Wondering how to change your Facebook Page URL?
It’s pretty simple, though Facebook once said you can’t.
I checked all of the Pages I admin, and the option to change the Page URL was readily available. Here’s how.
UPDATED May 2021! Yes, this article is actually correct, unlike those others.
We will cover:
- Rules for your Facebook Business Page username.
- Best practices and cautions when changing your URL.
- Exactly how to change your Facebook URL in 2021.
- Plus a video walkthrough of changing your Page and profile URLs.
NOTE: Here are the instructions if you need to change your Facebook Page NAME, instead of URL.
What’s my Facebook Page URL?
Your Facebook Page URL is the part of your web address after the https://www.facebook.com/. So in the case of my Fan Page, we’re talking about the LouiseMcom.
Facebook calls this your username. It’s also often referred to as your vanity URL.
Important rules for your Facebook Page URL aka username
Not surprisingly, Facebook has a host of rules about usernames.
- You can only have one username for your Page or profile.
- You can’t claim a username someone else is already using.
- Usernames can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) or a period (“.”).
- They can’t contain generic terms or extensions (.com, .net). However I was able to append “com” with no problem.
- Periods (“.”) and capitalization don’t count as a part of a username. For example, johnsmith55, John.Smith55 and john.smith.55 are all considered the same username.
- Usernames must be at least 5 characters long.
- Your username must adhere to Facebook’s Terms. source
Keep in mind that you must be an admin to create or change the username for a Page.
You may not be able to immediately create a username for a new Page if you’ve recently created several new Pages.
Can I reserve a Facebook Page username for later?
Don’t rely on “reserving” a Facebook URL and username!
A Page’s username can also be removed because of inactivity. YES, this happened to me! I set a URL and didn’t use the Page.
Now that URL belongs to someone else!
So if you want to hold a Facebook Page URL for later, post on the Page – or Facebook may release your username for someone else to snatch up.
Can I switch Facebook Page usernames?
So you want to remove a username / URL from one Page to use it on another.
Or maybe you want to change your personal profile URL so you can use it on your business page.
Will it be available? How long will it take before you can reuse that name?
This has become a frequently asked question here. People either want to know if they can switch immediately, or ask:
Why is my old Facebook username not available when it’s not taken?
I’m sorry to say that Facebook does not reveal their practices for releasing previously-used usernames and URLs.
Many years ago, it seemed like Facebook never released them. But they probably realized that their growing userbase made that unsustainable.
Then I had some people tell me the release of an old username was immediate. They could apply the name to another Page right away.
I also have people say they’ve waited months and the old username still says not available.
I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you what will happen when you try it.
But I don’t.
What I suspect about switching usernames
Facebook may have initiated a cooling off period as was noticed with changing Instagram usernames. It’s said to be 14 days.
Some usernames will never be made available again because the Business Page or personal profile broke Facebook’s ToS.
Facebook will change their mind on their policy whenever they feel like it.
I wouldn’t rely on anything you find online as gospel truth. I don’t think anyone really knows how it will work today, in your country, with your specific situation.
So what should I do if the old username says not available?
Keep checking!
On the chance it becomes available, which I think is a reasonable chance, you want to be the one to grab it.
And if it doesn’t within two weeks to a month, you can report an issue with Facebook Pages here.
I can’t promise anything, but it’s worth a shot.
Of course, like all things Facebook, if you have an Ad Manager, s/he should be your first go-to.
More Facebook Page username best practices
In addition to FB’s rules, here are my suggestions to get the best Facebook username:
Choose a username you’ll be happy with for the long term. It may or may not be changeable in the future!
Keep your username as short and memorable as possible, yet…
Make it as close as possible to your true name or the name of the business or person your Page represents (ex: John.Smith, Facebook).
Regarding periods and capitalization, decide how you want it to look in the address bar, because users can type it in with or without periods and capitals.
This also means you can’t claim a URL someone else is using by adding periods or caps.
I did see one article claiming that periods between words makes your URL more SEO friendly, as Google likes delimiters between words. I decided to forgo periods to be more user-friendly.
