How to Delete a Facebook Page
Note: I originally published this tutorial in 2011, and it is Blogging Bistro’s most-visited post. That’s why you’ll see a lot of comments from years gone by. I update this tutorial regularly to reflect Facebook’s changes. This is the 2020 update.
Fed up with Facebook’s ever-increasing stranglehold on the organic reach of brand pages, many page admins are washing their hands of Facebook altogether.
If you’re in that camp or you don’t use your business page any longer, you may want to delete it.
I advise using a desktop/laptop computer to delete your Facebook page. It’s much easier than attempting to do it via a tablet or smartphone.
How to unpublish your page without deleting it
If you aren’t certain whether you want to permanently delete your page, you can “unpublish” it (make it private so only page admins can view it).
Note: Only Page admins can unpublish a Page.
Here’s how:
Log in to the Facebook page you administer.
Click “Settings” in the upper righthand corner of your screen.
From the “General” settings (the first one on the list), find the “Page Visibility” setting (it’s the first one). Click the pencil icon to edit.
Click the “Unpublish Page” radio button and then click “Save Changes.”
How to delete a Facebook brand/fan page
Log in to the Facebook page you administer. Note: You MUST be a Page administrator in order to delete a Page.
Click “Settings” in the upper righthand corner of your screen.
From the “General” settings (the first one on the list), scroll to the bottom of the list of options and locate “Remove Page.” Click the pencil icon to edit.
A pop-up notice will inform you that if you delete your page, you have a grace period of 14 days in which you can restore it. (Unsure whether that means 14 calendar days or 14 business days.)
After the 14-day grace period, you’ll be asked to confirm that you want to permanently delete your page.
If you are certain you want to remove your page and begin the 14 day grace period, click the link that says “Delete [name of your page]” and then click “Save Changes.”
Can I re-use my custom Facebook page address?
People often ask me:
“If I delete my page, will Facebook release my username (page URL/address) so I can re-use the same name on another page I create?”
I have not received a reliable answer to this question. People who’ve deleted pages have told me they’ve tried to use the same username (web address) and have been unable to. If anyone knows how long Facebook holds on to the usernames of deleted pages, please share that info.
How many Managers are recommended for a Page? It seems to me the conservative best choice is to have one (likely the creator), so that the page can never be deleted. Is there any reference to cite this since I have put my admins as content creators with one quitting because she thought she had been demoted. And if the Manager dies, the page just continues with its content creators, right?
That’s a really good question! Most Facebook pages have only one admin, which is the person who originally created the page. But if a business has employees who need to add content to the page, or the business outsources their page’s management, those people will need to be added as admins, too.
Many people aren’t aware that admin “role” can be assigned. Here is an article I wrote that explains the different levels of admin access on a Facebook page: https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-assign-admin-roles-to-facebook-fan-brand-pages/
I recommend that business pages have two admins and/or two people who have the account’s login details, because people contact me daily who are trying to delete a page that a former employee created (using said former employee’s login), and the business owner has absolutely no access to the page and no way to delete it. If only one person has the login to the account itself, and that person dies, leaves, or otherwise disappears, you’re stuck.
That’s a really good question! Most Facebook pages have only one admin, which is the person who originally created the page. But if a business has employees who need to add content to the page, or the business outsources their page’s management, those people will need to be added as admins, too.
Many people aren’t aware that admin “role” can be assigned. Here is an article I wrote that explains the different levels of admin access on a Facebook page: https://bloggingbistro.com/how-to-assign-admin-roles-to-facebook-fan-brand-pages/
I recommend that business pages have two admins and/or two people who have the account’s login details, because people contact me daily who are trying to delete a page that a former employee created (using said former employee’s login), and the business owner has absolutely no access to the page and no way to delete it. If only one person has the login to the account itself, and that person dies, leaves, or otherwise disappears, you’re stuck.
I would like to delete an account on Facebook but can’t find the edit page so I can delete it myself
I would like to delete an account on Facebook but can’t find the edit page so I can delete it myself