Sponsored Stories Application Programming Interface (API)

Abstract

To provide a sponsored story unit, the social networking system receives a story request from an advertiser. The story request specifies properties of content used to generate the sponsored story. When the social networking system stores an object or an action performed on an object, properties associated with, and describing, the object or the action are also stored. For example, properties of an object include an object type, an object identifier, metadata describing the object or other suitable information. The social networking system identifies actions or objects associated with users connected to a viewing user having one or more properties included in a story request. A sponsored story is generated from the identified actions or objects and presented to a viewing user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 storing, in a social networking system, a user profile associated with a viewing user, the user profile identifying one or more other users of the social networking system who are connected to the viewing user in the social networking system;   receiving a story request for a sponsored story unit from an advertiser, the story request identifying a common property of a set of objects to be included in the requested sponsored story;   identifying a plurality of objects in the social networking system that have the common property;   identifying one or more actions that are (1) performed by the one or more other users connected to the viewing user and (2) performed on one or more of the identified plurality of objects that have the common property;   selecting an action from the one or more actions;   generating a sponsored story unit based on the selected action, the sponsored story unit describing the selected action performed by another user connected to the viewing user on one of the plurality of objects having the common property; and   providing the sponsored story unit for display to the viewing user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the common property identified in the story request includes at least one selected from a group consisting of: a property of an action, a property of an object, a sub-property of a property of an object, a sub-property of a property of an action, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the property of the action comprises an action type. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the property of the object comprises an object type. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 selecting an action performed on a threshold number of objects in the identified plurality of objects having the common property included in the story request.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 selecting an action that is performed by at least a threshold number of the one or more other uses connected to the viewing user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 determining an expected value associated with stories including different actions from the one or more actions based on an affinity of the viewing user for a user associated with an action and a bid amount included in the story request; and   selecting an action having a highest expected value.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises selecting an action having a most recent time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 determining affinities for the viewing user and a user connected to the viewing user associated with each action in the one or more actions; and   selecting the action based at least in part on the affinities.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sponsored story unit includes an interface element for receiving input. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more actions performed by the one or more other users connected to the viewing user include an action performed by a user connected to the viewing user on a website external to the social networking system. 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 store, in a social networking system, a user profile associated with a viewing user, the user profile identifying one or more other users of the social networking system who are connected to the viewing user in the social networking system;   receive a story request for a sponsored story unit from an advertiser, the story request identifying a common property of a set of objects to be included in the requested sponsored story;   identify a plurality of objects in the social networking system that have the common property;   identify one or more actions that are (1) performed by the one or more other users connected to the viewing user and (2) performed on one or more of the identified plurality of objects that have the common property;   select an action from the one or more actions;   generate a sponsored story unit based on the selected action, the sponsored story unit describing the selected action performed by another user connected to the viewing user on one of the plurality of objects having the common property; and   provide the sponsored story unit for display to the viewing user.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the common property identified in the story request includes at least one selected from a group consisting of: a property of an action, a property of an object, a sub-property of a property of an object, a sub-property of a property of an action, and any combination thereof 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 selecting an action performed on a threshold number of objects in the identified plurality of objects having the common property included in the story request.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 selecting an action that is performed by at least a threshold number of the one or more other uses connected to the viewing user.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 determining an expected value associated with stories including different actions from the one or more actions based on an affinity of the viewing user for a user associated with an action and a bid amount included in the story request; and   selecting an action having a highest expected value.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises selecting an action having a most recent time. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein selecting the action from the one or more actions comprises:
 determining affinities for the viewing user and a user connected to the viewing user associated with each action in the one or more actions; and   selecting the action based on the affinities.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the sponsored story unit includes an interface element for receiving input. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more actions performed by the one or more other users connected to the viewing user include an action performed by a user connected to the viewing user on a website external to the social networking system.