Facebook is notorious for its constant changes that keep developers and page administrators alike on their toes. Enter: the page tabs change.
Tabs, particularly custom tabs, allow page admins to spruce up the look and feel of their Facebook pages, while also providing additional information to their fans. This is often where contests and giveaways are housed, which add depth to a company or brand’s presence on the site.
Starting the week of August 23, tabs on Facebook pages will be reduced from a width of 760 pixels to 520 pixels. This change has been on the radar since October of last year, but many fan page administrators have not adjusted their layouts accordingly. However, if left alone, custom tabs could end up looking broken or poorly designed.
Some have speculated this new format will allow Facebook to support larger ad formats.
The good news is Facebook plans to make the transition a little easier by giving administrators previews of what their custom tabs will look like with the smaller settings. This allows admins to make the necessary changes before they become mandatory.
In addition, the “Boxes” tab on profiles and fan pages will be going away.
According to the Developer Blog, “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.” Only time will tell if this new format truly improves a user’s fan page experience.