{"registry_version":"2026.1025.387","generated_at":"2026-10-25T06:27:00Z","content_sha256":"089d16f627d9365e3d0663cc8069203706d7cb23a76c332226e29686968811a5","signed":true,"signature":{"key_id":"ed25519:74ca19268e364242","algorithm":"ed25519","expires_at":"2026-11-24T06:27:09Z","expired":false,"manifest":"/registry/manifest.json"},"entry_sha256":"1a6f338198b5adff6249671f313c879622c384e87069159993fa1045b435ac7c","entry":{"id":"meta/app-review","name":"Meta App Review (advanced access)","vendor":"Meta","summary":"Meta's review of how your app uses each permission and feature. Needed before people without a role on your app (or your business) can grant permissions or use features. You submit screen recordings and usage descriptions per permission, answer data handling questions after business verification, and Meta says to expect a decision in about a week.","aliases":["Facebook app review","advanced access","permissions review"],"category":"social","group":"B","homepage":"https://developers.facebook.com/docs/resp-plat-initiatives/individual-processes/app-review","docs":["https://developers.facebook.com/docs/resp-plat-initiatives/individual-processes/app-review","https://developers.facebook.com/docs/app-review/submission-guide"],"status":"researched","last_verified":null,"last_researched":"2026-10-25","sources":[{"id":"intro","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/docs/resp-plat-initiatives/individual-processes/app-review","title":"App Review (Meta for Developers)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Who needs App Review; approved vs unapproved permissions/features; whole submission rejected if reviewers can't access the app; specific items denied if they can't be tested.","kind":"official"},{"id":"guide","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/docs/app-review/submission-guide","title":"App Review Submission Guide (Meta for Developers)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Prerequisites (1024x1024 icon, one successful API call per permission within 30 days, logging up to 2 days), business verification at step 1.5, data handling questions after verification, app settings, reviewer access instructions, no personal credentials, unique usage descriptions, Platform Onboarding Terms, decision in about a week, keep Development mode until review completes.","kind":"official"},{"id":"recordings","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/docs/app-review/submission-guide/screen-recordings/","title":"Screen Recordings (Meta for Developers)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Recording requirements (every permission/feature, logged-out to logged-in, grant flow, data use, English UI, captions) and rejection consequences.","kind":"official"},{"id":"access-verif","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/docs/development/release/access-verification","title":"Access Verification (Meta for Developers)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Tech Provider access verification for apps used by other businesses requesting listed permissions; code 100 error if unverified; decision usually within about 5 days; requires business verification and an unrestricted business.","kind":"official"},{"id":"dev-blog","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2023/02/01/developer-platform-requiring-business-verification-for-advanced-access/","title":"Developer Platform requiring Business Verification for Advanced Access (Meta developer blog, 1 Feb 2023)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Business verification required for advanced access to any permission.","kind":"official"},{"id":"bv-how","url":"https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2058515294227817","title":"Verifying your business in Meta Business Suite (Meta Business Help Centre)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Business verification decision may take up to 14 working days.","kind":"official"},{"id":"terms","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/terms/","title":"Meta Platform Terms","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Material changes need re-submission through App Review; enforcement; unused permissions removable after 28 days.","kind":"official"},{"id":"modes","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/docs/development/build-and-test/app-modes","title":"App Modes (Meta for Developers)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Live mode only allows approved permissions and features; switching to Live after App Review.","kind":"official"},{"id":"duc-faq","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/resp-plat-initiatives/individual-processes/data-use-checkup/faq","title":"Data Use Checkup FAQ (Meta for Developers)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Annual checkup; deactivated apps must have use cases, permissions and features re-approved through App Review.","kind":"official"},{"id":"forum","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/community/threads/320400731958800/","title":"Why App Review is taking so long? (Meta Developer Community Forum thread, older posts)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Developer reports of reviews taking two weeks to over a month, unanswered support tickets, and rejections they believed were made without watching screencasts. Anecdotal and several years old.","kind":"community"}],"allowed_domains":["developers.facebook.com","facebook.com"],"account_model":{"summary":"App Review is per app. An admin of the app submits; approval attaches to that App ID. For advanced access the app must be connected to a business portfolio that has passed business verification.","accounts":[{"name":"Meta app (App ID)","kind":"project","owned_by":"the company","required":true},{"name":"Verified business portfolio","kind":"organisation","owned_by":"the company","required":true,"note":"Business verification is required for advanced access to any permission."