Facebook pages allow businesses, organizations, celebrities, bands, and public figures to establish an official presence on Facebook. Page admins can post content, interact with followers, run ads, and access Facebook analytics. If a page is no longer needed, admins can delete it. But what happens to the username after a Facebook page is deleted? Here is a look at whether Facebook page usernames become available again after a page is deleted.
What is a Facebook Page?
A Facebook page is different from a personal Facebook profile. While individual people have Facebook profiles, pages are for entities like businesses, brands, celebrities, causes, and organizations. Pages allow these entities to create an official presence on Facebook and connect with their target audience.
Some key features of Facebook pages include:
- Posting content like photos, videos, live videos, Stories, events, and more
- Messaging followers via Messenger
- Running advertising campaigns through Facebook Ads
- Accessing Facebook Analytics for insights about followers and engagement
- Adding apps and selling products through Facebook Shop
- Promoting posts to reach more people
- Commenting and interacting as the page rather than an individual
Pages are administered by page admins who have editing and posting privileges. Admins can add other editors, moderators, advertisers, and analysts as needed. Multiple people can manage a Facebook page to share the workload.
Creating a Facebook Page
To create a new Facebook page:
- Go to facebook.com and log into your personal Facebook account.
- Click “Create” in the top menu bar and select “Page” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose a page category that best describes your business, brand, organization, etc.
- Enter your page name and other requested info like location and description.
- Click “Get Started” and agree to Facebook’s terms for making a page.
When creating a new page, you will need to choose a unique username. This becomes part of the page’s URL that people will use to visit the page. For example:
facebook.com/username
Facebook will check to make sure the desired username isn’t already taken by another page. If it’s available, you can use it for your new page.
Deleting a Facebook Page
Page admins can delete a Facebook page by following these steps:
- Go to your page and click “Settings” in the bottom left.
- Scroll down and click “Templates and Tabs” in the left sidebar.
- Click “Delete Page” at the bottom.
- Confirm that you want to permanently delete the page.
When a page is deleted, all of its content will be permanently removed including posts, photos, videos, events, messages, and followers. The page will no longer show up in searches on Facebook. Admins, editors, moderators, and other roles associated with the page will be removed.
What Happens to a Facebook Page Username After Deletion?
After a Facebook page is deleted, the page’s username does become available for someone else to claim. Once the 30-day grace period passes, a new page can be created and take the deleted page’s former username.
For example, let’s say there was a Facebook page called The Red Door with the username @TheRedDoorFB. If that page is deleted by the admin, after 30 days have passed, someone else could create a new page called The Blue Door and register the username @TheRedDoorFB since it became available after the original page was deleted.
Facebook allows 30 days for page owners to reactivate a deleted page if they change their mind. But after that grace period, the username is up for grabs by new pages.
Some other things to know about Facebook page usernames after deletion:
- The page URL will remain on Facebook’s server even though the page is deleted. For example, facebook.com/TheRedDoorFB will still be associated with the old username. However, people visiting that URL will find an error page rather than the deleted page’s content.
- If someone tries to create a new page with the deleted page’s username in the 30-day grace period, Facebook will not allow it. An error message will say that the username is unavailable because a page with that name was recently deleted.
- After 30 days, trying to visit the old page URL will redirect to Facebook’s username recovery form rather than showing an error message. At that point, the username is eligible for reuse.
- Old page usernames cannot be reserved after deletion. The only way to reuse the username is to go through the process of creating a new page.
In summary, Facebook does free up page usernames to be claimed by new pages after a 30-day waiting period from the deletion date.
Considerations When Deleting a Facebook Page
Before deleting a Facebook page, page owners should keep these considerations in mind:
- Back up any important page data, photos, videos, etc. that you may need. These cannot be recovered after deletion.
- The page will be permanently removed along with all content, followers, engagement history, ads, etc.
- People who try to visit the deleted page will encounter an error message.
- In most cases, it’s impossible to reinstate a deleted page. The only option is to create a new one.
- Users may still have shares, screenshots, links, etc. pointing to the deleted page.
