Facebook issues

{This issues has been resolved} Facebook removed the review requirement for the new apps, so essentially everything (well almost everything – see update #7 below) went back to way it was before Apr 30, 2014. SNAP Plugin for WordPress version 3.3.7 is fully compatible with new Facebook API 2.0. Please update your plugin if you have an earlier version.

Issue history:

Apr 30, 2014

Many users are seeing one of those two errors when they are trying to authorize or post to Facebook:

-= Authorizing Page =-
Reported Error: (#803) Cannot query users by their username (yourusername)
Reported Error: (#100) Tried accessing unexisting field (access_token) on node type (User)
[Error] => (#200) The user hasn’t authorized the application to perform this action )

Both errors are related to the same issue. We are currently investigating it and working on the solution.

Please, do not open new tickets regarding those errors! We will post the solution here and if necessary release an updated version of the plugin when we finish.

Update: [May 1, 2014]

It looks like Facebook silently changed it’s policy regarding app permissions that available without review and approval. publish_actions, user_about_me, publish_actions, and user_groups are no longer available until the review. We will adjust the plugin and our instructions with accordance to this new requirements.

Update 2: [May 3, 2014]

The exact reason why it stopped working is listed here:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/apps/changelog

Quote:

For apps that existed before April 30th 2014, making an API call without specifying a version number (‘unversioned’) is equivalent to making a call to the v1.0 of the API.

For apps created on or after April 30th 2014, making an API call without a specifying a version number is equivalent to making a call to v2.0 of the API.

It means that if your app existed before April 30th 2014 plugin will use the same API that worked fine for the last 4 years. If your app created on or after April 30th 2014 it will use “new, updated, improved” but totally broken API 2.0. Thank you Facebook, thank you very much.

Update 3: [May 6, 2014]

All apps made after April 30 could not be forced to work with API 1.0. Those apps are only compatible with API 2.0.

Here is how to check if your App is affected by this issue. Since this was kind of “silent” update from Facebook, they give no indication if your app is affected by the new rules.

The only way to see the difference is to try to authorize your SNAP.

Your app is locked to API v.2.0 and affected by this issue if your authorization screen looks like this (Notice red section on the top):

Your app is fine if you see this:

*** If you don’t see those screens during the authorization please go to the www.facebook.com/settings?tab=applications and remove app authorization.

Update 4: [May 6, 2014]

Please understand. This is not something we did. This is not a bug that we can fix.

Facebook completely changed the rules for it’s apps. New apps could not autopost without a complicated review/approval from Facebook anymore. This review/approval takes 7-10 days. We submitted our test app for review/approval on May 2nd, 2014 and we are still waiting to hear from them.

In a meantime we are investigating other possibilities to make Facebook posts like writing our own API as we did for Google+ and setting up remote app to act as proxy. We will post updates as soon as we get any news.

There is no workaround for this issue unless you have an app made before April 30, 2014 that you can set to work with your site. Each app can work with 2 sites (Site URL and Mobile URL). For example if you have an app for one site and just want to add the second you are in luck. Otherwise you need to wait till we get our test app approved and update our instructions or create alternative methods.

Update 5: [May 7, 2014]

We got some good news. Our test app submitted to Facebook for review/approval on May 2nd, 2014 was approved today. It took 5 days, but apparently we got the necessary permissions. Now, we will update the plugin, test it a little bit and release new version. We will also update instructions.

Update 6: [May 9, 2014]

Our Facebook Instruction has been updated with everything you need to submit your app for the review.

We put there the exact words and pictures that we used to submit our own app which was approved.

SNAP for WordPress version 3.3.6 also has been released. It will work with new API 2.0 apps (once approved).

Update 7: [May 16, 2014] We have some good news!!! After two weeks of making everyone crazy Facebook backed down a little bit. Starting from May 16, 2014 you don’t need to submit your app for review in you are posting to your own profile or pages you admin. This means that from now on the app, Facebook profile or page and the user who authorizes the app MUST belong to the same Facebook account. This tightens up the complete freedom that was used before, but still it much better then waiting 7-10 days for the app review.

SNAP for WordPress version 3.3.7 is compatible with new requirements. Our Facebook Instruction has been updated (again) as well.

This issue is now closed.