When you share content on Facebook, you have the option to share it externally or internally. Sharing content externally means you are sharing it outside of Facebook, while sharing internally means you are only sharing it within Facebook.
Sharing Externally
If you select “Share Externally” when sharing a post, you are giving people the ability to share the post outside of Facebook on other sites and platforms. For example, someone could copy and paste the text or share the link on Twitter, Reddit, their own blog or website, etc. It allows the content to spread beyond just your Facebook network.
Some key things to know about external sharing:
- The post URL will be publicly accessible – anyone with the link can see the post, even if they aren’t logged into Facebook or don’t have an account.
- The content may show up on search engines like Google.
- Any external shares or links to the post won’t be shown in your share count on Facebook.
- You have less control over the content once it’s outside of Facebook.
External sharing is best for content you want to spread widely on the open web. However, it means relinquishing control compared to only sharing internally.
Sharing Internally
If you select “Share on Facebook” or do not change the default sharing option, you are sharing that content internally only. This means:
- Only people logged into Facebook with access to your profile or page will see the post.
- The content will not be indexed by search engines or accessible to people without Facebook accounts.
- The share count on Facebook will include all internal reshares, shares, links, etc. by other Facebook users.
- You retain full control over the content as it stays within Facebook.
Internal sharing is best for content you want to keep within your Facebook community. It allows for more control and accuracy in tracking how far your post spreads on Facebook.
When to Use Each Sharing Option
In general:
- Use external sharing when you want the widest reach possible and are okay with less control.
- Use internal sharing when you want to keep distribution limited to Facebook only.
Here are some common use cases for each option:
External Sharing Use Cases
- Sharing a blog post or article you want to gain traction outside of Facebook.
- Posting a public event you want the world to know about.
- Spreading an advocacy campaign beyond your existing community.
- Promoting your YouTube channel or other social media profiles.
- Sharing breaking news or timely content you want to go viral.
Internal Sharing Use Cases
- Posting content just for your friends like family photos or personal updates.
- Sharing events, news, or info relevant only to your Facebook group or local community.
- Promoting content published exclusively on your Facebook Page.
- Conducting polls, contests, discussions, etc. limited to people you select.
- Cross-promoting your Facebook content and tracking engagement within the platform.
How to Share Externally
When composing a post, here’s how to share it externally:
- Click the down arrow next to the Share button.
- Select “Share Externally” from the dropdown menu.
- The post URL will change from facebook.com to extern.facebook.com.
- Copy and paste this unique extern URL to share the post outside of Facebook.
The extern URL looks something like this:
https://extern.facebook.com/95j2MW7a62/posts/101589570716262
When shared, the extern URL will redirect to the post on Facebook but also allow it to be viewed outside Facebook.
Adjusting Default Sharing Settings
You can adjust your default sharing setting for posts in your Facebook settings:
- Go to your Facebook Settings
- Click “Privacy”
- Under “Your activity,” click “News feed and stories”
- You’ll see options to choose who can see your future posts by default, along with a “Share posts externally” setting.
Here you can choose whether you want sharing to be external or internal by default when you share posts.
Post Sharing vs Profile Sharing
The external sharing option applies to individual posts only. It does not make your entire Facebook profile or page public.
Your overall Facebook privacy settings control the visibility of your general profile and timeline to non-Facebook users. External post sharing does not override your general privacy settings.
Link Sharing vs Post Sharing
Sharing a post externally is different than sharing a link externally. You can toggle external sharing for each individual post:
- Post sharing – Share the entire post content externally, including text, images, video, etc.
- Link sharing – Only includes a URL preview when the link is shared externally. The full post content stays internal.
Keep this distinction in mind when choosing internal vs external sharing. Often you may want a link to be shareable externally but the full post kept internally.
Downsides of External Sharing
While expanding your reach outside Facebook can be beneficial, there are some downsides to keep in mind as well with external sharing:
- You lose moderation capabilities – can’t delete or edit once externally shared
- Content can be taken out of context more easily
- Externally shared posts may not show images/video if viewer is not logged into Facebook
- Harder to track metrics and engagement compared to internal
- Search engines may index content you didn’t intend to be discoverable
- Scrapers or spammers could republish your content without permission
Due to the viral nature, externally shared content can spread farther and wider than you may have intended or wanted. Have a plan and moderate content if needed.
Externally Shared Content Guidelines
When sharing content externally, keep in mind Facebook’s rules and restrictions:
- You must have permission to share any content you did not create yourself
- You must have consent from identifiable people featured before sharing externally
- No sharing prohibited, dangerous, hateful, sexually explicit or confidential content
- External viewing settings for Pages may restrict certain content like offers from being shared externally
- Always follow Facebook’s Terms of Service
Violating Facebook’s rules could result in content takedowns or account suspensions.
Other Ways to Share Externally
External post sharing is not the only way to distribute Facebook content elsewhere:
- Social sharing buttons – Add Facebook sharing buttons to external websites to allow visitors to share your content.
- Social media integrations – Connect your Facebook account to tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule social media posts.
- Facebook embeds – Embed public Facebook posts, videos, and other content into external sites.
- Facebook for Developers – Build apps using Facebook for Developers APIs to access data.
- Facebook Instant Articles – Publish Instant Articles through partners like WordPress and Medium to be externally shareable.
Leverage these options in addition to external link sharing where appropriate to expand distribution.
Summary
External sharing opens up your individual Facebook posts to the wider web while internal sharing keeps the content exclusive to Facebook. Evaluate whether the pros of increased reach outweigh the cons of less control for each post.
Use internal sharing for Facebook-only audiences and external sharing for public distribution. Adjust your default preferences appropriately and optimize social media strategies.
Understanding the difference allows informed choices about sharing options to maximize your Facebook presence.