If the username you want isn’t available, you’ll need to pick a new one that’s not taken yet. A username may be unavailable if it’s already claimed, even if the Page or profile it’s associated with isn’t published or used yet.
However, the username may be released if the Page remains inactive (see note above).
Cautions on changing a Facebook Page URL that’s already set
Maybe you’ve decided your URL is too long, or you want to make it match your Page Name.
Changing your Page URL won’t change your Page name – the title that appears under your cover photo. However, be aware that once you’ve set a vanity URL, changing it will mean that any links to your Page will no longer work.
If you don’t search out and change the old links, when clicked, they’ll lead to this cute message:
Not so cute when it means people searching for you won’t find you!
I have some suggestions to help Google stop sending traffic to your old URL, but there is no such thing as a Facebook Page that redirects from one URL to another.
See the “Timeline for changing” section below to avoid the missing Page problem.
Also be aware: previously, Facebook allowed to change your Page URL only one time.
So don’t make a change lightly – you’re might have to live with this one, or start a new Fan Page.
When it comes to social media, there are no guarantees that what works today will work tomorrow!
Can I make Google change the URL on my Facebook Page?
“When I google my FB name, the old URL appears and says the link is broken.”
Trying to get Google to do what you want is almost as much fun as trying to get Facebook to bow to your wishes. It just doesn’t happen.
There’s no way to submit your new URL on Facebook to search engines. You have to wait until they re-crawl the Page.
I’m stretching here, but it’s possible you’re seeing a cached version of your search. Try a different browser, an incognito window, or clear your cache.
It will take time though. Here’s one thing that no one reported was instantaneous.
How to get Google to update your Facebook Page URL faster
Update all links to your Facebook Page as detailed below. Google loves to see incoming links.
Request Google remove your old URL.
Keep your Page active with lots of relevant content. Google will love the keywords, and the activity.
What you MUST do before changing your Facebook Page username
If you’ve had your Facebook business Page for any length of time, and you’re active in promoting it, you’ve got that link posted in a lot of places.
I ran a search of my blog posts for my then-current “howtographics” username and was surprised to find over a dozen links.
You’ve probably linked your FB Page in at least one sidebar, header, or footer widget (I had three).
If you’ve guest posted, consider whether you left links there, and how you can access them to make the change. The last thing you want is to impress your reader, then send them to a dead page!
If you’ve linked to your Facebook Fan Page from other social accounts, you’ll need to update those too.
You may have saved a Pin on Pinterest with a link to your Facebook Business Page. You can change the URL on a Pin that you yourself pinned (but it won’t populate to repins). And if you have an Instagram account, you might have dropped a link there. Or on your Twitter profile. Find ’em all!
Check your email signature, as well as any printed materials – business cards, brochures, anything else? These will need to be addressed first 😉
As far as search engines like Google, you can ask them to deindex your old Facebook Page URL. They should eventually notice regardless. The length of time probably depends on how big or active your page is/was.
If people search for your Facebook page outside Facebook, a search engine such as Google will send people to a broken Facebook Page link for some amount of time – even if you request they remove the obsolete URL.
For me, I was doubtful many people were searching for my FB page on Google. If you feel that’s true for you, try not to worry about it ?
Work on the ones things you can control – read on for the timeline.
Timeline for Changing Your Facebook URL
Now that you’ve figured out where you’ve placed your old username, it’s time to prepare.
Before investing time or money in the following steps, ensure that you have the option to change your username! Then proceed.
Most steps are optional and some may not apply to you. Use your best judgement. These are suggestions only.
- Printed materials? Get ready to order new ones ASAP.
- Post a heads-up on your FB Page that you’ll be changing your username. Explain why.
- Reach out to blogs where you’ve guest posted and ask if they will make the URL change for you, if you don’t have admin privileges to do it yourself.
- Prepare an image or video to post on Facebook when you complete the name change.
- Set aside one to several hours (depending on how much you need to change) to do steps 6 to 9 in quick succession.
- Open all the blog posts, widgets, and social media accounts that you need to change in separate tabs. Enter the change, but don’t save/update yet.
- Go into your Facebook Fan Page and make the change following the steps below.
