When you post something on Facebook, by default it will show up in the News Feed of all your friends and followers. However, there are a few ways to post on Facebook without notifying everyone that you’re connected to.
Use Facebook Lists
One of the easiest ways to limit who sees your Facebook posts is to use Lists. Lists allow you to group your friends and followers into specific categories, such as “Close Friends,” “Family,” “Coworkers,” etc. When you post something, you can select to share it with one of your lists instead of all of your friends.
To create a list on Facebook:
- Go to your profile and click “Friends” in the left sidebar
- Click the “Lists” tab at the top
- Click the + icon to create a new list
- Give the list a name and start adding friends to it
Once you have a list, when you go to make a post you can select “Custom” under the audience selector and choose your list. This way, only the people in that list will be notified about your post.
Use Facebook Groups
Similar to lists, posting in a Facebook Group allows you to target your audience. When you post in a private Facebook Group, only members of that group will be able to see your post.
To post in a group:
- Go to the group page
- Click “Write Post” at the top
- Write your post as normal and click “Post”
This will share your post just to members of that private group rather than all of your friends. You can create your own private group with a select number of people and post there if you want to limit your audience.
Adjust News Feed Settings
If you don’t want certain people to see your future posts at all, you can remove them from your News Feed audience completely.
To do this:
- Go to your profile and click “Friends”
- Click on a friend’s name
- Click “Friends” below their cover photo
- Uncheck “See First” and “Notifications”
This will prevent that friend from having your posts show up in their News Feed. You can do this for as many friends as you want.
Use Private Profiles
You can make your entire Facebook profile private so that only your confirmed friends can see what you post.
To make your profile private:
- Click the down arrow in the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy”
- Click “Settings”
- Click “Privacy”
- Under “How people can find and contact you,” select “Friends”
This will make it so only your friends can see your profile and posts. You can also block specific people from seeing your profile using the “Blocking” settings.
Post at Strategic Times
When you post on Facebook can make a difference in how many people notice it right away. Posting at peak times when more people are aktive on Facebook means your post is liable to get more engagement. Here are some of the best times to post on Facebook:
| Day | Best Time to Post |
|---|---|
| Monday | 1-3 PM |
| Tuesday | 1-3 PM |
| Wednesday | 3-4 PM |
| Thursday | 1-3 PM |
| Friday | 1-3 PM |
| Saturday | 12-1 PM |
| Sunday | 1-4 PM |
Posting during these times when more people are scrolling Facebook means your post will have a better chance of being seen. Whereas if you post at 3 AM, very few of your friends will probably be online to engage with it.
Use Temporary Stories
Facebook Stories only appear in your friends’ feeds temporarily before disappearing after 24 hours. Posting a photo or video as a Story means it won’t permanently show up on your profile.
To post a story:
- Click “Stories” in the left menu on mobile or “Create Story” at the top of the News Feed on desktop.
- Take or upload a photo/video for your story.
- Add any text, stickers or drawings you want.
- Click your audience to share it.
The advantage of stories is that they disappear after a day, so you don’t have to worry about permanently cluttering up your friends’ feeds. The downside is that they aren’t saved anywhere, so you can’t go back and see old stories.
Go on Facebook “Vacation Mode”
Facebook offers a “vacation mode” that will prevent your profile from appearing in other people’s feeds temporarily. All you have to do is:
- Click the down arrow at the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy”
- Click “Settings”
- Click “Your Facebook Information”
- Select “Take a Break”
This will make it so nothing you post shows up in anyone’s feed. You can still use Facebook messenger and notifications. When you’re ready, just come back and disable vacation mode.
Conclusion
Facebook is designed to share your posts with all of your connected friends by default. However, using tools like Facebook Lists, Groups, and Stories you can easily limit your audience. You can also post at strategic times when fewer people are online. Adjusting your privacy settings and using vacation mode can prevent your posts from appearing in feeds as well.
The key is being selective about who you share with and when you post. With the right audience and timing, you can share on Facebook while only notifying the people you specifically want to see your posts.