The “Show Less” button on Facebook is used to collapse long posts so only the first few lines are displayed. When a post is truncated, a “See More” button appears that will expand the post when clicked. Likewise, after the post has been expanded, the button then changes to “Show Less” and will collapse the post again if clicked.
So in summary:
- The “Show Less” button minimizes long posts to just a preview.
- It works by collapsing the post so only the first few lines show.
- Once clicked, the full post is hidden and the button changes back to “See More.”
When does the Show Less button appear?
The “Show Less” button will display on lengthy Facebook posts in the following situations:
- Statuses, links, photos and videos with long descriptions
- Shared posts containing a lot of text
- Lengthy comments on posts
- Expanded event details
- Detailed photo albums and videos
Facebook’s algorithm automatically truncates posts beyond a certain character limit. This is done to optimize the user experience by avoiding overly long blocks of text in the feed. The exact character count that triggers truncation can vary.
Statuses
For regular text statuses, the Show Less button typically appears at around 1,200-1,500 characters. For statuses with links, images or videos, it may truncate slightly shorter statuses at around 1,000 characters.
Shared Posts
Shared posts will be truncated at around 600 characters in the main feed. The Show Less button will appear on longer shared posts.
Comments
Comments have the shortest truncation length. The Show Less option often appears on comments over just 250-300 characters.
Events, Photos, Videos
The truncation length can vary for expanded event details, lengthy photo albums and long video descriptions. But generally the Show Less option shows up between 600-1,000 characters.
Does the Show Less button remove content?
The Show Less button does not actually remove or delete any content from a Facebook post. All it does is collapse the post so only the first few lines display in the feed or comments.
The full post is still there in its entirety. Clicking “See More” will fully expand it again. This means no text or media is ever removed by using the Show Less feature – it just minimizes the visible part of the post.
Benefits of collapsing long posts
Some of the benefits of being able to truncate lengthy posts include:
- Cleaner looking feed without huge walls of text
- Faster browsing and scrolling of the News Feed
- Less need to click See More to read entire posts
- Focusing attention on most relevant information in posts
Overall, the Show Less button is a useful feature for condensing overly detailed statuses and comments into a more readable size.
Can you re-expand truncated posts?
Yes, any post that has been collapsed with the Show Less button can be re-expanded to view its full text.
To do this, simply click the “See More” link that appears at the end of the truncated preview text. This will once again display the full post.
You can toggle posts between their full expanded form and truncated preview as many times as needed by clicking Show Less and See More respectively.
Examples
- Read a long status update, click Show Less to minimize it, then See More again later to re-read it
- Glance at a collapsed shared post, use See More to view the whole thing
- Read the first part of a detailed comment, Show Less to hide it, then See More to finish reading it
Being able to re-expand collapsed content as desired allows flexibility in viewing longer posts.
Who can use the Show Less feature?
The Show Less and See More options are available to all Facebook users when viewing posts in their feeds or on profiles.
However, there are a couple exceptions where users may not see the truncate/expand buttons:
- Page Admins and Moderators – Admins and mods always see full un-truncated posts on their Pages to manage content and moderate effectively.
- Advertisers – Ad creators can write long form ad copy without character limits or Show Less buttons.
For regular personal accounts and profile posts, the truncate and expand features are universally accessible.
Usability on interfaces
The Show Less and See More options are available across Facebook’s interfaces:
- News Feed on desktop and mobile web
- iOS app
- Android app
- Mobile website (m.facebook.com)
So no matter how you access Facebook, you can take advantage of the post truncation tool.
Origin of the Show Less feature
Facebook first introduced the Show Less option in 2013. It was added as part of a major News Feed overhaul that focused on high quality content.
Some of the goals behind adding post truncation included:
- Improving readability of the News Feed
- Reducing clutter from overly long status updates
- Letting users preview long posts before fully expanding them
Show Less proved popular among users for simplifying their feed viewing experience. It was made a permanent toggle feature alongside See More.
Evolution of post length limits
When Facebook first launched, it had a 5,000 character limit for statuses. This was eventually lowered to 63,206 characters.
Over time, Facebook realized lengthy posts negatively impacted engagement. So it began truncating posts algorithmically rather than imposing a hard limit.
Show Less lets the system automatically preview long statuses while still allowing flexibility through See More. This balanced approach prevents excessively long posts.
Does Show Less influence reach and engagement?
Using the Show Less button to truncate long posts can sometimes improve their reach and engagement on Facebook.
This is because overly detailed statuses with huge blocks of text tend to get less likes, comments and shares compared to shorter, more scannable posts.
| Post Type | Engagement |
|---|---|
| Long detailed post | Lower |
| Shorter truncated post | Higher |
By previewing posts and removing extraneous detail, Show Less focuses attention on the most engaging information that people want to interact with.
Improved algorithmic reach
Additionally, truncating posts may improve their algorithmic reach in the News Feed. This is because Facebook’s algorithm factors in post length when ranking content.
Their system tends to favor shorter, more focused posts to show to more people. So collapsing overly long statuses using Show Less can boost their reach.
Pros and cons of the Show Less button
The Show Less feature has various pros and cons to consider:
Pros
- Less cluttered looking News Feed
- Faster and easier browsing experience
- Highlights most important parts of long posts
- Improves readability of detailed statuses
Cons
- Can fragment or disrupt storytelling in long anecdotes
- Requires extra click to re-expand truncated posts
- Full context not immediately visible in previewed posts
Overall the pros seem to outweigh the cons for most Facebook users based on the popularity of Show Less.
Best practices for writing long Facebook posts
When composing an extremely detailed or lengthy post, it’s best to follow these practices:
- Organize info clearly – Use paragraphs, lists and line breaks to format blocks of text neatly.
- Prioritize key points – Frontload posts with the most important info readers need to know.
- Consider multimedia – Embed relevant photos, videos and links to enhance and break up large walls of text.
- Review before posting – Check your post looks organized and reads well before publishing.
This will create shareable posts that showcase your most valuable content even when truncated.
Optimizing posts for truncation
You can also optimize directly for the Show Less preview text:
- Place crucial info like dates, times and calls-to-action early so they show in truncation.
- Make sure truncated preview text entices readers to click See More for full details.
- Avoid abrupt transitions mid-sentence in your preview text.
Writing share-worthy posts suitable for truncation takes practice but helps boost engagement.
Troubleshooting Show Less issues
In some cases, the Show Less button may not appear or function as expected. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
Show Less button not appearing
- Try posting from a personal account rather than a Page you manage
- Avoid using Markdown text formatting which can interfere with truncation
- Ensure your post is long enough to trigger truncation (over 1,000+ characters)
See More not expanding posts
- Refresh the page – this may resolve intermittent technical issues
- Posts shared from outside Facebook may not fully expand
- Copy-pasted or imported text can sometimes not expand properly
If issues persist, contacting Facebook support is recommended for further help.
Conclusion
The Show Less button is a simple yet powerful feature for previewing and minimizing overly detailed posts on Facebook. While it doesn’t actually remove any content, collapsing lengthy statuses can greatly improve the News Feed reading experience.
Used thoughtfully, Show Less allows you to highlight the most engaging parts of posts for your audience. Just be sure to also optimize your writing to work well when truncated. With practice, you can create effective long form content that both informs and entertains readers.