Changing the share settings for a Facebook group allows you to control who can share posts from your group. By default, posts in a Facebook group can be shared publicly outside the group. As an admin, you can restrict sharing to group members only or turn sharing off entirely.
Why Would I Want to Change the Share Settings?
There are a few reasons you may want to limit or turn off sharing for your Facebook group:
- To keep discussions private – If your group discusses sensitive topics, limiting shares can help keep conversations contained within the group.
- To avoid misinformation – Restricting shares can prevent false or misleading information from spreading outside the group.
- To encourage engagement – Turning sharing off means people have to visit your group to see the discussions, which may increase engagement.
How Do I Change the Share Settings?
As a group admin, changing the share settings is easy to do:
- Go to your Facebook group page and click “Settings” at the top of the page.
- Click “Manage Group” to expand the admin menu.
- Click “Share Settings” on the left sidebar.
- Under “Who Can Share Posts From This Group?”, choose one of the options:
- Public: Anyone can share posts from the group publicly.
- Members: Only group members can share posts.
- Only admins: Only group admins can share posts.
- No one: Turns off all sharing abilities.
- Click “Save Changes” at the bottom to update the settings.
Once you save, the new share settings will take effect immediately. Existing posts may still show as shared publicly, but any new posts will follow your updated settings.
How Do the Share Settings Affect Members?
Here is how the different share options affect your group members:
| Share Setting | Members Can… |
|---|---|
| Public | Share posts publicly outside the group. |
| Members | Only share posts with other members of the group. |
| Only Admins | See posts but cannot share them. |
| No One | Only see posts while visiting the group. Cannot share at all. |
So if you want to limit sharing to just conversations within your group, choosing “Members” or “Only Admins” is best. And “No One” completely turns off the ability for members to share.
Can I Make Exceptions for Individual Posts?
Even if you limit sharing for the group, as an admin you can still make individual posts shareable to the public:
- When creating a new post in your group, click the dropdown arrow next to “Post”.
- Choose “Make Shareable” to enable public sharing for just that specific post.
This will override the overall group setting and allow members to share that post publicly. Any other posts will still follow the main share setting.
How Do I Know If Post Sharing Is On or Off?
Here are a couple ways to tell if post sharing is enabled for your Facebook group:
- Look for a share icon below posts – If you see the share arrow, sharing is enabled.
- Try to share a post – Attempt to share a post outside the group. If you’re unable to, sharing has been restricted.
- Check the group settings – View the “Share Settings” in your group’s admin tools to see the current sharing option.
- Admins can always share – No matter the setting, admins can always share posts from the group.
Can I Temporarily Turn Off Sharing?
Instead of updating the global setting, you can temporarily turn off public sharing for your group by “disabling link sharing”:
- Go to the group settings and click “Manage Group”.
- Click “Disable Link Sharing” at the top of the page.
- This will override the share setting and turn off public sharing until you re-enable it.
- You can re-enable link sharing in the same area when you want to allow sharing again.
Using this option is handy if you just want to temporarily restrict sharing for a short time, like leading up to an announcement or event.
What Happens When I Change the Share Setting?
Changing the share setting only affects new posts created after that point. Any existing posts that were already shared publicly will still remain available outside your group.
For example, if you switch from “Public” to “Members Only”, any old posts already shared will still be visible. But new posts going forward cannot be shared. So the change isn’t retroactive.
Can I See Who Has Shared Posts?
Unfortunately there is no way to see exactly who has shared posts from your Facebook group. However, you can get an idea based on engagement:
- Lots of comments from non-members means a post was shared widely.
- A sudden spike in membership requests could indicate sharing activity.
- Watch for posts getting more reach and engagement than usual.
While not exact, monitoring those metrics gives you a sense of how often your content gets shared externally.
Should I Turn Off Sharing Entirely?
Turning off sharing completely depends on your goals for the group:
- If privacy is important, disabling sharing ensures conversations stay protected.
- But sharing posts can help increase membership and grow your group.
- Find a balance between privacy and promotion that fits your community.
Try allowing members to share at first, and if it becomes an issue later you can always tighten restrictions.
Conclusion
Limiting post sharing for Facebook groups is a handy tool for keeping discussions contained or avoiding misinformation. Try adjusting the “Share Settings” to find the right level for your community.
Just remember existing shares can’t be undone, so changes only apply to new posts going forward. Monitor non-member engagement to get an idea of how often your content gets shared externally.
With the right settings, you can successfully control sharing while continuing to grow your group. Strike a balance between privacy and promotion that best achieves your goals.