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.
Therein lies the problem. Some of my clients who have faced this exact issue have started over, deleting everything and attempting to start from scratch. Problem is, Facebook keeps your original username on file as being “taken,” so your chances of getting “acmedogfood” back and applying that URL to your new page are slim. This is a HUGE issue with Facebook users and I wish they’d provide us with a workaround. I do not know how long they “reserve” the URL after deleting an account, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. You may have to start over with a different URL. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but unless you can get some help from Facebook customer service, I don’t see too many other options. Keep asking around, though. Maybe somebody knows of something that will work. Let me know what happens!
Therein lies the problem. Some of my clients who have faced this exact issue have started over, deleting everything and attempting to start from scratch. Problem is, Facebook keeps your original username on file as being “taken,” so your chances of getting “acmedogfood” back and applying that URL to your new page are slim. This is a HUGE issue with Facebook users and I wish they’d provide us with a workaround. I do not know how long they “reserve” the URL after deleting an account, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. You may have to start over with a different URL. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but unless you can get some help from Facebook customer service, I don’t see too many other options. Keep asking around, though. Maybe somebody knows of something that will work. Let me know what happens!
Thank you, this was extremely helpful.
Thank you, this was extremely helpful.
Thanks for the “easy button” cause, “That was easy!”
Thanks for the “easy button” cause, “That was easy!”
Thank the lord someone posted this, big thank you 🙂
Thank the lord someone posted this, big thank you 🙂
You’re welcome, Pingbat (and the many others who have sent thank-you comments). Happy to help.
You’re welcome, Pingbat (and the many others who have sent thank-you comments). Happy to help.
thanx
thanx
I like this blog a lot and I’ve used it several times since I started using FB Business Pages. I’m stumped and I’m hoping someone can help. The FB forums are full of spam.
I manage 3 FB Business Pages. Two of the work just fine. The third won’t show me the admin panel anymore and two of the 4 app tabs will sometimes disappear. I had installed Wooapps but was told by them that they had some bugs so I uninstalled them during one of the times that the edit option came up for me. The uninstall worked but now the tabs have disappeared again.
I came here because I was going to delete the page and start over but I thought before I take that drastic measure I would ask to see if anyone else has experienced these bugs or had some suggestions for me.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I like this blog a lot and I’ve used it several times since I started using FB Business Pages. I’m stumped and I’m hoping someone can help. The FB forums are full of spam.
I manage 3 FB Business Pages. Two of the work just fine. The third won’t show me the admin panel anymore and two of the 4 app tabs will sometimes disappear. I had installed Wooapps but was told by them that they had some bugs so I uninstalled them during one of the times that the edit option came up for me. The uninstall worked but now the tabs have disappeared again.
I came here because I was going to delete the page and start over but I thought before I take that drastic measure I would ask to see if anyone else has experienced these bugs or had some suggestions for me.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Is it possible to delete my business fan page and create a new one> I don’t think I set my fan page up properly and it won’t let me administrate it and I have just a few fans and likes so I would like to just start over if that is possible.
Is it possible to delete my business fan page and create a new one> I don’t think I set my fan page up properly and it won’t let me administrate it and I have just a few fans and likes so I would like to just start over if that is possible.
Yes, you certainly can do that. You can create as many brand/fan pages as you want. Be aware, though, that you likely will NOT be allowed to give your new page the same URL (custom address/username) as your old one, as Facebook “thinks” that that name is already “taken,” even after you delete the unused page.
Yes, you certainly can do that. You can create as many brand/fan pages as you want. Be aware, though, that you likely will NOT be allowed to give your new page the same URL (custom address/username) as your old one, as Facebook “thinks” that that name is already “taken,” even after you delete the unused page.
Hi Alicia,
I have not personally experienced any of these bugs on the pages I admin, nor have I had problems with Woo apps, but let’s wait it out a bit and see if you get responses from others. I’d hate for you to delete your page if there’s a quick and easy workaround.
Hi Alicia,
I have not personally experienced any of these bugs on the pages I admin, nor have I had problems with Woo apps, but let’s wait it out a bit and see if you get responses from others. I’d hate for you to delete your page if there’s a quick and easy workaround.
hey thanks!!
hey thanks!!
This is what i’d like to do as well, I created the business page with my personal account and share the admin with my wife through her personal account. If I now delete my personal account, will the business page stay there so it can still be accessed by her and stay on FB? Thanks
This is what i’d like to do as well, I created the business page with my personal account and share the admin with my wife through her personal account. If I now delete my personal account, will the business page stay there so it can still be accessed by her and stay on FB? Thanks
If you use the same login to access your personal account and your business page, I believe you will lose both if you delete the personal profile. Doesn’t matter whether someone else is on as an admin — they are not considered the “owner” or originator of the account; they are just an additional administrator to whom you have given access to the page.
