Several months ago we posted an article about upcoming Facebook design changes to Fan Page tab widths. While Facebook made the announcement that it was planning to change the tab width to 520 pixels from the previous (and current) 760 pixels back in October 2009, the official change date has just been announced: the week of August 23rd, 2010.
The official statement from Facebook can be seen below:
“We announced plans last October to remove application boxes and application info sections as well as reduce the width of application tabs to optimize for the new profile and Facebook Pages format. We will be moving forward with these changes the week of August 23, and want to help you understand what to expect.
Based on feedback from developers, we have committed to the following plans to ensure a smooth transition:
- Boxes. We will notify users via messaging in profile boxes and in the Help Center that the “Boxes” tab, boxes on profiles and Pages, and application info sections will be going away.
- Application Tabs. Next week, we will give Page admins the ability to preview their custom tabs in the new 520 pixel width so they can modify their layouts as needed. All profile and Page tabs will be resized automatically beginning the week of August 23.
These updates are designed to simplify navigation for users, reduce complexity for developers, and enable us to build the next generation of tools for growing your business with Facebook. We’ll share more of our plans for the roadmap in the coming weeks.
To read our post about this change, which explains the differences in the design and how it will look for your fan page, click here.
Hello,
Are you sure that it’s just about fan page tab ? And not stand-alone application ?
Thanks.
Hey Jesse,
The information that was shared in the Facebook release pertained to tab width changes. We share what we can find! :)
Thanks for the update and info. It was helpful in fixing my landing page width. Grandma Mary sent me this link. Have a great day.
Thanks Tim!
OK, so the question for me is, I have a Wildfire promotion going on while this is happening. Will Wildfire automatically change the sizes of the promotion for me, or do I need to do it myself?
Tutorial maybe??
Thanks
Hey Richard,
We have been prepared for these changes for a long time. Our system will be ready when they go live. However, if you have created custom banners or headers, you may want to recreate them to reflect the 2 different views…so make sure all the important stuff that shouldn’t get cut off is in the first 520 pixels, and the rest up to 760 can just be filler color, or filler image. That is, if it gets cut off, the user won’t miss anything from the image. Then upload them in time for the change to your campaigns. We detailed the change in a blog post several months back, you should take a look to prepare yourself with how it your campaigns will look visually. http://blog.wildfireapp.com/2010/03/22/upcoming-facebook-fan-page-tab-design-changes/
With best regards,
Maya
I have a 760 px header banner there now, and have just designed a resized 520 banner to re-upload on the 23rd. That will be an instant change, right?
But do we also have to resize the square banner? My whole page is getting cut off – not just the header banner. It seems to me the square banner size won’t work with the new template either.
Hey Elisa,
Good move on the proactive– slight clarification on the banner– if you have created custom banners or headers, you may want to recreate them to reflect the 2 different views…so make sure all the important stuff that shouldn’t get cut off is in the first 520 pixels, and the rest up to 760 can just be filler color, or filler image. That is, if it gets cut off, the user won’t miss anything from the image. You won’t have to resize the square banner, as the rest of our template will be changing in appearance to look in line with the new style.
With best regards,
Maya
I’ve got copy centered on my banner, so I can’t really just use filler on everything that’s over 520 pixels. I just want to upload a new banner that’s the same design – copy centered on a background – on 8/23 that’s 520 px instead of 760 px. Is that doable?
I’m impressed by your writing. Are you a pofresisoanl or just very knowledgeable?
Any word on when these updates will be made? I am already seeing the new tab design updates on some Pages, but my Promotion is not resized and is being cut off. Do I need to re-publish the campaign?
Hey Adam,
Official word is “week of August 23rd.” As soon as it is live, our system will be updated to reflect the change but the switch has not been flipped yet.
Cool, thanks!
Re-iterating what Adam said, we have a promotion running now and our page has been narrowed to the 520 px dimensions. We’re using the shorter banner length but our contest details are being cut off. That’s a cost we’re incurring to have a mis-formatted campaign. So, how quickly will Wilfire be making these format changes so we can promote the promotions we’re paying for?
Hi Kristen,
The changes haven’t gone live yet. What you’re seeing is still the preview. Once Facebook does flip the switch for ALL users, our system will be updated immediately. Nothing will be cut off.
That’s why Facebook was kind of vague and said the change is coming “week of August 23rd”– they don’t have to commit on a date and time. :)
You can see that when I view your page, as a user who is not an admin, I see everything normally. http://screencast.com/t/ODY4ZTJlNzM
Awesome, this makes total sense! Thank you!
Hi there,
So have you swapped yet? We are running a Photo Contest using your system with no header but just a 300×250 custom banner. The problem is that the whole container carrying the image seems to be too wide and hence not fitting the new 520px tabs width.
Any idea?
Thanks,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
The changes haven’t gone live yet. What you’re seeing is still the preview. Once Facebook does flip the switch for ALL users, our system will be updated immediately. Nothing will be cut off.
That’s why Facebook was kind of vague and said the change is coming “week of August 23rd”– they don’t have to commit on a date and time.
Was Just was doing research and impressed by the article you posted. Read exactly what I wanted too. Keep writing!
Wish my facebook tabs could be customized to a width greater than 520px