A Facebook developer account is a Meta for Developers registration on top of your normal Facebook account, and it takes four steps: start the registration while logged in, agree to Meta's Platform Terms and Developer Policies, confirm your phone number and email with a code, and pick your occupation. Once you're registered you get the App Dashboard and access to Meta's products, SDKs, APIs and developer docs.
You don't need a separate login. It's your existing Facebook account with developer access added. The harder part comes after registration, when you create an app and need the right access for the people who'll use it. Here's the whole path.
How to register as a Meta developer
- Start the registration. While logged into Facebook, go to developers.facebook.com/async/registration, or open the Meta for Developers site and click Get Started.
- Agree to the terms. Click Next to accept Meta's Platform Terms and Developer Policies.
- Verify your account. Meta sends a confirmation code to the phone number and email address you give. They're also used for important developer notifications about changes that could affect your app, so use ones you check.
- Select your occupation. Choose the option that's closest to what you do for a living.
That's it. You can now open the App Dashboard and create your first app.
Development mode vs Live mode
Every new app starts in Development mode, and Meta says it shouldn't be switched to Live until development is complete. The difference decides who can use what you've built.
| Development mode | Live mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Only people with a role on the app | Anyone |
| Permissions it can request | Standard or Advanced Access, from role users only | Only permissions approved through App Review |
| Searchable by the public | No, and hidden from the App Center | Yes, and can be listed in the App Center if eligible |
| Test posts and data | Visible to role users only | Become visible to all app users |
Watch that last row. Anything you post while testing, such as test posts, becomes visible to everyone once you switch to Live, so clean up first. App admins switch modes with the toggle in the App Dashboard toolbar.
Standard Access vs Advanced Access
Business, Consumer and Gaming apps also have access levels for each permission and feature.
| Access level | Who it works for | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Access | Only people with a role on your app | Automatic for every permission and feature your app type allows |
| Advanced Access | Any app user | Needs Business Verification, and sometimes App Review per permission |
If only you and your team will use the app, Standard Access is enough. If customers or the public will log in or connect their accounts, you'll need Advanced Access for each permission they touch, which means getting your business verified first. Apps with Advanced Access also have to complete Data Use Checkup every year to certify they use Meta's data in line with the Platform Terms and Developer Policies.
If your app will manage ads, our guide to the Marketing API covers the access tiers and permissions you will need.
Roles you can add to an app
Your developer account lets you add other people to an app with roles such as admin, developer or tester. Those role users are the people Development mode and Standard Access are built for, so add your team before you start testing. Meta's Graph API Explorer, for example, only shows apps where you're an admin, developer or tester.
Once your account's set up, my guide to using the Facebook Ads Library for research is a good next step if your interest is ads data, and this WhatsApp Business Cloud API guide covers the messaging side.
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Four checks if access isn't working
- Meta sends the confirmation code to the phone number and email you enter, so use ones you can reach right now.
- Your app is still in Development mode, so people without a role can't use it.
- A permission works for you but fails for customers, because it only has Standard Access.
- Advanced Access is blocked until Business Verification is complete.
My verdict
Registering is four short steps, so there's no reason to put it off if you need an app, a token or API access. Plan the next step carefully, though. Decide early whether only your team will use the app or the public will, because that one answer decides whether you need Business Verification, App Review and the annual Data Use Checkup.
Once the account exists, our guide to the Graph API explains nodes, tokens, versions and rate limits.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a Facebook developer account?
While logged into Facebook, go to developers.facebook.com/async/registration, agree to the Platform Terms and Developer Policies, verify your phone and email with the code Meta sends, then select your occupation.
Is a Meta developer account separate from my Facebook account?
No. You register as a Meta developer using your existing Facebook account, which then gets access to the App Dashboard, SDKs, APIs and developer docs.
What is Development mode on Meta for Developers?
It's the mode every new app starts in. Only people with a role on the app can use it, and its data, such as test posts, is visible only to them until you switch to Live mode.
Do I need Business Verification for a Meta app?
Only for Advanced Access. Meta says Business Verification is required to get Advanced Access, which you need when people without a role on your app will use it.
What is Data Use Checkup?
It's an annual process for apps with Advanced Access to certify they access Meta's APIs and data in line with the Platform Terms and Developer Policies.
