Having the ability to control who can comment on your Facebook page is an important part of managing your presence on the platform. With the right settings, you can create an online environment that encourages positive interactions with your audience while limiting negative comments. Here are some tips on how to control commenting on your Facebook page.
Understanding Facebook Commenting Settings
Facebook provides page admins with a few different options for managing comments. These settings can be accessed by going to your page, clicking “Settings” at the top, and choosing the “Posts” tab.
The three main commenting settings are:
- Allowing commenting by everyone
- Limiting commenting to people and Pages your page has tagged
- Disabling commenting entirely
Allowing commenting by everyone is the default. This means anyone who visits your page can leave a comment on your posts. Limiting commenting means only people and Pages you’ve tagged in the post can comment. And disabling commenting prevents anyone from commenting at all.
Allowing Commenting by Everyone
Allowing anyone to comment on your Facebook posts has its advantages. It can help increase engagement, provide valuable feedback, and give you a way to interact with your audience.
However, open commenting also brings the risk of receiving unwanted, offensive, or excessive comments. Spam comments may contain dangerous links. And conversations can easily get out of control.
If you allow open commenting, be prepared to actively monitor and moderate your page. Delete offensive comments right away. Block users who repeatedly post inappropriate content. And don’t be afraid to change your settings if things get out of hand.
Limiting Commenting to People You’ve Tagged
Restricting commenting to only people and Pages you’ve tagged is a good middle ground option. These are likely people you already have some connection with, so they may be less likely to post problematic comments.
You can tag people in several ways:
- In the main text of your post
- In a photo
- Using the Tag Friends link below your post
When mentioning someone in your post, be sure you select the correct option to tag their profile and not just use their name. Otherwise, it won’t have any effect on the commenting restrictions.
The main downside to limited commenting is that it also limits your ability to interact with new audiences. However, you can occasionally open up certain posts to everyone to allow for broader engagement.
Disabling Commenting Entirely
If you’re dealing with a constant barrage of negative comments, disabling commenting may be the right choice. This removes the commenting feature from your page altogether.
Without the ability to comment at all, you’ll lose out on opportunities for engagement and feedback. However, for some pages, removing comments leads to a better overall experience for their audience and less day-to-day moderation.
Use comment disabling judiciously for specific purposes like contests and promotions. You want to prevent cheating, but not lose all engagement.
Moderating and Filtering Comments
No matter which general commenting setting you choose, you’ll also want to make use of Facebook’s moderation tools. These provide more granular control over comments.
Moderating comments means reviewing and removing comments that don’t follow your policies. You can delete individual comments or block the users who posted them.
Filtering comments means setting up words or phrases that will automatically send comments to your moderation queue when used. This makes it easier to find and review unwanted content.
Consider having a clear commenting policy and noting that your page is moderated. This sets expectations with your audience while discouraging unwanted behaviors.
Using Comment Thread Settings
Facebook also provides settings that control the display of comment threads. These can be accessed from the Comments tab under your Page Settings.
Options include:
- Letting people see all comments by default or setting comments to initially hidden
- Allowing reshares of comments
- Letting people pin comments to the top of threads
- Choosing whether lower quality comments are hidden
Consider disabling comment reshares and pins if you want to limit the impact of problematic comments. Hide potentially offensive terms if you want to avoid exposing your audience.
Use these settings thoughtfully in line with your moderation capabilities and the type of user discussions you want to cultivate.
Managing Comments on Mobile
The Facebook app and mobile site provide the ability to review and respond to comments in real time from your phone or tablet. To manage comments on mobile:
- Open the Facebook app and go to your Page
- Tap on a post to view comments
- Swipe left on a comment and tap Manage to delete or report it
The sooner you can address inappropriate comments from your mobile device, the less likely they are to impact your audience. Don’t wait to get back to a desktop.
Using Filters to Automate Comment Moderation
Manually reviewing and deleting comments can be time-consuming. Facebook offers keyword filters to help automate part of the moderation process.
