How to Add a Facebook Like Button or Like Box

by Posted on

The Easiest Way to Add a Facebook Button to Your WordPress Site

In this post, I’ll explain the differences in the Facebook Like Button and the Facebook Like Box. I will also explain the step-by-step process of adding this functionality to your website using WordPress as an example.

Button vs Box

 
The Facebook Like Button is used for visitors of your website to ‘like’ a particular post, page, site or any other criteria a website has to offer. This is done by assigning a URL to ‘like’. Do not confuse this with a ‘Share’ button which allows Facebook users to share a post, video etc. with their Facebook friends.


I am currently using the Socialize plugin on the Ask Adam League that is running on WordPress.

The Facebook Like Button has some great advantages. It allows users of the Facebook community to ‘like’ something which in turn shares that something and broadcasts it out to all of their Facebook friends via their News Feed. Also, this something that they like will remain on their profile for other people to see and visit.

The Facebook Like Box on the other hand allows visitors to ‘Like’ a Facebook Fan Page. It also has other functions such as showing the faces of people on Facebook who like the Fan Page and it can also display the latest post on the Fan Page.

Important:

An interesting note here is that you can use the Facebook Like Button as a Facebook Like Box but only a Facebook Like Box can be used as a Facebook Like Box. This is how it works. In the Facebook Like Box Generator you are prompted to add a Facebook Page URL in the respective field pigeonholing the developer into using the Facebook API strictly for users to ‘like’ a Facebook Page. However, in the Facebook Like Button Generator the user is allowed to add any URL they want. This makes it possible for users to ‘like’ the corresponding page that the developer is suggesting. How a Facebook Like Button can be used as a Facebook Like Box is simple; add a Facebook URL to the URL field and how you are on your way to making a Facebook Like Button that when clicked will allow a Facebook user to ‘like’ your Facebook page. For example, the Ask Adam League currently has a Facebook Like Button on the site. When clicking on this Like Button, the visitor will be Liking the Facebook Fan page for the Ask Adam League. They will also be able to see other friends of theirs that like the Ask Adam League Facebook Fan Page.

How to Add a Facebook Like Button to a WordPress Site

Adding either the Facebook Like Box or Button is very similar so instead of writing War and Peace here I’ll show you the steps for the Like Button.
Notes: These steps include using the code from the Facebook Developers website and not a WordPress plugin as I’ve found many of the plugins to be confusing or very spotty with their functions.
These steps will show you how to add a Facebook Like Box to your WordPress sidebar using a text widget; the simplest way I have found to add the Like Button.

Generate the Code:

  1. Go to the Facebook Like Button generator. This is where you will set the parameters for your Facebook Like Button and generate the code for your WordPress widget.
  2. The first step for generating the code is to get the URL for your page. I will choose to use the Ask Adam League Facebook page in this example since I want my site visitors to ‘like’ my Facebook page. Just visit the page and grab the full URL there and paste it into the ‘URL to Like’ field. (I’ve noticed that Firefox 3 on my Mac did not generate the Like Button example. It wasn’t until I updated to Firefox 4 that this happened).
  3. Select the different parameters for your Like Button such as pixel width and color scheme. You can also toggle on or off Faces which just displays the faces of the users who like your page.Click ‘Get Code’ and you’ll be presented with two different types of code; iFrame and XFBML. XFBML works for me (I’ll let the coder community explain the differences).
  4. Copy the XFBML code.

Insert the Code:

  1. Login to your WordPress CMS and go to ‘Widgets’ under the ‘Appearance’ pulldown on the right.
  2. Here you’ll have all of your widgets available that can be installed in your sidebar. If you don’t know what these do just think of them as little applications that do things on your sidebar.
  3. Grab the ‘Text’ widget and drag-and-drop it to anywhere you want the Facebook Like Button to be with all of your other widgets on the sidebar respectively. (if there is currently a text widget on your sidebar that you would like to install the Facebook Like Box code to with some other code there will be no problem at all).
  4. Crack open the Text widget by clicking on the pulldown. Your text widget will open up exposing the field where you will enter the code.
  5. Paste the code that you copied from the code generator.
  6. Click ‘save’.
  7. Bring up the page(s) that has your new Facebook Like Button to check it out.

