What does it mean to limit comments on Facebook?

Facebook allows users to limit or turn off comments on their posts. When someone limits comments on their posts, it means other users will not be able to comment on that post. Only the original poster and their Facebook friends will be able to view and interact with the post.

Limiting comments can be done for a variety of reasons. Some common reasons include:

To avoid negative or abusive comments

To have more control over the conversation
To limit distractions and keep the focus on sharing news or updates
As part of a social media break or to manage overall time spent on Facebook

Facebook offers a few different options for limiting comments. Users can limit comments on a per-post basis, or set a default comment audience for all future posts. We’ll explore how each option works in more detail throughout this article.

How to limit comments on a single Facebook post

Limiting comments on just one post is easy to do. Here are the steps:

Go to Facebook and create a new post as usual. This can be a status update, shared link, photo, video, or any other type of post.

Before hitting “post,” click on the audience selector below your text box. It likely says something like “Public” or “Friends” by default.
Click on the audience selector and choose “Friends Except…” from the dropdown menu.
Type in the names of any friends you want to exclude from commenting. These friends will still be able to see the post but won’t be able to comment.

Click “Post” to share your post with commenting disabled.

Now when you view that post, the comment box will be gone. Only you and the allowed friends will be able to interact with that post.

If you later decide you want to open up comments, you can always edit the audience selector again and change it back to Public or Friends.

Example of limiting comments before posting

Here’s a quick visual example of how to limit comments before posting:

Write post as usual
Click audience selector

Choose Friends Except and type names
Post is now live with limited comments

How to limit comments on all future posts

In addition to limiting comments on a single post, you can also choose to limit comments or disable them by default for all future posts. Here’s how:

Go to your Facebook profile and click on the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Choose “Settings & Privacy” then select “Settings.”
Click on “Privacy” in the left-side menu.

Under the “Your Activity” section, click on “Limit Past Posts.”
In the “Limit Old Posts” box, click on “Limit Old Posts” and choose “Friends Except” from the dropdown menu.
Type in any friends you want to exclude from commenting.

Click “Confirm” to save your settings.

Now any new posts you create will automatically have commenting disabled for the friends you excluded. You can still override this on a per-post basis, but your default setting will be set to limit comments.

Step-by-step example of limiting future comments

Here is a visual guide to changing your default comment audience for future posts:

Click on your profile icon
Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
Click on Privacy in left menu

Scroll down and click Limit Old Posts
Choose Friends Except to limit comments
Confirm new default comment setting

Now your future posts will have limited commenting enabled automatically.

How to turn off commenting completely

In addition to limiting comments to a subset of friends, you can also disable commenting entirely across Facebook. Here’s how:

Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy

Click on “Your Activity” in the left menu
Click on “Limit Past Posts”
Choose “Only Me” from the audience selector dropdown

Click “Confirm” to save your settings

This will completely turn off the ability for anyone to comment on any of your posts. You will have to manually change the audience selector on each individual post if you want to enable commenting again.

Considerations when limiting Facebook comments

Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether to limit commenting on Facebook:

Disabling comments can create a one-sided conversation where users can’t respond to your posts.
Friends may feel left out if they are excluded from commenting.
Comments can provide useful feedback and additional perspectives.

Posts without comments may get less engagement since users can’t interact.
You will still be able to see reactions and replies from allowed friends.
Commenting can be re-enabled at any time on both old and new posts.

In many cases, the benefits of controlling comments outweigh the downsides. But carefully consider whether completely disabling comments aligns with your goals for using social media.

Other ways to moderate Facebook comments

In addition to limiting comments, Facebook also gives you several other ways to keep your comment sections positive and productive. Some other comment moderation options include:

Turning on post approval – You can require posts be approved before others see them

Hiding posts from certain users – Individuals can be blocked from interacting with your posts
Banning certain words – Automatically filter out use of offensive language
Deleting negative comments – You can remove inappropriate comments manually or in bulk

Changing comment order – Prioritize relevant comments over unhelpful ones

Combining comment limiting with other moderation tactics can help you find the right balance for your preferred social media experience.

Conclusion

Limiting comments on Facebook posts can be a useful way to gain more control over your social media interactions. Both individual posts and default settings can be updated to reduce or disable commenting abilities for some friends. While this does lead to a more one-sided conversation, the benefits often outweigh that downside in order to limit negativity and distractions.
Carefully consider your goals before disabling comments completely. Often finding a middle ground through selective limiting or other moderation tools leads to the most meaningful discussions. With Facebook’s detailed privacy and commenting controls, you can find the right mix that works both for you and your audience.