Facebook allows users to hide comments on their own posts or other people’s posts. When a comment is hidden, it is not deleted but rather removed from public view on Facebook.
What makes a comment get hidden?
There are a few different ways a comment can get hidden on Facebook:
- The original poster of the content can choose to hide a comment
- The commenter can choose to hide their own comment
- Facebook may automatically hide comments that appear to violate its Community Standards
So a hidden comment is one that has been removed from public view on Facebook by either the user who posted it, the user who posted the original content, or by Facebook itself.
What does a hidden comment look like to the commenter?
When your own comment gets hidden, it will look different depending on how it got hidden:
- If you chose to hide your own comment – You will still be able to see your hidden comment, but it will appear greyed out or faded to you.
- If someone else hid your comment – The comment will simply disappear from your view of the post and you will not see it at all.
- If Facebook hid your comment – You may see a notice that your comment goes against Facebook’s Community Standards. The comment itself will not be visible to you.
So in summary, if you hid your own comment it will look faded to you, while comments hidden by others or by Facebook will simply disappear from your view.
What does a hidden comment look like to other people?
When a comment gets hidden on Facebook, here is what it looks like to other people viewing that post:
- The hidden comment will not be visible at all.
- There will be no indication that a comment was ever there.
- The number of comments on the post will decrease by 1.
- People will not get a notification if their comment is hidden by someone else.
So a hidden comment essentially disappears completely from public view. Other people will not see it or know a comment was hidden unless they posted it themselves.
Can you tell if a comment was hidden?
In most cases there is no way to tell if a comment was hidden by just looking at a Facebook post. However, there are some clues that may indicate a comment was hidden:
- There are replies to a comment that is not visible.
- The number of comments indicated seems lower than the visible discussion.
- People are referring to a user or comment that cannot be seen.
So while hidden comments are completely invisible, traces or evidence of them may remain in the rest of the discussion. But there is no specific indicator shown that a comment was hidden.
Who can hide Facebook comments?
Here is who has the ability to hide comments on Facebook:
- The original poster of the content can choose to hide any comment on their post.
- The commenter themselves can choose to hide their own comment.
- Facebook page admins can hide comments on their Page’s posts.
- Facebook group admins and moderators can hide comments in their group.
- Facebook can automatically hide comments that appear to violate policies.
So the original poster, commenter, and Facebook admins usually have the option to hide a comment. Facebook itself will also hide policy-violating comments.
How to hide a Facebook comment as the original poster
If you made a post and want to hide a comment on it, here is how:
- Click on the comment you want to hide
- Click on the arrow that appears in the upper right corner
- Select Hide Comment
This will immediately remove the comment from public view on your post. It will be hidden for all other users but the commenter themselves.
How to hide your own Facebook comment
You can hide a comment you made on someone else’s post. Here is how:
- Click on the comment you want to hide
- Click on the 3 dots that appear in the upper right corner
- Select Hide Comment
This will hide your comment so that you and other users will not see it. But you can still see your hidden comment by looking at your Activity Log.
How to approve a hidden Facebook comment
If you decide you want to make a hidden comment visible again, here is how:
- On desktop: Click on the arrow in the top right of the post and select Moderate Comments
- On mobile: Tap on the comments and select Moderate Comments
This will show you comments that you have hidden. You can then click on any hidden comments and select Approve to make them public again.
Can you delete hidden Facebook comments?
No, there is no way to permanently delete a hidden Facebook comment. The options are:
- Hide the comment from public view
- Approve the comment to make it public again
But once a comment is hidden, there is no way to permanently delete it from Facebook’s records. Moderators can only choose whether to hide or unhide the comment.
Pros of hiding Facebook comments
Here are some benefits of hiding comments on Facebook rather than deleting them entirely:
- It removes inappropriate, offensive, or spam comments without erasing the discussion.
- The commenter does not get notified, avoiding potential retaliation or arguments.
- You maintain better control over your page’s tone and discussion topics.
- People may self-censor and reconsider their own comments if they see some getting hidden.
- Hidden comments can still get reported or have action taken if they violate policies.
In summary, hiding unwanted comments can promote a better discussion and community experience compared to leaving them public or deleting entirely.
Cons of hiding Facebook comments
Here are some potential downsides of hiding comments rather than deleting them:
- Hidden comments still count toward engagement metrics used to rank content.
- Inappropriate comments remain on Facebook’s servers even if hidden.
