Connecting to Facebook

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Requirements

• A Facebook/Meta Business Page.
• A valid Facebook account with access to the page.
• Internet access for authentication and data retrieval.

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Steps to Add/Modify a Facebook Connection in PADS4

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1. Start the Data Provider Wizard

• Open the Data Provider Wizard by following the instructions in Adding a Data Provider or Editing a Data Provider.
• Select Facebook as the provider type.

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2. Authenticate Your Facebook Account

• Click Authenticate to open the Facebook login page.
• Enter your credentials and click OK.
• PADS4 will generate a token and automatically close the window.
• The expiration date of the token will be displayed.

• Each time you edit the Facebook Data Provider, you must re-authenticate.
• If the credentials are saved in the browser, the process will be automatic.
• The token is valid for 60 days and is automatically extended as long as it is used within that time.
• If the token expires, Facebook will no longer return data, and you must re-authenticate manually.

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3. Select the Facebook Account and Page

• Choose the account type:
  • My account (retrieves data from your own Facebook account).
  • Page (retrieves data from a Facebook Business Page).
• If selecting a Page, enter the Page ID (recommended) or select it from the list.

• The Page ID number is found under the Page Name in Facebook settings.
• Album names in Facebook are not unique—PADS4 will select the first matching album name.

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4. Load Page Details and Specify Content Source

• Click Load to retrieve page-specific details.
• Choose the type of content to retrieve:
  • Photos (you can specify an album).
  • Other Facebook content (such as posts or events).
• Limit the number of rows returned for better performance.

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5. Finalize the Connection

• Click Next to proceed.
• Complete the wizard as described in Adding a Data Provider.

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Best Practices

• Use the Page ID instead of the Page Name to ensure the correct page is selected.
• Keep the authentication active by ensuring the data provider is used at least once every 60 days.
• Limit the number of rows for faster data retrieval and better performance.

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Important Considerations

• Token Expiration:
  • Facebook authentication tokens expire after 60 days.
  • If a presentation is not used for more than 60 days, re-authentication is required.
• Data Server Access:
  • If using a PADS4 Data Server, ensure that Facebook is accessible from the server’s point of view.
  • If not using a Data Server, verify that each PADS4 Designer and Viewer has an active internet connection.