The comments manager on Facebook is a tool that allows page admins to moderate and organize comments on their Facebook posts. It gives you more control over the conversations happening on your Page.
What can you do with the comments manager?
With the Facebook comments manager, page admins can:
- View all comments on a post in one place – The comments manager collects all comments on a post, including replies, into one unified list. This makes it easy to get an overview of all engagement.
- Moderate comments – You can delete, hide, or report individual comments. This allows you to quickly remove offensive, spammy, or irrelevant remarks.
- Prioritize comments – Pin or spotlight interesting, relevant, or positive comments so they appear at the top. This lets you highlight engaged followers.
- Reply to comments – The manager allows you to directly reply to comments without having to go back to the post.
- Filter comments – Sort comments based on filters like engagement, author, sentiment, etc. to sift through conversations.
- Export comments – Download comments to a CSV file for record keeping or further analysis.
Essentially, the comments manager gives page admins deeper insight into conversations happening on their posts, and more granular control over community management.
Where do you access comments manager?
The comments manager can be accessed in two places:
- On a Post: Click on the comments bubble below any post. This opens up the comments manager for that specific post.
- Facebook Page Inbox: In the left sidebar, click Comments. This shows comments from all your posts in one unified inbox.
Who can use comments manager?
The comments manager is available for Page admins to moderate conversations happening on their Facebook Page. The access depends on the admin role:
| Admin Role | Access to Comments Manager |
|---|---|
| Editor | Can view and reply to comments |
| Moderator | Can view, reply, hide, and delete comments |
| Admin | Full access to all comment moderation features |
So Editor and Moderator roles have limited access, but the primary Admin has full permissions.
How to use comments manager effectively?
Here are some tips to use Facebook’s comments manager effectively for community management:
Stay on top of all comments
Check the comments manager regularly to see all feedback on your posts in one place. This helps you stay aware of questions and concerns.
Reply to negative comments politely
Address critical or hostile remarks professionally. This shows customers you are listening and improves brand sentiment.
Spotlight influencers
Pin comments from loyal customers who often engage. This rewards your brand advocates with recognition.
Moderate wisely
Delete obviously offensive comments, but avoid removing criticism. Over-moderating creates a restrictive environment.
Export for analysis
Download your comments to understand engagement levels, sentiment, influencers etc. Use this to improve strategy.
Automate where possible
Use filters to automate common moderation tasks like removing spam. This saves time and effort.
Best practices for Facebook comment moderation
Here are some best practices to manage your Facebook Page comments effectively:
- Set a clear policy – Have guidelines on what type of comments are allowed or removed. Communicate this on your Page.
- Respond quickly – Being slow to address comments or concerns makes you seem indifferent.
- Delegate moderation – Divide moderation duties among multiple admins so it’s manageable.
- Resolve privately – For heated debates or complex issues, move the conversation to private messaging.
- Ban carefully – Only ban users as a last resort for repeated or egregious violations.
- Stay positive – Use positive language even when dealing with difficult commenters.
- Thank supporters – Recognize people who defend your brand from trolls or haters.
Moderating comments vs disabling comments
Brands have two options for managing conversations on their Facebook posts:
- Moderating Comments – This involves keeping comments open but deleting, hiding, or pinning certain remarks using the comments manager. It’s more work but builds relationships.
- Disabling Comments – You can turn off commenting on individual posts or your Page. This requires no moderation, but removes engagement opportunities.
In most cases, moderating comments is better than disabling them. The pros of moderating include:
- Allows genuine feedback and concerns to be voiced
- Builds trust and loyalty through open communication
- Provides insight into follower interests and perceptions
- Drives engagement when admins participate in conversations
Reasons to disable comments include:
- Lacking resources to actively monitor conversations
- Posts about controversial issues drawing too many negative remarks
- Competing brand pages intentionally sabotaging conversations
But in general, promoting open dialogue is better for brand building. The comments manager makes moderation easier without silencing customers.
Comments manager on Facebook business manager
The Facebook comments manager is also accessible within Facebook Business Manager and Creator Studio.
Business Manager
In Business Manager, page admins can:
- Moderate comments from all managed Pages in one unified inbox.
- Assign moderation tasks to others.
- Get notifications when comments need attention.
- View comment analytics for different date ranges.
So it provides an integrated hub to monitor comments across multiple Facebook Pages.
Creator Studio
Creator Studio is the management platform for Facebook profiles. Here, the comments manager lets users:
- Moderate comments on profile posts all in one place.
- Reply to comments directly from the manager.
- Filter by top comments, replies, etc.
- Remove offensive or inappropriate remarks.
This makes managing engagement on personal Facebook profiles much easier.
Comments manager vs legacy inbox
Facebook previously had a legacy inbox for comment moderation. But that has been replaced by the new comments manager.
Here is a comparison between the legacy inbox and updated comments manager:
| Legacy Inbox | Comments Manager |
|---|---|
| Had separate inboxes for Pages and profiles | Unified inbox for Pages and profiles |
| Only showed latest comments | Shows all comments in one view |
| No filters or sorting | Advanced filters like by post, author, etc. |
| Basic moderation capabilities | More controls like pinning comments |
So the new comments manager provides far more powerful and customizable comment management capabilities for Facebook.
Conclusion
Facebook’s comments manager gives page admins and creators greater control over conversations happening on their posts. The unified inbox, advanced filtering, and moderation tools allow you to keep discussions productive and positive.
Using the comments manager effectively involves setting clear policies, responding promptly, delegating tasks, and promoting your brand advocates. And in most cases, moderating comments is better than disabling them altogether.
Overall, these comment management features help build relationships with your followers, understand their interests, and grow your Facebook community. The upgraded comments manager shows Facebook’s continued commitment to facilitating meaningful conversations between brands and their customers.