How to setup a WordPress website to automatically share posts to Facebook
Posted on 14 February 2023
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, with millions of websites using it to create and publish content online. If you’re using WordPress to publish your content, you might want to share your posts automatically on Facebook to reach a wider audience. In this article, we’ll show you how to set up your WordPress website to automatically share your posts on Facebook.
Step 1: Create a Facebook App
To share your posts on Facebook, you’ll need to create a Facebook app. Follow these steps to create a Facebook app:
Go to the Facebook Developer website and log in with your Facebook account.
Click on “My Apps” in the top right corner of the page and select “Create App”.
Choose “For Everything Else” as the app type and enter a name for your app.
Click “Create App ID” and complete the security check if prompted.
Once your app is created, you’ll be redirected to the app dashboard. Click on “Settings” in the left-hand menu and select “Basic”.
Under “App Domains”, enter the domain name of your WordPress website.
Under “Privacy Policy URL”, enter the URL of your website’s privacy policy.
Click “Save Changes”.
Step 2: Generate an Access Token
After you’ve created your Facebook app, you’ll need to generate an access token to allow your WordPress website to post to Facebook. Follow these steps to generate an access token:
In the app dashboard, click on “Tools” in the left-hand menu and select “Access Token Tool”.
Click “Generate Access Token”.
Select the permissions you want to grant your app, such as “publish_actions” to allow your app to publish posts to your Facebook page.
Click “Get Access Token”.
Step 3: Install a Facebook Plugin
Now that you have your Facebook app and access token, you’ll need to install a Facebook plugin on your WordPress website. There are many Facebook plugins available, but we’ll use the “Facebook for WordPress” plugin in this article. Follow these steps to install the plugin:
In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” and click “Add New”.
Search for “Facebook for WordPress” and click “Install Now” on the “Facebook for WordPress” plugin.
Once the plugin is installed, click “Activate”.
Step 4: Connect the Facebook Plugin to Your App
After you’ve installed the Facebook plugin, you’ll need to connect it to your Facebook app. Follow these steps to connect the plugin to your app:
In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Facebook” in the left-hand menu and click “Settings”.
Under “Facebook App ID”, enter the App ID for your Facebook app.
Under “Facebook App Secret”, enter the App Secret for your Facebook app.
Under “Facebook Access Token”, enter the Access Token you generated in Step 2.
Click “Save Changes”.
Step 5: Configure the Facebook Plugin
Now that you’ve connected the Facebook plugin to your app, you’ll need to configure the plugin to automatically share your WordPress posts on Facebook. Follow these steps to configure the plugin:
In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Facebook” in the left-hand menu and click “Sharing”.
Under “General Settings”, select the Facebook
Under “Post Types”, select the post types that you want to be shared on Facebook, such as “Posts” or “Pages”.
Under “Auto Publish”, enable the option to “Automatically publish new posts to Facebook”.
Customize the text that will accompany your Facebook post by editing the “Message” field.
Click “Save Changes”.
Step 6: Test Your Configuration
After you’ve configured the Facebook plugin, it’s a good idea to test your configuration to ensure that your WordPress posts are being shared on Facebook. Follow these steps to test your configuration:
Create a new post on your WordPress website and publish it.
Go to your Facebook page or profile and check to see if the post has been shared.
If the post has not been shared, check your plugin settings and ensure that your Facebook app and access token are correct.
Conclusion
Sharing your WordPress posts on Facebook is a great way to reach a wider audience and drive more traffic to your website. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily set up your WordPress website to automatically share your posts on Facebook. Remember to test your configuration and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that your posts are being shared successfully. Good luck!