specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Facebook
providerId: facebook
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Advertising
  - Content Publishing
  - Messaging
  - Social Media
  - Social Networking
description: Facebook (Meta) Graph and Marketing APIs are free to use; commercial value is monetized through
  ad spend rather than per-call API fees. Access is gated by App Review tiers (Development, Standard, Advanced)
  which determine rate-limit ceilings, not price. Apps requiring elevated permissions or higher throughput
  upgrade by completing App Review and Business Verification.
sources:
  - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/overview/rate-limiting
  - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/get-started
  - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/overview/authorization
plans:
  - id: facebook-development-access
    name: Development Access
    type: freemium
    description: Default tier for newly created apps. Free, but rate limits and permission scopes are restricted
      until the app passes App Review and graduates to Standard or Advanced Access.
    entries:
      - label: API Requests
        description: Free API access; throttled by app-level and BUC formulas tied to engaged users / active
          ads.
        name: api_requests
        type: quota
        metric: requests
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
          - https://graph.threads.net
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Public Documentation
      - name: App Dashboard
      - name: Test Users
      - name: Restricted Permission Scopes
      - name: Facebook Graph API
      - name: Instagram API
      - name: Threads API
      - name: Messenger Platform API
  - id: facebook-standard-access
    name: Standard Access
    type: freemium
    description: Granted after App Review approves the relevant feature (e.g. Ads Management Standard Access).
      Free; rate limits are tighter than Advanced Access.
    entries:
      - label: Ads Management Calls
        description: 'Standard Access ceiling per the published BUC formula: 300 + 40 * Number of Active
          ads, per hour.'
        name: ads_management_calls
        type: rate
        metric: calls_per_hour
        limit: 300
        timeFrame: hour
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Ads Insights Calls
        description: 'Standard Access ceiling: 600 + 400 * Number of Active ads - 0.001 * User Errors,
          per hour.'
        name: ads_insights_calls
        type: rate
        metric: calls_per_hour
        limit: 600
        timeFrame: hour
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: App Review Approval
      - name: Production-Ready Permissions
      - name: Facebook Marketing API
      - name: Facebook Graph API
  - id: facebook-advanced-access
    name: Advanced Access
    type: freemium
    description: Highest BUC tier. Free; granted after Business Verification and App Review for the corresponding
      feature. Rate ceilings rise dramatically (e.g. Ads Management base jumps from 300/hour to 100,000/hour).
    entries:
      - label: Ads Management Calls
        description: 'Advanced Access ceiling: 100000 + 40 * Number of Active ads, per hour.'
        name: ads_management_calls
        type: rate
        metric: calls_per_hour
        limit: 100000
        timeFrame: hour
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Ads Insights Calls
        description: 'Advanced Access ceiling: 190000 + 400 * Number of Active ads, per hour.'
        name: ads_insights_calls
        type: rate
        metric: calls_per_hour
        limit: 190000
        timeFrame: hour
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Custom Audience Calls
        description: 'Advanced Access ceiling: 190000 + 40 * Number of Active Custom Audiences, per hour.'
        name: custom_audience_calls
        type: rate
        metric: calls_per_hour
        limit: 190000
        timeFrame: hour
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Business Verification
      - name: Full Permission Scopes
      - name: Higher Throughput Ceilings
      - name: Facebook Marketing API
      - name: Facebook Graph API
      - name: WhatsApp Business API
  - id: facebook-whatsapp-business
    name: WhatsApp Business Platform — Conversation-Based Pricing
    type: usage-based
    description: WhatsApp Business Platform charges per 24-hour conversation, by category and country.
      Free service conversations within the customer service window. See the WhatsApp Business pricing
      page for current per-country rates.
    entries:
      - label: Conversation
        description: Charged per 24-hour conversation. Categories are Marketing, Utility, Authentication,
          Service. Rates vary by destination market.
        name: whatsapp_conversation
        type: metered
        metric: conversation
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        domains:
          - https://graph.facebook.com
        unit: 1
        price: see https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: WhatsApp Business API
      - name: Per-country pricing
      - name: Free service conversations within 24h customer-service window
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com
x-canonical:
  generated: '2026-10-08'
  vocabulary: all/0-working/economics/plans-canonical.yml
  models:
  - free
  - metered
  units:
  - compute
  - request
  plans:
  - name: Development Access
    access: freemium
    model: free
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - request
    periods:
    - per-use
  - name: Standard Access
    access: freemium
    model: free
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - compute
    periods:
    - hour
  - name: Advanced Access
    access: freemium
    model: free
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - compute
    periods:
    - hour
  - name: WhatsApp Business Platform — Conversation-Based Pricing
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - other
    periods:
    - per-use