A Facebook Page for Your Business: Set-Up, Access and Rules

Page, profile or group

Meta's overview of Facebook Pages calls a Page "a free way for businesses, brands, celebrities, causes and organizations to reach their audience." It adds two points that matter for a business: "While Facebook profiles can be private, Pages are public," and "Google may index your Page, making it easier for people to find you." A Page shows your address, phone number, hours, categories and username, comes with an Inbox, and is the starting point for advertising: "You need a Page to advertise on Facebook."

Meta's comparison of Pages, profiles and groups says profiles "are best for personal use, not for businesses or organizations," and shows that of the three, only a Page can be used to advertise. A group can be useful later as a space for customers or local fans, but it does not replace the Page. All three are free. One condition applies to everyone: "you need a profile before you can create a Page or group." The Page is created from a person's own Facebook account, and that person becomes its first manager.

Creating the Page

Meta's step-by-step help for creating a Page on a computer runs like this:

1. Log into Facebook, click Pages on the left, then Create page.
2. Select Public page, click Next, then Get started.
3. Add your Page name and category, and an optional bio, then click Create Page.
4. Add information such as contact details, location and hours.
5. Add a profile photo and cover photo, and edit the action button.
6. Connect your WhatsApp account to the Page, or skip this step.
7. Invite friends to connect with the Page, and choose your notification settings.

The details you add in step 4 are what most visitors look for, so fill them in completely and keep them identical to your website and other listings. The action button is worth a moment's thought: pick the one action you most want, such as a message, a call or a visit to your site. If your customers already use WhatsApp, our guide to WhatsApp Business for customer messages explains the options before you connect it.

For the profile photo, use your logo in a form that still reads at a small size; our guide to brand assets for websites covers preparing those files once for every platform.

Page name and username

Get the name right the first time. Meta's guidelines for Page names ask for names that are "simple, specific and grammatically correct," with examples such as Hungry Bear Coffee or Allstar Locksmith. A Page name can't include:

• terms or phrases that may be abusive or violate someone's rights;
• the word "official" unless it is the official Page of that brand, place, organization or public figure;
• improper capitalization or all capitals, except for acronyms;
• symbols such as ® or unnecessary punctuation;
• descriptions or slogans, which belong in the About section instead;
• any variation of the names Facebook or Meta.

A name also can't be only a single general word, such as Pizza, or only a general place name. Meta notes that "only authorized representatives can manage a Page for a brand, place, organization or public figure."

The username is the short handle that appears below the Page name and in its web address. Meta's help on Page usernames says it is "used in the web address for your profile or Page (example: facebook.com/username)." You set it under Settings, Page setup, Name. Two warnings from the same page: "newly-created Pages may not immediately be able to create a username," and a Page's username "may be removed because of inactivity." Once it is set, use the same address everywhere you link to the Page, including your website footer.

Who gets access, and how much

Never share a password to let someone help with the Page. Facebook has access levels for that. Meta's page about Facebook Page access describes three kinds:

• Facebook access, with full control or partial control. People with it can switch into the Page and manage content, messages, comments, linked accounts such as Instagram, ads, insights, events, and removals and bans. Only full control adds settings (including deleting the Page) and the power to give or remove other people's access.
• Task access, for people who work only through tools such as Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager. They "can't switch into the Page or manage it on Facebook," but can handle content, messages and community activity, ads and insights.
• Community Manager access, which only covers moderating the chat on the Page's live streams.

Full control deserves care. Meta warns that giving it to someone "gives them the same access as you," so they can "remove anyone from the Page (including you), or delete the Page." There is also a rule to plan around: "For your Page to remain active, it must have at least one person with Facebook access with full control." If nobody has full control, the Page "will be automatically deactivated and scheduled for deletion."

A sensible pattern for a small business is two owners or senior staff with full control, so the Page never depends on one person, and partial control or task access for staff and agencies. Meta's help on giving, editing or removing Page access says you need full control to change anyone's access, and that you can do it at any time. When a staff member or supplier leaves, remove their access the same day.

Meta Business Suite and your business portfolio

You can run a Page entirely from Facebook, but most businesses end up in Meta Business Suite. Meta's page on how Meta Business Suite works says it is "free to use on desktop and in the Meta Business Suite mobile app," and lets you plan and schedule Facebook and Instagram posts, view insights, use one inbox, and create simple ads or boost posts. For more detailed campaigns it points you to Ads Manager.

Business Suite needs a business portfolio, which Meta describes as "a container that holds your organization's business assets, such as a Facebook Page, Instagram account and ad account, along with the people who have access to them." Our Meta ads basics guide explains setting up the portfolio for advertising.

Adding the Page to the portfolio matters for ownership. Meta's help on adding a Page to your business portfolio states: "When you add a Page to your business portfolio, your business owns that Page." You need full control of the portfolio, and the Page must not already be owned by another person or business. People who had access before can still manage the Page afterwards, so check the list once it is added. If an agency should only help, it can request shared access to the Page as a partner instead of owning it. If your Page is linked to Instagram, Meta advises adding the Instagram account to the portfolio too; our guide to Instagram for business covers that side.

