Facebook’s Share button allows users to share content from Facebook with their friends and followers. When you click the Share button on a post, page, or other content on Facebook, you trigger a process that publishes that content to your own Timeline, sends out notifications, and gives you options for sharing beyond your own network.
Sharing publishes content to your Timeline
The first thing that happens when you click Share is that the content you are sharing gets published to your own Facebook Timeline. This means it will appear in your list of posts so that all your friends and followers can see that you shared it.
When you share something, it will include information about where it came from, such as the name and profile picture of the person who originally posted it. The original post will also be linked to so people viewing your share can click through to see the original post and all its comments and interactions.
Share settings control Timeline visibility
You have some control over the visibility of shares that appear on your Timeline. In your share settings, you can choose whether shares are visible to the public, just your friends, or a customized group of people. You can also choose whether or not you want shares to display on your Timeline at all.
Shares on your Timeline can be hidden, deleted, or promoted
For any share that appears on your Timeline, you have the option to hide it from your Timeline, delete it entirely, or boost it by paying to promote the share and extend its reach to more people.
Notifications are sent out when you share
When you share something on Facebook, notifications are triggered to inform your friends and followers as well as the original poster.
Notifications to your friends and followers
By default, when you share a post on Facebook, a notification will be sent to your friends letting them know you shared something. The notification will include a preview of the post you shared.
Friends can click on the notification to view the post on your Timeline as well as the original post. The notification makes it easy for your friends to see and engage with content you have shared.
Notification to the original poster
When you share another person’s post, they will receive a notification indicating that you have shared their post. This notification includes a link to view your share and the post on your Timeline.
The original poster may be more inclined to react to or comment on your share when they see that you have helped share their content with more people in your network.
Options are provided for further sharing
When you click Share on Facebook, you will be presented with a share modal that includes options for sharing beyond just posting to your own Timeline.
Share on a friend’s Timeline
The share modal allows you to share content directly to one or more of your friends’ Timelines. Simply type in their names, select friends from your list, and post the content directly to their Timelines.
Share in Facebook Groups
You can also share the content into any Facebook Groups you are a member of. This allows you to target sharing with specific audiences who are members of groups focused on certain interests or topics.
Share on Messenger
The share modal provides the option to share content through a Facebook Messenger chat. You can paste the content into a Messenger chat to instantly share it with any of your Messenger contacts.
Share on WhatsApp
For users who also have WhatsApp, there is a sharing option to forward the content through WhatsApp chat messages. This provides a quick way to reach your WhatsApp contacts.
Share via Direct Message
You have the option to share posts via Direct Message to your Facebook friends or group members. This sends the content straight into their Facebook message inbox.
Share via Stories
The share modal allows you to share content to your Facebook Stories. This overlays the content on a creative background and adds it to your story where friends can view it for 24 hours.
Copy Link
One of the simplest sharing options is to copy the link to the content. You can then paste this link anywhere else outside Facebook, such as email, texts, messaging apps, etc.
Share to Other Apps
If you have any other apps on your device that include sharing options, those apps may appear in the share modal. This allows you to re-share the Facebook content to a wide variety of other platforms.
Analytics provide insight into shares
Facebook provides analytics so Page owners can track how often their content gets shared. Page admins can view shares, reach, and engagement for each post.
See total shares
Page owners can see the total number of times a particular post has been shared. This helps them identify which content resonates most with audiences.
| Post | Total Shares |
|---|---|
| Post A | 82 |
| Post B | 57 |
See reach of shares
In addition to total shares, Page owners can see how many people were reached by shares of a post. This provides insight into the amplification effect of sharing.
| Post | Reach of Shares |
|---|---|
| Post A | 18,492 |
| Post B | 8,732 |
See engagement on shares
Analytics also show the number of reactions, comments, and clicks that shares of a post received. This helps identify the level of engagement achieved through shares.
| Post | Engagement on Shares |
|---|---|
| Post A |
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| Post B |
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Conclusion
When you click Share on Facebook, you trigger a ripple effect of visibility. Your friends see you shared something, the original poster is notified, and you open up options for further sharing. Analytics provide feedback on how well content is spreading via shares.
Sharing is a core way Facebook users interact with content and spread information across their networks. The Share button makes it easy to re-share posts beyond the original audience to increase reach, engagement, and impact.