Server required for a Facebook application?

Question

Suppose my Facebook application is just one or two pages which makes use of the facebook API (doing stuff with the user's detais). Is it essential that I have my own server for something this simple?

I keep reading about things like 'Social Plugins'. Is there a better option than creating a canvas page on my own server?

Answer 1

There are two ways you can do this:

1. You can use a webhosting and use your own domain to host your Facebook fanpage. Do remember that from 2011-10-01, it's essential that your domain should have SSL enabled in order to use your own hosting.

Alternately you can use Dropbox as a free alternative option. Since Dropbox has an SSL feature enabled, you can simply create an dropbox account and hosting everything on Dropbox and then iframe it using the Facebook application.

1. Alternately you can use an solution like in Getting Started with Your Facebook Application on Heroku.

Further, if you are creating things on your own hosting, you can follow the article Tutorial: Add an iFrame Application to your Facebook Fan Page – Fall 2011.