}],"notes":["Apps used only by people with a role on the app (or in the business that claimed it) don't need App Review.","Business-to-business apps (Tech Providers) may also need access verification for certain permissions."]},"prerequisites":[{"entry":"meta/developer-app","note":"An app with complete Basic Settings, still in Development mode."},{"entry":"meta/business-verification","note":"Needed for advanced access; the data handling questions open only after verification is approved."}],"identity_requires":["app_name","privacy_policy_url","support_email","app_icon_url"],"have_ready":[{"kind":"demo_video","description":"One screen recording per permission or feature, 1080p or better, English UI where possible, no audio, starting logged out and ending logged in, showing the permission being granted and the data being used.","why":"Any permission or feature without a recording is not approved, and missing ones get the submission rejected.","needed_for":["usage-descriptions"],"auto_check":"none","source":"recordings"},{"kind":"app_icon","description":"A 1024x1024 app icon with no Meta trademarks or logos.","why":"Required before submission.","needed_for":["prepare"],"auto_check":"none","source":"guide"},{"kind":"app_privacy_policy_url","description":"The app's public privacy policy URL, shown to users during Meta login.","why":"Checked in the Complete App Settings step.","needed_for":["app-settings"],"auto_check":"website_live","source":"guide"},{"kind":"live_website","description":"A reachable app or website, plus written access instructions and any test credentials for your own (non-Meta) sign-up.","why":"If reviewers can't access the app, the entire submission is rejected.","needed_for":["app-verification"],"auto_check":"website_live","source":"intro"},{"kind":"other","description":"For each permission, a specific, unique explanation of how the app uses it (no copy-paste between permissions).","why":"Required usage descriptions.","needed_for":["usage-descriptions"],"auto_check":"none","source":"guide"}],"steps":[{"id":"prepare","title":"Finish building and make test calls","summary":"Finish development, upload the 1024x1024 icon, and make at least one successful API call for every permission you will request (through your app or the Graph API Explorer) within 30 days of submitting.","route":"guided","depends_on":[],"gate":"none","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/tools/explorer/","preflight":["api_call_logged_per_permission"],"recovery":[{"hiccup":"The Request advanced access button is greyed out.","fix":"Meta needs to log a successful API call for that permission first; logging can take up to 2 days.","source":"guide"}],"sources":["guide"]},{"id":"select-permissions","title":"Choose permissions and features","summary":"In App Review > Permissions and Features, request advanced access only for what the app needs.","route":"guided","depends_on":["prepare"],"gate":"human_submit","url":"https://developers.facebook.com/apps/","preflight":["request_only_needed_permissions"],"sources":["guide"]},{"id":"business-verification","title":"Complete business verification if prompted","summary":"Meta may ask you to start or finish business verification at this point. See meta/business-verification.","route":"guided","depends_on":["select-permissions"],"gate":"third_party_review","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"Meta's Business Help Centre says a business verification decision may take up to 14 working days (see meta/business-verification).","source":"bv-how"}},"sources":["guide","dev-blog"]},{"id":"data-handling","title":"Answer the data handling questions","summary":"After business verification is approved, answer the data handling questions; Meta evaluates the answers immediately (up to about 30 seconds).","route":"guided","depends_on":["business-verification"],"gate":"human_submit","sources":["guide"]},{"id":"app-settings","title":"Complete App Settings","summary":"Check the app icon, privacy policy URL, app purpose (yourself or your own business vs clients), app category and primary contact email, which gets all App Review notifications.","route":"guided","depends_on":["select-permissions"],"gate":"human_submit","preflight":["privacy_policy_reachable","app_icon_present"],"sources":["guide"]},{"id":"app-verification","title":"Tell reviewers how to reach the app","summary":"Say whether users log in with Meta, confirm platform settings and give reviewers access instructions. Reviewers use their own test accounts; never give your personal developer account