- Got a new username secured? NOW complete everything from steps 1, 3, 4 and 6.
- Change your email signature.
- If needed, change your Facebook Page NAME to match the new username.
- If needed, rebrand your FB Page graphics (more info on this towards the end of this article).
- If desired, inform followers on your other social accounts, blog, and email list of your change.
- Apply to Google for removal of the obsolete URL: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals
- If needed, request assistance from Facebook. Go to your Page> Assistance> dig up to find the item “Need more help? Contact support.” I can’t give you a link for this page because it doesn’t exist, it’s a form that appears inside https://www.facebook.com/business/help
Thanks to reader Marco for the last 2 pointers.
How to change a Facebook Page username that’s already set
Follow these 4 steps with screenshots. We will also recap on video in the next section.
1 | Log into Facebook as the personal profile that’s an Admin of the Page you wish to change. Please do so on a computer.
Click About on the left side of your Page.
OR you might have this format, where you jump directly to “Edit Page info”:
2 | Either way, your next step is to click Edit to the right of your current Page username.
3 | Enter a new username.
4 | If it’s available, meets the guidelines, and you’re SURE you want to make the change, click Create Username.
You’re done!
How to change a Facebook Page URL: video
This 1 1/2 minute video will walk you through how to change your Page username.
Prefer to read? The text walkthrough with screenshots is directly above.
Yes, it is still accurate in 2021 even though it says 2020.
Why can’t I change my Facebook Page URL?
My readers keep me on my toes! Just after updating this article, Jaz commented:
I had originally been able to change it but I did not click “Request Change” since I was still deciding what I wanted the new name to be.
Now when I click to Edit the Page Name, a pop-up comes up that says “You can’t change your Page name.”
I could not find anything definitive about NOT being able to change usernames except that you must be an admin. Nonetheless, here are some things to check:
1 | Are you logged into a FB account that has full admin privileges?
2 | Have you changed your URL recently? Wait at least 3 days before trying again.
3 | Have you engaged in spammy behavior? Start over with a new Page if you can commit to NO spam!
4 | Have you ever used the Page? Inactivity could prevent you from making this URL change.
5 | Do you have hardly any, or a ton of, Page Likes? Once again, a possibility.
If you still don’t have the option to change your URL/username, try this Facebook Page problem report.
However, if you’ve run ads and have an ad manager, contact them as they should be eager to help.
Next steps for your Facebook Fan Page
Does your FB Page cover photo match your new brand?
Facebook’s cover photos are a bit tricky to size correctly to look good across devices!
Use my template in the article below! Or try the fast and easy way to optimized cover photos for every major social network. Design one, and optimize for another use in a couple clicks.
If you need to update your profile picture, this article is full of great tips. It mentions Instagram, but the tips are universal to all profile images – which should match everywhere your business appears online!
This article covers just about every Facebook Page image and video size known to mankind, even down to “Our Story” and job postings. It’s all here!
Plan to run ads to promote your rebranded page? Great idea! Make sure they work for you so you don’t waste money.
I have loads more, but that should keep you busy for awhile!
Will You Change Your Facebook Page URL in 2021?
We covered:
- Rules for your Facebook Page username.
- Best practices and cautions when changing your URL.
- Exactly how to change your Facebook URL in 2021.
What do you think? Is it worth the hassle?
I deliberated for quite some time before deciding it was a necessity for me.
Let me know if you will change your Facebook Page URL!
Harry says
Hey Louise,
Been trying to find how to change the name at the end of the personal profile URL.
Your video above is said to show how to after 2 mins but doesn’t now.
Do you have the way to do this please? Really appreciate!
Thanks,
Harry J.D.
Louise Myers says
Sorry about that! You can change it under Settings > General > Name.
Marla Green says
Mrs. Myers do you have any idea how to change your personal profile URL now? I tried the above instructions and were unable to. I’ve been playing for the past 1.5hours and can’t figure it out. Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you!
Louise Myers says
It’s still there, but you probably need to look on a computer, not a phone.
