Turning on membership approval for a Facebook group allows group administrators to manually approve each new member request before the user is added to the group. This gives you more control over who joins your group and helps prevent spam accounts from infiltrating your community.
Why Use Membership Approval for a Facebook Group
There are several reasons why you may want to turn on the membership approval setting for your Facebook group:
- Prevent spam accounts from joining – Bots and fake accounts won’t be able to join your group without approval
- Control who can see group content – You can reject members who may not be a good fit
- Maintain privacy – Especially important for closed and secret groups who want to remain exclusive
- Reduce inappropriate content – Manual approval means you can block troublemakers
The downside is that enabling this feature means more work for admins who have to manually approve each request. It also may slow down the growth of your group since new members won’t be added immediately. However, for many group creators the extra control and privacy is worth the inconvenience.
How to Turn on Membership Approval
Turning on membership approval is an easy process if you manage the group. Just follow these steps:
- Go to your Facebook group page and click on the Members tab on the left sidebar
- On mobile, tap the Members tab below the cover photo
- Click the Membership Approval dropdown menu near the top
- Select Approve Members
Once membership approval is enabled, users who request to join your Facebook group will see a notice that their request is pending admin approval.
As an admin, you will get notifications when there are new member requests awaiting review. To approve requests:
- Go to the Members section of your group
- Click Requests near the top
- Review the list of users requesting to join your group
- Click Approve next to each member you want to add
- Click Delete Request to reject unwanted requests
Who Can Approve Membership Requests
All group admins and moderators have the ability to review and approve or deny membership requests. The admin who created the group can assign admin and moderator roles to trustworthy group members.
To change someone’s role in your group on desktop:
- Go to the Members section
- Click Roles next to the name of the member you want to modify
- Choose Admin, Moderator, or Member
On mobile:
- Go to Members
- Tap the name of the member
- Tap Edit next to their role
- Select Admin, Moderator, or Member
Best practice is to have a few admins and moderators to share the responsibility of approving new members. The group creator can remove admin/moderator privileges at any time if needed.
Approving or Denying Member Requests
When reviewing membership requests, you have the option to either approve or deny access. Take the following factors into account when making your decision:
- Does the user fit with your target group audience?
- Do they comply with your group rules and privacy levels?
- Are they likely to post relevant, meaningful content?
- Do they have a history of group violations or bans?
Accept requests from users who will contribute value and engage with other members. Deny requests from accounts that appear fake, abusive, or promotional.
Approving Member Requests
To approve a request:
- Go to Member Requests
- Click Approve next to the user’s name or profile picture
Once approved, the user will be notified and added to your group. No other action is needed.
Denying Member Requests
To deny a request:
- Go to Member Requests
- Click Delete Request next to the user’s name or profile picture
This will delete their request and they will not be notified or given a reason. To provide more details:
- Click on the user’s name or profile picture
- Choose Deny Request and Send Message
- Enter an optional message explaining why their request is denied
Only send direct messages for request denials if needed. This keeps things simple for regular vetting of member requests.
Require Admin Approval to Post
In addition to controlling membership, group admins can also configure approval for new posts in the group. When enabled, all posts by members will require admin approval before going live. This allows you to screen content before it’s visible to all group members.
To enable post approval:
- Go to your group’s Manage tab
- Select Edit Group Settings
- Check the box next to “Posts must be approved by an admin”
- Click Save Changes
If you want to control membership but don’t need to approve content, you can leave this setting disabled.
Best Practices for Membership Approval
Here are some top tips to manage your group’s membership approval efficiently:
- Set clear joining rules – Explain your membership criteria in your group description or pinned post so users know if they qualify to join.
- Check requests daily – Log in daily to see if there are any pending requests so users don’t wait too long for approval.
- Spread admin duties – Appoint 2-3 admins so approving requests doesn’t fall on just one person.
- Temporarily deactivate if overwhelmed – If your group grows rapidly, you can toggle approval off and back on once you catch up.
- Use your best judgment – There’s no formula, so use your discretion when approving members who fit your group.
- Don’t feel obligated to explain denials – Politely decline requests that seem off, but no need to justify every decision.
Membership approval takes effort, but pays off through more engaged members and reduced spam. Try these tips to make the process as smooth as possible.
Troubleshooting Membership Approval Issues
Here are some common problems and solutions related to managing approval requests:
Requests are not showing up
- Double check approval is turned on in your group settings
- Make sure you’re viewing the Requests tab, not the All tab under Members
- Notification emails may be getting filtered – check spam folder
Can’t find the Membership Approval menu
- The option only appears for admins and moderators
- If you just created the group, try reloading the page
- Make sure the user has an admin/moderator role assigned
Approved users not being added
- Make sure you fully click Approve, not just tap or click it quickly
- Try doing approvals from a desktop instead of mobile app
- User may have left the group after requesting to join
Want to remove approval but keep the group private
- Change to “Any member can add members” under Membership in Settings
- Current members can add new people but the group remains private
If issues continue, speak with Facebook Support to troubleshoot further. Be patient as membership approval requires manual admin effort.
Conclusion
Requiring admin approval for new memberships enhances privacy, security, and relevancy for Facebook groups. While it takes extra work, the benefits are often worth the effort for larger communities.
Enable membership approval under the Members tab and remember to check for new requests routinely. Evaluate each user carefully before approving or denying access. Spread admin duties between multiple moderators so it’s manageable.
Membership approval is a powerful tool to cultivate an engaged, targeted community on Facebook. Implement it thoughtfully by following group rules and using best practices. With a selective and organized approach, your group can flourish with meaningful discussions.