This article was published on April 8, 2013

Facebook streamlines Open Graph tools for creating custom News Feed stories and collections


Facebook streamlines Open Graph tools for creating custom News Feed stories and collections

Facebook on Monday began rolling out updates to its Open Graph developer tools that make it easier to create custom News Feed stories and timeline collections for apps.

As part of the changes, the company has now made it possible for developers to set up commonly-used actions, such as watching a video or listening to music, without needing to configure it. Facebook noted that it has simplified the process of publishing custom stories to users’ News Feeds. The dashboard also displays a preview showing each type of story that an app can post.

customstories-facebook

Facebook’s Timeline and News Feed have been revamped in recent weeks to more prominently display app content. Developers recently got the ability to create collections for their apps that users can place on their timelines and about pages. Moving forward, the company is adding support for custom collections and a varit of layouts, including lists, maps and gallery.

As it promotes custom News Feed stories and collections, Facebook has put in place an approval process for developers. Publishers can monitor the review status of their apps from within their dashboard.

collections-facebook

In March, Facebook revealed that over 400 billion Open Graph actions have been shared on its platform.

Facebook has been busy evolving its social network. Last week, it announced a new Facebook Home app launcher and homescreen for Android that acts as a new layer on top of Google’s mobile OS.

Image credit: AFP/Getty Images

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