in HowTo, Libraries/Info Sci

How to add a Meebo, Libraryh3lp, or other chat widget to a Facebook Page (updated)

Over four years ago I wrote what I never imagined would become one of the more popular things I ever produced:

How to add a Meebo widget to a Facebook Page

Unfortunately, I noticed recently that due to some changes in how Facebook Pages are set up the instructions there don’t work anymore. In some ways it’s actually been made easier, thankfully.

Here’s an updated version of how to add a Meebo, Libraryh3lp, or other chat widget to a Facebook Page:

  1. Add the Static HTML app to your library’s page: https://apps.facebook.com/static_html_plus
  2. Visit your library’s page. In the boxes below your images (photos, likes, map, etc) you should see a new one that says ‘Welcome’ with a star icon. Click that star.
  3. You’ll see a box that says ‘enter your content here’.
  4. Paste the HTML code for your embeddable chat widget in that box. I’ve tested this with both Libraryh3lp and MeeboMe widgets, but I think it should work with other systems too.
  5. Click Save Changes.
  6. Go back to your library’s Facebook page, and hover your mouse over the star icon again. Click the pen icon that appears in the upper right of that graphic.
  7. Click Edit Settings to change the title (which reads ‘Welcome’ by default) and image of that star box. The box is what users will click on to chat with you.

One important note – if you yourself click on the star icon while logged in as an admin for your Facebook Page, you’ll always go to the settings screen where you pasted code into the box. Admins can’t see the functioning embedded widget for some reason.

If anybody who isn’t a page admin clicks that star, they go to the functional chat page that we want them to see. To test if it’s working right, log out of Facebook. Go to your library’s page while still logged out and click the star icon. If all’s well you should see the functioning chat box.

As usual, I’ll do my best to answer questions here but I can’t promise I’ll solve your issue.