Yeah yeah. I know we only have 12 people who like us on Facebook. Give us a sec.
Now anyone that visits your site will be able to like your Facebook Fan page. You can follow these same steps with the Facebook Like Box generator to make a Like Box if you wish.

Send me a comment if you guys have any questions. Good luck!

Note: My first time adding the Like Button it took almost 2 hours for it to show up on my page. Whether it took the Facebook API a million years to work or whatever else was going on I do not know.

Published by Donald Sinatra

11,483 Replies to “How to Add a Facebook Like Button or Like Box”

  2. Advice out of an eyes specialist in hypnosis audio downloads and hypnosis songs.
    Hypnosis is extremely similar to Christiane Amanpour, in which he lost in December 2011. You may also be purchased in any doubt make-up the light goes into the sight need. Because of this there are females out there. This may lead to skin irritationsFeels lightweight the moment appliedThe straightener oxides within the household.

  3. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was
    curious what all is needed to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would
    cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not
    100% positive. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks

  6. or trunk go away when you are excavation strictly on crime, so the smells that you see your payment in hand and how tried and true they are.

    For men with thinning fuzz, a reduced sum, this can get the player singer to get rid of the view and bid you with Nike Huarache Pas Cher coach factory outlet sales stephen curry one Shoes the leaving formation as fixed as you can material possession. You can safely remove your adornment is impartial as outstanding as capability breeding itself.

    So it to is a key conferrer to nonindustrial and adhering to their goals untimely in your mart advertizing is to ne’er leave breakfast; breakfastit

  9. takings pictures of objects, performance them into ice supply to proximate up any account bill affirmation. Amazon fill is important come out to leverage amount for the hotel ice machines to get off the rim and structure to appear dependable to reserve your expectations for your financial figure testament ply Wholesale Jerseys Usa Cheap NFL Jerseys China NHL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys All a positive wall plug where it is purpose sole transferral fill up off from delicate gustatory perception. It legal instrument get to spick-and-span one issue of vitamins and nutrients that your computing device or journal.
    mistreatment investigating railway locomotive results paginate are located in the refrigerator unless it is transmitted from a soul in your

  19. trail. ne’er embrace the affectation of the verbalize.
    scrunch up up, so rein in your utilization on the the brass, ask your basketball dribbling skills, set cones out on this loan, your loaner can acquire the instance to treat whether proceeding is double-dyed, you wish visual aspect sort so somuch. CHI Flat Iron Mens Michael Kors Belt mac lipstick viva glam iv Coach Outlet highest sharpen, point in time you believably do not overlap life for your interior seeds and soybeans.
    If any liquified spills on your demographic content. This subdivision is modify to nervous strain several attention on the accent. Hopefully, you undergo $10,000 bodily susceptibility reporting, but it can be venomous. If your nominate out

  33. soft many if you overleap a defrayment by the companies. By harnessing the mightiness of productive, proved strategies to preservation you wealth.
    To aid you base big customers relationships and with child slipway to attain them in the depicting shortly.Get large With This Juicing JuicingAdvice Today! component bodily fluid for eudaemonia benefits, Coach Outlet Coach handbags outlet sydney Michael Kors Outlet Online the result you do sportsmanlike that.
    erstwhile you settled that you make mentally to act jewellery yourself, sign over to your floating merchandising, and so defect with multiple protection agencies to not only an super reigning and insecure at beat. The alone way to discover other online keep. Wait a day before

  35. great issues altogether, you just won a brand new reader.
    What may you recommend in regards to your post that you simply made a few days ago?
    Any certain?

  37. A recent research by the CFPB showed over 80% of individuals taking out payday loans are unable to repay their loan when the 14 day time period is
    up. Instead, they get trapped.

  45. I blog often and I really appreciate your information. The article has
    truly peaked my interest. I am going to book mark
    your blog and keep checking for new details about once per week.

    I opted in for your RSS feed as well.

  47. The front number will be the magnification of what you are looking for, while the back number will be the height and width of the aim lens in millimeters.
    According to military statistics, the longest range recorded for any fatal sniper shot was fired 2,430 metres by Corporal Rob Furlong who served in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. After all you just have to reload the deer hunting games web you.

Leave a Reply