Messages and automated replies

Messages often bring the first enquiry, so decide early who answers them. According to Meta's page about Inbox in Meta Business Suite, the Inbox lets you "manage your business's communications across Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp in one place," reply to comments on Facebook and Instagram posts, mark messages for follow-up, filter by who a conversation is assigned to, and set an availability status so people "can expect a delay in your response." The same page notes that certain messaging features "for businesses and ads delivered to and from Europe and Japan will be unavailable," so check what you see in your own Inbox.

Meta's page about Inbox automations lists the templates:

• Instant reply, a greeting when someone messages you for the first time;
• Away message, a reply when you are not available;
• Frequently asked questions, location, contact information and hours replies;
• Custom keywords, a reply to messages that contain up to 5 specific keywords or phrases (desktop only);
• Comment to message, a reply to comments that contain specific hashtags (desktop only).

Two details from that page avoid surprises: keywords "are case-sensitive," so an automated message is not sent unless they match exactly, and turning on Meta Business Agent pauses existing automations such as away messages and instant replies. A short instant reply that says when you will answer, and gives your phone number or a link to your contact form, is usually enough.

Verification: three different things

Verification on Facebook means three separate things, and they are often mixed up. Meta's page on types of verified badges covers the badges:

• Meta Verified is "a paid subscription that also involves verification and comes with benefits like the blue verified badge, enhanced support, impersonation protection, and more."
• The blue (notable) badge is something public figures, celebrities and brands can apply for. The Page must be authentic, unique, complete (an about section, a photo and at least one post) and notable: Meta reviews Pages "featured in multiple news sources" and doesn't count paid or promotional content.
• Facebook Verified is a free badge for personal profiles, to show a real person is behind the profile.

Most small businesses will not meet the notable test. Meta's suggestion for them is to show the Page is authentic in other ways, for example to "link to it from an official website or Instagram profile."

The third thing is business verification in Meta Business Suite. Meta's page on verifying your business says it "is required to access certain advertising, developer, billing and spending features," and is "different from Meta Verified for businesses and won't give you a verified badge." You start it in Security Center with full control of the portfolio, enter your legal business name, address, phone number and website (which must load over HTTPS), and confirm by email, phone, text, WhatsApp or domain verification. Meta says a decision "may take up to 14 business days," and that editing your business details later means verifying again.

Page rules that matter to businesses

Meta's Pages, Groups and Events Policies apply to every Page admin, on top of the Community Standards and Terms of Service. Four rules come up most often for businesses:

• Verification: do not put a verified checkmark in your profile picture or cover photo, or in any other way "falsely represent that Facebook has verified or authenticated" the Page.
• Promotions: a contest, giveaway or sweepstakes must follow the law where you run it. Participants must release Meta from liability and acknowledge the promotion is not run by Meta. The policy also says your promotion "must not require or incentivize participants to share, repost, tag others" to publicise it, so a share this post to enter giveaway is out.
• Data collection: if you collect information from people who interact with the Page, for example through a call-to-action button, you must give notice, get explicit consent, and "clearly explain that you (and not Meta) are collecting this data."
• Branded content: if you are paid or given something to promote another business's product, follow Meta's Branded Content Policies and disclose it. Our guide to influencer marketing disclosure covers the wider rules.

The names rule also applies after launch: do not change a Page's name in a way that "significantly alters its existing purpose."

A checklist

1. Create the Page from the owner's own profile, with a name that follows Meta's guidelines and the right category.
2. Fill in contact details, address or service area, hours and website, matching your other listings.
3. Add a logo, a cover photo and one clear action button.
4. Set the username, and link the Page from your website.
5. Give a second trusted person full control; give staff and agencies partial control or task access.
6. Add the Page (and Instagram account) to your business portfolio in Meta Business Suite.
7. Turn on an instant reply and an away message, and agree who answers the Inbox.
8. Verify the business in Security Center if you plan to advertise.
9. Read the promotions rule before your first giveaway.

Posts that link to your website show a preview built from the page's Open Graph tags; our guide to social sharing previews shows how to control it, and UTM links let you see those visits in your analytics.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a personal Facebook profile to create a Page?

Yes. Meta says you need a profile before you can create a Page or group. The Page is created from your own account, and you can then give other people access to help manage it.

What is the difference between full control and partial control?

Both can manage content, messages, comments, ads, insights and events. Only full control can change settings, delete the Page, and give or remove other people's access. Meta warns that someone with full control can remove you from the Page.

Can I get a blue verified badge for my business Page?

Possibly, in two ways: by subscribing to Meta Verified, a paid subscription that includes the blue badge, or by applying for the notable badge, which requires a well-known, often searched brand featured in multiple news sources. Business verification in Meta Business Suite does not give a badge.

Can I run a share-to-enter giveaway on my Page?

No. Meta's Page policies say a promotion must not require or incentivise participants to share, repost or tag others to publicise it, and that the promotion must follow the law where you run it.

What happens if the only person with full control leaves?

Meta says a Page must have at least one person with Facebook access with full control. If nobody has it, the Page is automatically deactivated and scheduled for deletion, so always keep a second trusted person with full control.

Want a website your Facebook Page can send people to, with enquiries that are easy to follow up? See our website development service and all our services, or email [email protected].