credentials.","route":"guided","depends_on":["app-settings"],"gate":"human_submit","sources":["guide"]},{"id":"usage-descriptions","title":"Write usage descriptions and upload recordings","summary":"For each permission and feature, write a specific description of how it is used and upload the matching screen recording.","route":"guided","depends_on":["app-verification"],"gate":"human_submit","sources":["guide","recordings"]},{"id":"submit","title":"Submit for review","summary":"Click Submit for Review and accept the Platform Onboarding Terms. Keep the app in Development mode until review is complete.","route":"guided","depends_on":["usage-descriptions","data-handling"],"gate":"human_terms","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"Meta says to expect a decision within about a week.","source":"guide"},"reported":{"text":"Older forum posts report two weeks to over a month and slow support responses (anecdotal, several years old) [to verify current experience].","source":"forum"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"Whole submission rejected because reviewers could not access the app.","fix":"Make the app publicly reachable or give clear access instructions and test credentials for non-Meta sign-up, then resubmit.","source":"intro"},{"hiccup":"A permission was denied because reviewers couldn't see why it is needed.","fix":"Re-record showing the full grant flow and the feature that uses the data, add captions for unclear UI, and make the usage description specific.","source":"recordings"},{"hiccup":"Submission rejected because a permission or feature had no recording.","fix":"Add a recording for every listed permission and feature, or remove ones you don't need.","source":"recordings"},{"hiccup":"Rejected for requesting permissions the app doesn't need.","fix":"Remove the unneeded permissions and resubmit with only what the app uses.","source":"guide"},{"hiccup":"App is already Live and you can't demonstrate a new permission.","fix":"Live apps can't use unapproved permissions; build the recording in a separate test app and include its App ID in the usage details [to verify current guidance].","source":"guide"}],"sources":["guide"]},{"id":"access-verification","title":"Complete access verification (Tech Providers only)","summary":"If your app is used by other businesses and requests listed permissions (e.g. ads_management, pages_manage_posts, instagram_basic, whatsapp_business_management), a business admin fills in the access verification form under App Dashboard > Basics > Verifications.","route":"guided","depends_on":["business-verification"],"gate":"third_party_review","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"A decision usually comes within about 5 days of submitting the form.","source":"access-verif"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"API calls from other businesses fail with error code 100.","code":"100","fix":"The business is not access-verified; complete business verification, make sure the business has no restrictions, then submit access verification.","source":"access-verif"},{"hiccup":"Access verification denied.","fix":"You can reapply if your use case changes.","source":"access-verif"}],"optional":true,"sources":["access-verif"]}],"outputs":[],"terms_notes":[{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"red","title":"Don't hand reviewers your own login","text":"Reviewers use their own test accounts; Meta says not to provide your personal Meta developer account credentials.","source":"guide"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"amber","title":"Changes can trigger re-review","text":"Changing Basic or Advanced settings after submitting may require re-review, and material changes to app functionality or data scope need a new App Review submission under the Platform Terms.","source":"terms"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"amber","title":"Missed Data Use Checkup means reviewing again","text":"If an app is deactivated for missing its annual Data Use Checkup, its use cases, permissions and features must be re-approved through App Review.","source":"duc-faq"},{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"yellow","title":"Unused permissions can lapse","text":"Meta may end access to permissions or features you haven't used for 28 days.","source":"terms"},{"kind":"people_report","severity":"yellow","title":"Reviews can run long","text":"Developers on Meta's own forum have reported reviews well beyond a week and support tickets going unanswered; older, anecdotal reports.","source":"forum"}],"preflight_rules":[{"id":"api_call_logged_per_permission","title":"One successful API call per permission","description":"Each permission you request advanced access for has at least one successful API call in the last 30 days (logging can take up to 2 days).","source":"guide"},{"id":"request_only_needed_permissions","title":"Only request what the app needs","description":"Remove any permission or feature the app does not use before submitting.","source":"guide"}],"pricing_notes":{"notes":"No fee for App Review is mentioned in Meta's App Review docs.","source":"guide"},"stripe_projects":false,"api_provisioning":{"available":"no","notes":"Submissions are made in the App Dashboard; no submission API is documented in the pages reviewed.","source":"guide"}}}