- If you might want to reactivate the page within 30 days, consider disabling the page temporarily instead.
Page owners should ensure that permanently deleting the Facebook page aligns with their business objectives before proceeding. In some cases, disabling the page or transferring it to new owners may be better options.
What Happens When You Disable a Facebook Page?
Rather than permanently deleting a Facebook page, admins also have the option to temporarily disable it:
- Disabling a page removes it from public view temporarily.
- The page’s content, followers, username, and URL all remain intact.
- Admins can re-enable the page to make it public again at any time.
- Disabled pages cannot be indexed by search engines or interacted with by users.
- Page analytics stop collecting new data once a page is disabled.
Disabling a page can be a better solution than deletion for pages that admins want to take a break from or put on hold temporarily. Pages can be disabled for any length of time and reactivated whenever needed.
Can You Transfer Ownership of a Facebook Page?
Instead of deleting a Facebook page, admins can also transfer ownership of the page to another person. Here is how page transfers work on Facebook:
- Only pages that have existed for at least 7 days can be transferred.
- The current primary admin selects another admin to become the new primary admin and owner.
- All other roles like secondary admins remain in place after the transfer.
- The new owner takes over the existing page including its content, followers, username, URL, etc.
- Page transfers are meant to be permanent. Once ownership is transferred, the previous primary admin loses admin privileges.
Transferring a Facebook page to a new owner can be a good solution if the current owner wants to permanently hand over the reins but does not want to lose the page’s established presence and brand. The page’s history and recognition remain intact.
Should I Delete or Disable My Unused Facebook Page?
If your Facebook page has become outdated, inactive, or no longer needed, the decision between deletion and disabling depends on a few factors:
| Delete Page If: | Disable Page If: |
|---|---|
| You have no need for the page anymore in the future. | You may eventually need the page again after a hiatus. |
| You are concerned about brand control and want the username to become available. | You want to retain access to the page analytics and data. |
| The page was compromised, violated Facebook policies, or misused. | You are just taking a temporary break from page management. |
| You do not want the page to be found in searches anymore. | You want to keep your website URLs on the page active. |
In general, deleting should only be done if the page will never be used again. Disabling is better for short-term hiatus or if you may revive the page later on.
Should inactive Facebook pages be deleted?
There is no requirement to delete unused or inactive Facebook pages. Leaving them up will not cause any harm in most cases. Some reasons admins may want to keep inactive pages up include:
- Preserving the page’s web presence and search engine ranking
- Maintaining ownership of the page username
- Keeping followers and the ability to message them in the future
- Avoiding loss of historical analytics data and insights
- Future plans to revive the page after a break
However, inactive pages will stop serving their purpose of allowing interaction with an audience. And they could become vulnerable to security issues without ongoing admin maintenance. Overall, the decision depends on the intentions for the inactive page.
Best Practices When Deleting a Facebook Page
If you have decided to delete your Facebook page, following some best practices can help make the process smooth:
- Announce plans to delete the page and say goodbye to your audience.
- Export and back up any important page data you may need.
- Remove monetary connections like ads or Facebook Shop.
- Delete any associated Instagram or Messenger accounts.
- Update your website and other materials to remove Facebook page links.
- Consider notifying stakeholders, partners, or affiliates about deleting the page.
- Plan for message responses and clicks on old page links after it’s gone.
- Delete the page through the Facebook interface to ensure full removal.
Taking these steps helps tie up loose ends, retains any needed info, and prevents surprises after the page is deleted. Make the most of Facebook’s 30-day grace window as well in case any issues emerge.
Conclusion
When a Facebook page is deleted, the username does become available for reuse by a new page after 30 days. Facebook frees up deleted page usernames so they can be claimed under new ownership. However, old URLs will continue to point to Facebook’s servers even if the original page no longer exists.
Page owners should consider alternatives like disabling or transferring a page before taking the permanent step of deletion. Backup any important data, take care of logistics like ads and links, and use Facebook’s interface to delete the page fully. With proper planning, deleting a Facebook page can be a smooth process when the time comes for that page to end.