When creating and managing a Facebook page, one important decision is choosing the right name for your page. This name shows up when people view your page and in search results, so you want it to accurately reflect your business, brand, or organization.
However, Facebook does allow page admins to change the name of their page if needed. This can be useful if your business or brand evolves, or if you simply want to tweak the name. But is there a limit to how many times you can change the name?
The Short Answer
Facebook does not impose a hard limit or cap on how many times a page name can be changed. Page admins have the ability to change the page name an unlimited number of times if desired.
However, there are a few caveats to be aware of when changing a Facebook page name repeatedly or frequently:
- Frequent name changes may confuse your audience if they can’t easily recognize your page.
- Changing the page name resets any SEO value associated with the previous name.
- Facebook may throttle or limit name changes if done excessively in a short time period.
So in summary – there is no set limit, but excessive name changes are not recommended for the best user experience.
Why Would You Need to Change Your Facebook Page Name?
Here are some common reasons page owners may want or need to change their Facebook page name multiple times:
- Rebranding or evolving business name
- Poor initial name choice
- Merger or acquisition resulting in new name
- Expanding into new products or services
- Emphasizing different aspects of the brand
- Fixing typos or errors in existing name
As a business grows and changes over time, it’s reasonable that the ideal Facebook page name may also change. Page admins want their Facebook presence to accurately reflect the current state of the brand.
Considerations When Changing Page Name
When deciding whether to change your Facebook page name, keep these factors in mind:
- Audience familiarity – Frequent name changes may confuse your followers.
- SEO value – Name changes reset any SEO equity earned by previous names.
- Links and tags – Existing links/tags with old name will need to be updated.
- Historical reference – Previous names can provide context on evolution of brand.
Ideally, page names should change infrequently and only when there is a clear, strategic reason for the change. Incremental tweaks are less disruptive than complete name overhauls.
How to Change Your Facebook Page Name
If you do need to change your page name, here are the steps:
- Go to your Facebook page
- Click “Settings” in the top navigation
- Select “Page Info” from the left menu
- Edit the page name in the relevant field
- Click “Save Changes”
The new name should update on your page immediately. You can change it again at any time by repeating these steps.
Limits and Restrictions from Facebook
While there is no set cap on name changes, Facebook does have some limits in place:
- Name changes can only be made once every 28 days.
- Names must follow Facebook’s policies – no profanity, impersonating others, etc.
- Facebook may flag excessive name changes for review.
- URL will always remain the same even if name changes.
These restrictions encourage thoughtful name choices instead of constant fluctuations. But overall, Facebook aims to provide reasonable flexibility to brands and organizations.
Strategies for Changing Page Name
Here are some best practices around changing your Facebook page name:
- Avoid frequent name changes that may confuse followers.
- Only change when needed for strategic reasons.
- Use incremental tweaks rather than complete name overhauls if possible.
- Update other online assets and materials to match new name.
- Redirect previous URLs to new name when possible.
- Notify followers of upcoming change and rationale.
- Monitor metrics after change to gauge impact.
With a thoughtful, strategic approach, a page name change can successfully align with shifts in your brand without alienating your hard-won audience.
Maintaining Continuity Through Name Changes
When you do decide to change your Facebook page name, there are ways to maintain continuity for your followers, including:
- Keep the page profile/cover image consistent.
- Explain reason for change in page description.
- Use overlapping keywords in old and new name.
- Create an announcement post about the upcoming change.
- Update other social channels and website with new name.
- Respond to follower questions and concerns.
Proactively communicating with your audience and updating relevant assets creates a smoother transition when you change your Facebook page name.
Impact on SEO
One downside of changing your Facebook page name is that it will reset any SEO value accumulated by your previous name. This impacts factors like:
- Search rankings for previous name and associated keywords
- Backlinks and mentions of previous name
- Domain authority passed from old name to new name
Essentially, the new name has to start building SEO from scratch. This can be mitigated by redirecting old URLs and leveraging overlapping keywords. But overall, substantial name changes make retaining SEO value difficult.
Mitigating the SEO Impact
Ways to help mitigate the SEO impact of a Facebook page name change include:
- Using 301 redirects from old URLs to new URLs
- Leveraging keyword overlap between old and new name
- Updating links on other sites to use new URL
- Creating strong semantic signals through content
- Monitoring search performance of new term
With deliberate effort, you can regain lost SEO ground. But it does take time for new name to accumulate signals, backlinks, and domain authority.
When to Avoid Changing Page Name
While Facebook allows flexibility in changing page names, some situations where you’ll want to avoid doing so include:
- Existing name has strong SEO equity
- Page has millions of established followers
- Change would damage brand recognition
- No strategic reason for change – arbitrary decision
If your page already has significant equity and authority behind its current name, a change risks diluting your presence for minimal gain.
Conclusion
To summarize the key points:
- There is no hard limit to how many times a Facebook page name can be changed.
- However, excessive name changes may confuse followers and reset SEO.
- Name changes should be strategic and incremental when possible.
- Properly communicate changes and redirects to maintain continuity.
- Monitor metrics to gauge impact of name change.
With a thoughtful approach, Facebook page admins can change names to align with brand evolution while minimizing disruption. But restraint is advised, only making changes when there is a clear strategic rationale.