To set up filter words or phrases:
- Go to your Page Settings and select Filters under the Comments tab
- Click Add Filter to choose words or phrases you want to filter
- Select whether matching comments should be monitored, hidden, or deleted
Comments that contain filtered terms will then be handled automatically based on your chosen action. Filters help moderate repetitive negative content.
You’ll still need to manually review your moderation queue and cannot filter entire sentences, so filters should complement your overall moderation workflow.
Outsourcing Comment Moderation
If your page generates a high volume of comments, you may need help keeping up with moderation. An option is to outsource moderation tasks to a team or agency.
Look for providers experienced in community management and brand moderation. They can review comments, hide or delete inappropriate content, and escalate issues as needed.
To grant access for moderation, go to Page Settings > Page Roles and add the team/agency’s Business Manager account as a Moderator or Administrator.
Make sure you align on policies and guidelines so your content standards are enforced by any outside moderators.
Leveraging Your Facebook Community for Moderation
Super fans and loyal followers who regularly engage on your page may be willing to help with moderation. Consider setting up a formal Facebook group for these community members.
There you can provide guidance on your content policies and standards. Group members can be empowered to report or even directly remove inappropriate comments on your page.
This community moderation helps share the burden. But you still need to provide oversight and keep open lines of communication.
Disabling Comments on Specific Posts
If a particular post is receiving an abundance of negative or irrelevant comments, you may want to disable commenting on it completely.
To disable comments on individual Facebook posts:
- Go to the post on your page and click the three dots in the top right corner
- Select Turn Off Commenting
This will immediately disable new comments. It can help limit distractions while still allowing engagement on other posts.
Removing Comments En Masse
On rare occasions, you may need to remove all comments from your page at once. Reasons could include:
- Changing your commenting approach entirely
- Wiping the slate clean after a commenting disaster
- Preparing branded content for reuse
To bulk delete Facebook comments:
- Go to your Page Settings and open the Comments tab
- Click Manage Comments in the top right
- Select all comments and choose Delete in the upper right
This will only remove comments from your posts, not likes or shares. Use care when deleting comments in bulk.
Disabling Commenting on Your Entire Page
In extreme cases of rampant negative comments, you may want to disable commenting across your whole Facebook page. Do this by:
- Going to your Page Settings
- Choosing Posts under the General tab
- Selecting Disable commenting on posts published by Page
Once disabled, no one will be able to comment on any post you share. Only re-enable this when you’re ready to manage conversations again.
Using Comment Warnings
You can discourage negative commenting behavior by showing warnings to users who violate your policies. To set comment warnings:
- Go to Page Settings and open the Comment Warnings tab
- Select which violations should trigger warnings
- Customize the warning messages
Comment warnings let people know certain behavior will not be tolerated. But you still need follow up moderation if they ignore the warnings.
Leveraging Comment Ads
Facebook offers the ability to promote specific comments as ads to amplify positive interactions. To run a comment ad:
- Hover over a comment and click the Boost Comment button
- Choose your targeting and duration
- Pay to promote the comment as an ad
Consider boosting comments that provide key information or powerful stories. Promoted comments can increase positive engagement.
Working with Facebook on Comment Issues
If you’re unable to control commenting on your own, Facebook may be able to provide assistance. You can report whole posts that consist mainly of objectionable comments.
You can also block particularly troublesome commenters through Facebook’s Help Center. Submit details on severe or repeated violations.
For massive comment problems, reach out to a Facebook representative to learn about additional options. Don’t hesitate to escalate issues when needed.
Conclusion
Commenting on Facebook allows you to connect with your audience, but can also open your page up to new risks. Use the platform’s robust commenting tools to maximize engagement opportunities while limiting unwanted interactions.
Consider gradually opening commenting access as you build your moderation skills. Leverage any available help in managing conversations at scale. And don’t be afraid to restrict or disable commenting if it becomes detrimental.
With the right commenting approach, you can keep your Facebook page both open and constructive for your community. Just be prepared to put in the hands-on effort required to achieve that balance.