Suzy McCullough says
Hi I’m sorry but with the new page experience on Facebook that left hand column with the edit page option is no longer there
Louise Myers says
Are you referring to step 1 where I show 2 different ways to find it, and saying yours looks like the first way? I don’t want to leave people without a way to find it, just trying to cover all the bases.
Harri says
Hey,
I’ve had a Facebook business page for around 4 years and I want to update my username.
I haven’t been active on it at all until today.
I invited around 1000 people to like my page and I have sixty-something likes right now.
Facebook isn’t letting me create a new username and it’s not telling me why.
Do I have to wait for a while? Do you know why this might be?
Thank you 🙂
Louise Myers says
It’s possible the sudden activity caused a freeze on your page. Try again a week or more later.
jayapal says
I have a business page but i couldnt Boost my post in that page it says Page restricted and asked me share an id proof i did the same but still my page it restricted and now it says its been way too long an i cannot do anything to remove the restriction. I dont on what basis they have restricted my page, as the contents in my page are valid they are just my company promotional post which we post in Insta and Twitter too.
Tiffany says
Hello, I have recently changed the username for my page, however now I cannot even get onto my page as when I click on the shortcut to the page on my account, I get the broken link message. I therefore cannot even get onto my page from the admin perspective to edit it. Please help!
Louise Myers says
What happens if you type in the new URL, or search for your page? It could take a bit of time for the shortcut link to update.
Alex says
Hi,
I made a new fb business page for my company and I have linked the fb profile to my email signature, website and a bunch of other places with the generic url FB gives you with the /62736383 after it for example… so no username has been set yet.. i know I need to set a username for my page but since the name is taken, it has taken me awhile to decide what else I can use, but my question here is- if I was to now create a FB username for the first time, do you think these links will break from where i used the generic page url? Or no as they should be fine as I’m not changing usernames I’m only creating one. I’m hesitant to set a username as it may cause issues, so want to see if I can prepare for it if you know the answer and choose the right time if it will cause an issue.
Louise Myers says
This is a great question… unfortunately I don’t know the answer. The link might not break, however you can quickly change what you have on your email signature and website. It’s great to put social links wherever we can, but in my experience they’re just not clicked that often so… don’t worry too much about it.
Rick says
I have been through at least 5+_case IDs with Facebook support regarding changing or SWAP ing our current Facebook profile username to our new Business Page.
Does anyone have any idea if you change your personal profile username.
Does that username release it immediately for claiming on a business page?
Thank you
Ariane Cooley says
Hey Louise,
I am a VA and do a ton of social media for my clients. I recently came across an issue where a client had me change his group name from “Accelerated Group” to “Engagement Group” (not the full name, but just for simplicity sake). Then he had me create a new group called “Accelerated Group”. I created it, but it told me that the url was already taken. So I made it slightly different. Now, when I type in “Accelerated Group” I get redirected to the “Engagement Group”. I am utterly baffled, because everything I read says that FB does not do redirects. My client is pissed because his “Accelerated Group” is a paid group and the “Engagement Group” is not, and he is worried people who paid are going to land in the free group. Right now though, I have nothing for him to resolve the situation. He wants me to try to get FB to release the redirect, but its like, officially they don’t do that so… I am stuck. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Louise Myers says
Sorry this is happening. I honestly don’t know about redirects for groups as I’ve never changed a group name / URL.
FB changes their policies all the time, so there’s that too.
If you have a way to get in touch with FB, ask! Then please let me know how it goes.
Best of luck.
Laura says
Hi Louise,
I changed my business facebook page username on Friday and ever since it is saying that the page isn’t unavailable and that the link may be broken.
I have reported the problem several times but nothing has happened and trying to find another way to contact facebook is impossible.
Can you offer a solution to the problem?
Thanks
Louise Myers says
2 suggestions, neither may help if you can’t access the page at all. But do try on different browsers and devices (like mobile) before giving up.
*Sometimes* there’s a chat link in the business page ad manager.
Perhaps you can change back?
Hope it resolves itself soon!
Laura says
Hi Louise,
I have a business page and changed the username on Friday. Since I changed it, it has came up that the page is unavailable and that the link may be broken. i have tried reporting the problem to facebook but nothing has been fixed and trying to find another way to contact them is proving to be impossible.
