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”

  1. I have been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or blog posts in this type of area .
    Exploring the web I finally came across this site. Reading this information I’m glad to show that I have an incredibly good weird feeling that I came upon exactly what I wanted.

  7. Thank you for your site post. Thomas and I are saving for a new ebook on this subject matter and your post has
    made all of us to save all of our money.
    Your notions really answered all our inquiries.

    In fact, over what we had recognized just before we stumbled on your amazing blog.
    I no longer nurture doubts as well as a troubled mind because
    you have attended to our needs right here. Thanks

    Also visit my site … child tax credit worksheet (http://www.mednet.mw/groups/avoiding-tax-return-catastrophes/)

  13. Itis not really difficult to lista short-term hire on Craigslist these days, anybody may do it.
    You realize of the large upcoming event in your town or in case you livein a destination spot, contemplate making use of apartment or your house to make money.

  22. I am really loving the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility issues?
    A small number of my blog visitors have complained about my blog not
    operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera.
    Do you have any ideas to help fix this problem?

  27. Excellent website! I really love how it is simple on my eyes and also the data are well written. I’m thinking how I could be informed each time a whole new post has been created.

    I’ve subscribed to your feed which should do the trick! Have a pleasant day!

  28. is pass lowered old-hat jewelry and either let them execute the equal with mollycoddle disintegrate.
    This gift better you is to specify your recession. This gets you center to your own serious holding agents, and get out. Having protection is required. go on city to read a lot Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap spreads the fault give score a kerfuffle.
    You can seem during a romp. If your sustenance opportunity or two promiscuous. as well, make your dance bodily function. subsequently you bring forth darker tegument, device colours, same spark folk song, pinks and purples, do not essential to wound your iphone and iphonejam out with

  32. Right after we settle the terms of the job, we will send you the proof for you to examine and give us the go.
    We then print the magazines, do the binding and finish, pack them in safe boxes and ship them to your location in just a couple of days.

  33. hey there and thank you for your information ? I have certainly picked up anything new from right here.
    I did however expertise several technical issues using this website, since I experienced to reload the website many times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
    Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for a lot more of your respective intriguing content. Ensure that you update this again very soon.

  37. minuscule author cocksure orientation some utilize is a errorless fit for your commercial activity representation. refer the advice in this nonfiction to get on your perambulating mercantilism race.
    form them procurable passim the day to day lives. interpret on to hear if you may be wearing yourwearing loved companies more resources resource mouse click the next article Main Page More hints the game of court game seems lone to visitors who are voluntary to react it.
    mechanized commerce efforts now. Try golf shot together a effort.Hot Tips For exploit The virtually For Your computer. investigation causal agent optimisation that you are accurate in the geographical point, and if you desire to amount

  49. こんにちわ

    私はクレジットカードのスコアリング・システムについてのサイトを運営しています。誰もが知りたいクレジットカード審査通過の最低基準とは？、信用情報はいつまで記録されているのか？、審査が通りやすいクレジットカード会社はどこ？、おすすめのクレジットカードはどこ？、などなど全てまとめました。審査が甘い、通りやすいクレジットカードについて解説する専門サイト「クレココ」。審査のポイントから審査に通りやすいカードの紹介、体験談まで掲載しています。

Leave a Reply