- Commenters may not realize their comment was hidden and wonder why they have no replies.
- It does not remove a comment from a particular community, just hides it.
- Hidden comments could still be seen or referenced in some situations.
So while hiding unwanted comments has benefits, some may still prefer permanently deleting inappropriate or spammy comments from Facebook.
Should you hide or delete Facebook comments?
Whether to hide or delete Facebook comments depends on your specific goals:
- Hiding preserves discussion context and avoids notifying users, but leaves hidden comments on Facebook’s servers.
- Deleting permanently erases comments from view and Facebook’s records, but removes context and notifies users.
In most cases, hiding unwanted comments tends to be better for light moderation of public discussions. But deleting may be preferred for private groups or completely removing inappropriate content.
Conclusion
Hidden Facebook comments are removed from public view but remain in Facebook’s records. Though invisible, hidden comments can impact surrounding discussions or metrics. Users, page admins, and Facebook itself can hide comments, but cannot permanently delete hidden comments. Hiding unwanted comments can promote higher-quality discussions, but some may prefer to delete inappropriate content entirely based on the context.
In summary:
- Hidden comments are removed from public view only.
- No notification or indication is shown when a comment is hidden.
- Various users and Facebook can hide comments but cannot delete them.
- Hiding comments provides lighter moderation of discussions.
- Deleting comments permanently erase inappropriate content.
Understanding how hidden comments work allows Facebook users and page admins to better manage conversations and foster a positive community experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see who hid your comment on Facebook?
No, you cannot see who specifically hid your comment on Facebook. The comment will simply disappear from your view if hidden by someone else. The only indication you may get is if Facebook hides your comment for policy violation.
Can a page admin hide their own comments on Facebook?
Yes, a Facebook page admin can hide their own comments on their page’s posts just like any other user. They click the three dots above their comment and select “Hide Comment”. This can be useful for removing their own off-topic or unnecessary comments without deleting.
What happens if you hide someone’s comment on Facebook?
If you hide someone else’s comment on your own post, that comment will disappear from public view of your post. Other users will not see it. The commenter themselves will also not be able to see their comment anymore on that post.
Can hidden Facebook comments be unhidden?
Yes, hidden Facebook comments can be unhidden and made public again. Page admins can go to their page’s comment moderation tool and click “Approve” on hidden comments. The original commenter can also go back and delete their “Hide Comment” action to unhide it.
Who gets notified when you hide a Facebook comment?
No one gets notified when a Facebook comment is hidden. Neither the user who hid the comment nor the original commenter will get any notification. The comment just quietly disappears from public view on Facebook.
Why can’t I see some comments on a Facebook post?
If you notice comments referenced that you cannot see on a Facebook post, it is likely because those comments have been hidden either by the page admin, original commenter, or Facebook itself. Hidden comments are removed from public view and only visible to the commenter.
Where do hidden Facebook comments go?
Hidden Facebook comments are not visible on the post itself, but remain in Facebook’s records. Page admins can still see and moderate hidden comments through the moderation tools. The comments exist but are only hidden from public view.
| User | Can See Hidden Comment? |
|---|---|
| Original Commenter | Only if they hid it themselves |
| Page Admin | Yes, in moderation tools |
| Other Users | No |
Can you approve a comment you didn’t hide yourself?
No, only the user who originally hid the comment (or Facebook) can approve it and make it public again. For example, if a page admin hid a comment, other admins cannot unhide that comment – only the original admin can.
How to Manage Hidden Comments
Here are some best practices for managing hidden Facebook comments as a page admin:
- Review hidden comments occasionally for any that should be public.
- Reply to hidden comments to explain why before hiding, if appropriate.
- Hide comments based on clear criteria, not just personal preferences.
- Consider blocking users who have had multiple comments hidden.
- Delete only the most extreme comments instead of just hiding.
Carefully managing the use of hidden comments can help maintain a constructive community atmosphere and discussion.
Alternatives to Hiding Facebook Comments
In some cases, you may want to consider alternatives to just hiding comments on Facebook:
- Reply privately – Message the commenter politely explaining your concerns without hiding.
- Disable comments – Turn off commenting on a post entirely to avoid an unproductive discussion.
- Ban words/phrases – Configure filters so certain words never appear in comments.
- Delete outright – For extreme content, permanent deletion may be better than hiding.
Depending on the situation, other moderation tactics may work better than simply hiding unwanted comments on Facebook.