Facebook Developers

We launched Facebook Platform to give you the opportunity to create applications that are deeply social and meaningful to users. Our Great Apps program recognizes applications that successfully embody all ten of our guiding principles. Not only are they trustworthy, they also deliver on the vision and the impact that social applications should offer to users. Users will benefit from stronger integration of Great Apps into Facebook as well as increased access to content that these applications produce.

Overview

You will be able to submit your applications to the Great Apps selection process starting in September 2008. Criteria will include exceptionally meeting our guiding principles, a minimum user base size (to be published) and a consistent track record of complying with Platform policies and the spirit underlying them. Since a Great App takes development investment and meaningful user adoption, we expect to add around 10-15 Great Apps over the next year, though we would be thrilled to have more.

If your focus is on creating valuable social applications for users, you will now have the opportunity to potentially gain the benefits we’ll extend to Great Apps which include:

To prepare for the Great App selection process, you can review our guiding principles. In addition, you can take a look at the first examples of Great Apps, iLike and Causes. These applications have revolutionized user experiences in music and philanthropy, respectively. They help users interact more efficiently and share more about themselves in ways unique to Facebook and to the web.

We will be publishing many more details about the process here so check back for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Facebook launching this program?

We launched Facebook Platform to give you the opportunity to create applications that are deeply social and meaningful to users. We are committed to your success, and we believe the Great Apps program provides a strong incentive and reward for developers delivering value to users. We hope to continue to foster more experiences that are enriching for users.

How will this benefit Facebook users?

Users will benefit from stronger integration of Great Apps into Facebook. For example, Great Apps users will be able to communicate with friends about application content through easy access to Inbox messaging, a new communication channel. In many cases, users will also be able to more easily access content that these applications produce on Facebook.

What are the benefits for developers?

We want to reward developers who focus on creating valuable applications for users. When it makes sense for the user experience, Great Apps will gain visibility similar to that of our own applications. For example, an application story about a user attending a concert may be seen as often as a story about that user attending a party organized with Facebook Events. The Great Apps program also facilitates a new level of trust between Facebook and the developers who have earned trust from their users. As a result, Great Apps will have early access to new features and we will work closely with the Great Apps to provide feedback and data to help further improve their user experiences.

Why is Facebook publishing guiding principles now?

We believe the guiding principles are the foundation of a thriving ecosystem that becomes indispensable for users and invaluable to developers. Over the last year, we've learned a lot about what makes applications meaningful and heard opinions from many developers and users. Publishing the guiding principles now has allowed us to accumulate learning and input from our ecosystem.

Is there a fee for apply to the Great Apps program?

We do not plan to charge a fee to apply to the Great Apps program, though may consider a processing fee to offset operational costs.

Why have iLike and Causes already been selected as Great Apps?

iLike and Causes have long embodied our guiding principles through the deep and feature-rich experiences they provide. They also have a strong track record of upholding user trust on Facebook. In just over a year, iLike has become one of the world’s leading social music discovery services. And the Causes application has democratized activism leading to support of more than 20,000 501(c)(3) non-profits benefited through almost 100,000 causes on Facebook. We are excited to highlight them as the first examples of Great Apps to help you get a sense of the impact Great Apps can have. We look forward to the other Great Apps that come through our selection program.