- The Program
- How to Participate
- Verification Benefits
- Verification Fee
- Data Required for Verification
- Evaluation Criteria
- The Process
- Questions?
The Program
Facebook Platform's Application Verification Program is an optional new program designed to provide applications with a way to stand out and reassure users that they will provide a good experience. Verified applications will appear to users early next year, beginning in an application's About Page and the Application Directory.
We will help educate users to recognize the verification badge as a symbol for applications which are respectful, transparent and meet the guiding principles for trustworthiness. In addition, during the 12-month term of verification, users will see more information from verified applications as we increase their allocations for communication channels such as requests and notifications, and increase visibility of their stories in News Feed.
How to Participate
If you are interested in the Application Verification Program, review the program details and begin to make sure your application will meet the evaluation criteria.
Here's the process to have your application verified:
- First, register your intent to apply for verification
- As soon as we can review your application in a timely manner, we will notify you via email. Initially, this may take several weeks as we ramp up the program.
- You'll then be able to complete the verification submission form (the fee for verification would be due at this time).
- Finally, to provide greater fairness and critical mass for users, we will grant benefits to verified applications in waves starting in early 2009.
Note that if you're interested in having your application become a Great App, we'll select Great Apps from those applications that are successfully verified.
Verification Benefits
After your application has been verified, you and your application will receive a number of benefits, including:
Badging
- A verified badge graphic displayed on your application's About Page indicating that it has been verified by Facebook.
- A special icon displayed next to your application in listings within the Application Directory.
Distribution
- Increased allocations for requests, notifications, and emails.
- Increased visibility for News Feed stories.
Advertising
- $100 of Facebook advertising credit.
Events
- Discounted registration fees to events like f8, Facebook's Developer Conference.
Verification Fee
For each application submitted for verification, the fee is $375. This fee is intended to cover costs associated with the application review process. The verification fee is due at the time that the application is submitted.
Our goal is to help developers who want their applications verified to successfully complete the process. If an application does not pass verification, we will tell you why and the next steps available to you.
Current students and registered non-profits who provide official documentation can received a discounted per application fee of $175.
Data Required for Verification
The verification form comprises the following elements:
- Business information: Your name and basic contact information for your business.
- Corporate status: Status indicating your legal status, including whether you are a non-profit or a student. Relevant documentation will be required.
- Payment information: Payment source, i.e., a valid credit card number.
- Explanation of data requests: Data privacy is something we take seriously at Facebook. We will require an explanation for all of the data that your application calls, and use cases for that data. We will verify this information and ensure to users that you are pulling the data that you need to create the best experience possible, and no more.
- Screenshots: Screenshots of all of the major features and key flows within your application. By providing this we can quickly orient ourselves to what your application does and understand your intentions. Screenshots will need to be uploaded to a photo album with relevant commentary to explain flows. We'll post some sample galleries here soon.
Note: Verification form submissions that are the most thorough, complete and organized (especially including screenshots) will receive preferential treatment, including being reviewed and receiving feedback faster.
Evaluation Criteria
While reviewing your request for verification, we will evaluate your application based on the following criteria:
Principles
We want to make sure the user experience across verified applications is high. While we try to articulate policies and guidelines as criteria, we will also check that your application meets the guiding principles of trustworthy applications.
Policies
Are you currently abiding by all Facebook Platform policies? These include the Developer Terms of Service, and all the documents incorporated therein, such as the Platform Application Guidelines and Facebook Platform Policy on the Developer Wiki.
If your application is found to be in violation of policy during the review process, we will take standard enforcement actions (for example, a moratorium on using our communication and distribution channels for a set period of time). ). In addition, you will not be eligible to be re-apply for verification for at least three months.
Integration Points
Does your application use all of Facebook's integration points (e.g., user-to-user notifications) in the way they are intended to be used? Review the checklist of integration point questions to get an idea of the types of things we will check for during verification.
The Process
Timing
Once we receive the verification submission form in our system, we will process it as soon as possible.
If your application does not pass verification:
- If your application does not pass verification due to minor issues, Facebook will tell you why and the next steps available to you.
- If your application does not pass verification due to a policy violation, Facebook will take standard enforcement action, and you will be ineligible to re-apply for application verification for this application for at least three months. Your verification fee will not be refunded; if you choose to re-apply, you must pay the fee again.
When your application passes verification, we will notify you with specifics, including:
- Timing of when verification benefits such as increased allocations for requests, notifications and emails will take effect. Details of where and when you can expect to see the verification badge next to your application on Facebook. We will also provide you with guidelines on how to use this badge appropriately off of Facebook.
- Information about how to redeem your advertising credit.
Timing for verification benefits will differ for applications verified while we are ramping up this program.
Post-verification
- Continue to innovate: At Facebook we are constantly and quickly improving our product, and we understand that you are doing the same with yours. We encourage you to continue to innovate after your application has been verified; we do not want to hinder your continued development process.
- Abide by policies: After becoming a verified application, you are still subject to Facebook Platform policies and should proactively stay compliant. Future violations of policy will result in a loss of verification for a minimum of three to six months (depending on the nature of the violation). Your fee will not be refunded, and should you wish your application to become verified again, you must re-apply.
- Renew every twelve months: Verification will expire at the end of twelve months, and your application will need to be re-reviewed to maintain verified status. We will reach out to you at the end of your verification time period to remind you. At that point you will need to submit another verification fee, and the verification process will repeat.
Questions?
If you have further questions, please check our Frequently Asked Questions or submit your question via our Developer Help Contact Form.