means that you’ll be able to create fantastic creative content to embed on your Facebook Page and you’re only limited by the 800 pixel height and 520 pixel width of your Facebook iframe tab.

If you want a great tutorial on developing iFrames for Facebook, check out HyperArts article HERE and if you want to start testing out iframes, here’s a nifty app for you.