Facebook shares stops showing shared links to others on timeline

  • Resolved Hans Schuijff

    (@hanswitteprins)


    9 years, 3 months ago

    I wonder if anyone of you can inform or help me. I have a website that uses a genesis framework theme and genesis simple share to enable sharing of articles. For some time this went alright, but it recently I noticed that articles on my page seem to not be shown to people that liked the page but also. I am informed so by others that I asked to check if they could see the shared link, and also checked if the privacy setting of the message wasn’t limited (I share to all). It is however shown to me on the timeline and page.

    Of course Facebook is free to show or not show the shared link based on readers behavior and preferences, but since some time new links are only shown to me and the statistics only show one viewing.

    Could it be something changed in the api, or plugin, some change that is causing that? I’ve checked the visibility (privacy) settings, but can’t find clues. It worked some time ago, but I’ve been inactive for a while and have started sharing and blogging again only since a few weeks. Does anybody has ideas on what could cause thiws and how to solve it? I would greatly appreceate some help/

    In the past I’ve noticed something simmilar happening using plugins that automatically share new articles (on several sites I’m involved in and on which I tried this kind of functionality), that’s why I’ve choosen not to use those plugins. Manual sharing however has until recently always functioned like I’d expect. Until some time ago. I guess that either Facebook or the plugin has changed something. Does anybody has information on that or advice? Help.

    If someone has the urge to check on the website, it’s https://dewitteprins.nl and my Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/dewitteprins?ref=hl.

    Thanks, Hans

    https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/genesis-simple-share/

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Thread Starter Hans Schuijff

    (@hanswitteprins)

    I experimented some more and tried another plugin too, and shared the link next to a picture. The picture was visible, and was shown, tough the links didn’t and also the other social share plugin showed the same problem, so it had to be something in Facebook itself connecting to my website.

    After digging some more I found that the cause was that for some other plugin I previously had defined an app to get an APP-ID in developer.facebook.com. Facebook had interpreted my whole website as an app because of that (although I haven’t installed that plugin and don’t use the App-ID in a plugin). Near the app-ID it was written that the app was still in developer mode and only I could see it. And that was indeed the problem, because when I opened the app for the general public, all links where shown again.

    The problem is solved now. Tricky that nowhere in the Facebook messages it is visible that the message is a test-message that is limited, so it seems when you look there that the message is open to the general public. Glad that it is solved now, and I’ve learned something about fb. ??

    Thanks so much for sharing your solution, Hans. I hadn’t seen the developer app issue you discovered before, and am sure it will be useful for others!

    Thread Starter Hans Schuijff

    (@hanswitteprins)

    My pleasure. I just reckoned that when I ask, it’s only fair to give some back too. ?? Hopefully the problem isn’t discovered much because most people notice the small message and know that their website or plugin is in test-modus.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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