If you use the same login to access your personal account and your business page, I believe you will lose both if you delete the personal profile. Doesn’t matter whether someone else is on as an admin — they are not considered the “owner” or originator of the account; they are just an additional administrator to whom you have given access to the page.
Thanks for this! I couldn’t figure out how that got on there.
Thanks for this! I couldn’t figure out how that got on there.
If I delete my business page, can I open a new page with the same name? I want to get rid of the several thousand bogus likes that were purchased in bulk by an unskilled admin. I’ve tried to delete them myself but FB only let me get rid of 120. I want to keep my company’s name on my page. Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.
If I delete my business page, can I open a new page with the same name? I want to get rid of the several thousand bogus likes that were purchased in bulk by an unskilled admin. I’ve tried to delete them myself but FB only let me get rid of 120. I want to keep my company’s name on my page. Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.
Most people who delete a business page have a lot of trouble trying to create another page with a duplicate name. It seems as if Facebook keeps the original page URL “on file” for a very long time (no one seems to know exactly how long). You could try deleting the page — it usually takes a couple of weeks for it to get completely deleted from their system, and then try to create one with the same name and URL. No guarantees it’ll work, so I suggest having a backup name and custom URL ready to go.
Sorry to hear about the purchased bogus likes. I’m sure you know that it’s best to grow your following organically. It’s takes much longer that way and the growth is generally slow and steady, but at least your likes will be genuine ones.
I wish you well as you attempt to get your page working correctly.
Most people who delete a business page have a lot of trouble trying to create another page with a duplicate name. It seems as if Facebook keeps the original page URL “on file” for a very long time (no one seems to know exactly how long). You could try deleting the page — it usually takes a couple of weeks for it to get completely deleted from their system, and then try to create one with the same name and URL. No guarantees it’ll work, so I suggest having a backup name and custom URL ready to go.
Sorry to hear about the purchased bogus likes. I’m sure you know that it’s best to grow your following organically. It’s takes much longer that way and the growth is generally slow and steady, but at least your likes will be genuine ones.
I wish you well as you attempt to get your page working correctly.
Thank you so much…Im so happy..and i can sleep gbu
Thank you so much…Im so happy..and i can sleep gbu
Thanks for the simple, step-by-step tutorial. We just need that quiet direction sometimes…keep sharing!
Thanks for the simple, step-by-step tutorial. We just need that quiet direction sometimes…keep sharing!
Thanks, Joe. You made my day! -Laura
Thanks, Joe. You made my day! -Laura
thanks for guiding me
thanks for guiding me
Thanxxxx
Thanxxxx
Thanks!
Thanks!
thankyou so much!!!!!
thankyou so much!!!!!
Laura, I need some help and you seem to be the Kung-Fu Master. I now work for a company that wanted me to create a FB fan page. I worked on it yesterday and then found that someone did a page about a year ago. No one seems to know who did it so I do not know the log on or the password. The owner is concerned that when I launch the page that people will be confused on which page to “like”. How do I delete the origional page?
Thanks in advance
Jeff
Laura, I need some help and you seem to be the Kung-Fu Master. I now work for a company that wanted me to create a FB fan page. I worked on it yesterday and then found that someone did a page about a year ago. No one seems to know who did it so I do not know the log on or the password. The owner is concerned that when I launch the page that people will be confused on which page to “like”. How do I delete the origional page?
Thanks in advance
Jeff
I don’t know about Kung-Fu Master, but I probably have more than a white belt! I have heard of people who were able to contact Facebook’s Customer Service/Help Desk to get assistance for issues such as this one. It seems as if they would have to either delete the original page for you and open up that URL so you can re-use it, or give it a new username and password so you can access it. I don’t have a whole lot of confidence that either of those things would happen, but you never know. You should at least ask, and give Facebook a good week or two to reply to you.
The problem is not having the log in info — do you know whether anyone in your company is an admin of the page? If so, you should be able to get in through their admin access.
Sorry I can’t be of more help. This is a very common issue that plagues many businesses, but without the page’s login info or admin access, it’s a very difficult one to fix.
I don’t know about Kung-Fu Master, but I probably have more than a white belt! I have heard of people who were able to contact Facebook’s Customer Service/Help Desk to get assistance for issues such as this one. It seems as if they would have to either delete the original page for you and open up that URL so you can re-use it, or give it a new username and password so you can access it. I don’t have a whole lot of confidence that either of those things would happen, but you never know. You should at least ask, and give Facebook a good week or two to reply to you.
The problem is not having the log in info — do you know whether anyone in your company is an admin of the page? If so, you should be able to get in through their admin access.
Sorry I can’t be of more help. This is a very common issue that plagues many businesses, but without the page’s login info or admin access, it’s a very difficult one to fix.