Is there a solution to this as it has very frustrating now?
Thanks
Louise Myers says
I’m not sure which URL is coming up as broken, but if it’s the new one, I guess it could take time. Have you tried clearing your browser cache or using a different device to check?
Reporting *definitely* takes time.
Hope you get it worked out.
David says
Dear All,
I have the similar issue like you all have above. All I wanted to swap my usernames between my business page and my personal account on Facebook. However a second later I changed my username / URL it said that the “Username is not available”. Do you think if I delete both my personal profile and my business page (I wouldn’t even “care / mind” to lose all my followers and friends…) and re-register them, then I could claim my previous username?
Louise Myers says
Maybe someone has tried this lately and can weigh in, but in my experience, it’s impossible to predict what FB will do with usernames on any particular day or account. Sometimes the names are released after some period of time, and other times never. I’d at least keep checking for awhile before doing anything drastic.
David says
Thank you so much for your quick response. I was hoping that by deleting my profiles and opening a new one will increase my chances to get back my username that used for 9 years. But I just wait then. I keep checking it in the morning and in the evening. Fingers crossed.
Darko says
Hi there,
I had a Facebook URL (e.g.com). I then accidentally changed it, and when I tried to get it back, it said it was unavailable. Is there some limit on how many times you can change it, a time factor/limit e.g, (“You change it again in 3 days”), or has someone taken it in the meantime. Please help. There is absolute no way of contacting Facebook , phone, email, billing address, live chat, even fax number for god sake. Absolutely nothing, you are my only hope.
Louise Myers says
You can’t change more than once in 7 days, but there’s no saying when or if FB will release your previous name. Just keep checking.
Also try without the . in there as they may disallow names that include .com. (For example, mine is LouiseMcom, no dot).
Laura Tucker says
Hi, great article! Do you happen to know if you can immediately claim a username that you removed from your page? The change I want to make is a bit of a domino scenario. I want to switch the username from my personal profile to my business page #1, and then use the original username from business page #1 on business page #2.
Convoluted, I know, but it would make things more consistent!
Louise Myers says
Sorry to say that how IG handles released names varies. Sometimes you can claim them right away, sometimes they don’t show up for varying periods of time (so you have to keep checking), and I’ve also seen some cases where they don’t get released. That may only be in cases of questionable use of the account, but it’s hard to say anything for certain.
Unfortunately it’s a crapshoot.
Cheryl Congrove says
Laura Tucker, I have a similar situation. I am curious about your outcome. Did you change your page name, and did the “old name” become available for you to repurpose as a new business page?
erica aitken says
Could you please help me? I have had a page for a long time. I created a new Facebook page for a political organization and tried to friend my friends by clicking on their names. This created a new page for me (no pic, no nothing) I can see my old page as a person who is a friend (I’m a friend of this new me) How can I get back to my old self?
Louise Myers says
Sorry but I’ve never heard of anything like this. FB doesn’t even allow one person to have 2 personal profiles so I have no idea how this was created.
Chantal says
Thanks for the article, however the interface on my page is totally different. There is nothing about a username anywhere… I’ve even done a search for it. My username has a string of numbers on the end of it which makes sharing it a nighmare. Any idea where I can change it now? I really wish they woud slow down with their changes.
Louise Myers says
You may have switched to “New Facebook” because mine is the same. I recommend you switch back to Classic. Other marketers are telling me the New version makes it impossible to manage anything.
Ndubuisi says
This was so helpful.
Thank you very much Louise.
Goshreenath Nayak says
Dear,
I have already changed my user name from krshngeeth to krshngeeth999.
I would like to use old username of krshngeeth only.
But it’s now saying not available. What’s fb policy in its regards? Why I’m not able to change to previous old url again?
Louise Myers says
There’s no published policy on this. I’ve found that sometimes they release previously used names, and sometimes they don’t.
Rebecca says
Hi there,
I have just converted a profile to a page. I have changed the username of the profile, as I need the username for the page. But facebook won’t allow me to change the page’s username, saying it is not available.
Do you have any idea how long it takes for the username to become available again?
Cheers,
Rebecca
Louise Myers says
Unfortunately Facebook changes the way they handle this, or has secret rules about releasing usernames. Sometimes they become available immediately, sometimes it takes a while, and sometimes they never do. Hope you can grab it again soon!
Paolo says
I hate HATE articles like this. Keyword stuffing to get to the top of search results and reason to post more ads while not giving useful information upfront.
Louise Myers says
To each their own. I get more comments from people who love it the wealth of information.
Dave says
Hello there!!
I started a FB account back around 2010, but by mistake called myself “My Business” instead of “My Name”. A little later, I started a FB page for My Business, and it was given the URL /mybusiness-1723423424542.
I now have over 40 likes for the page, and was hoping that the URL would change to /mybusiness. However, this has not happened, presumably because my personal page has the URL /my.business. If you type into the address bar /mybusiness, the page reverts to /my.business (my personal page).
How can I get around this problem?
Many thanks for any help.
Louise Myers says
Unfortunately, you’ve already used the URL you now want on your business page. With or without periods, it’s the same URL to FB.
And the URL wouldn’t change automatically anyway, you have to request the change (unless they changed something, as they are wont to do!).
I don’t know what the name is, but it’s against FB ToS to use a personal account for business, so you might want to change that to your real name.
Whether or when that business name might become available for your page is a huge unknown though.
Dave says
Hi Louise, and thankyou for your advice.
I changed the account to my real name, then immediately I was able to change the business page to /mybusiness.
So all is now good – many thanks.
Louise Myers says
Fantastic! Thanks for circling back, good to hear.
Farzana Kamal says
Hey,
So i have successfully changed my personal fb account username from “abcofficial” to “abc”just to be able to give my previous username (which is abcofficial) to my fb page.
But everytime i try to change my fb page username it says it’s already taken when it actually isnt. What should i do?
Louise Myers says
I’m asked this often.
FB doesn’t tell us what their “rules” are for if and when they release previously-used names. The only thing I know to do is to keep checking so you can grab it if it’s released.
Please follow up and let us know what happens! It would help me help others in this same predicament.
RD says
If I share my facebook link, via email signature or another method, what’s the point if the person isn’t on facebook?
That would mean they must log in to see page, or create a fb account to see ‘page’.
While not logged into fb, i’ve bee able to see other pages via their link, yet, people cannot see mine at all. 404 page.
What can I do about this?
Thanks
Louise Myers says
To see your Page when you’re logged out, you’ll need to remove all age and country restrictions in the Page settings.
Issac says
How can hide or remove my fb username url ?
Louise Myers says
You can’t hide a FB business page as they are public.
If you want to hide a personal profile, you might want to google privacy settings.
Sofi says
So easy and I wasn’t able to find it 😀 Thank you!
Link says
Hi there. Thanks for the article.! My questions are:
1. If I change my FB page name from say YYYY to YYY, will people who have liked my page and follow me still get notifications from my page?
2. And if they type in YYYY as the URL will it automatically redirect to my new page at YYY.?
I’m guessing #1 is yes and #2 is no but I’d like to confirm first!
Cheers,
Link.
Louise Myers says
#1 should be yes, but with Facebook I don’t guarantee anything 🙂 It’s been my experience though.
#2 is unfortunately no.
Link says
Thanks for verifying!
Louise Cornelissen says
THANK YOU !! The other articles were too old and the information was wrong. Great article, so simple to change a “username” for my page !
Marco Panichi says
“Google will send people to a broken Facebook Page link”
How to solve (indirectly) the problem:
1) Make sure the old url disappears from the web; update it on your website, in other social channels and if it is present in third party channels (yellow pages, various portals, etc.) ask for the update of the url
2) Apply to Google for the removal of obsolete url: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals
3) Request assistance from Facebook; go to your page> Assistance> dig up to find the item “Need more help? Contact support”; I can’t give you a link for this page because it doesn’t exist, it’s a form that appears inside https://www.facebook.com/business/help
Hope this helps!
Marco
Louise Myers says
Fantastic, Marco! This article was slated for update today so I incorporated your points 2 & 3.