When you like something on Facebook, such as a post, photo, or page, the person or Page who originally posted that content gets notified. Liking something is a way to let someone know that you appreciate or enjoy what they shared without leaving a comment. Here’s a quick rundown of who gets notified when you like various types of content on Facebook:
Liking a Post
When you like a post on Facebook, whether it’s a status update, shared link, or life event post, the person who originally posted it will get a notification that you liked their post. They will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who liked their post.
For example, if your friend posted a status update and you like their status, they will get a notification saying “[Your Name] liked your post.” And they will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who liked it.
Post Visibility Settings
The visibility settings of the original post do not affect your like notification. Even if your friend posted something visible only to their friends, when you like it, they will still get a notification since you are friends.
The only exception is if the original post creator completely limited visibility to “Only Me.” In that case, your like will not generate a notification.
Others Who See the Post
Only the original poster will get a notification that you liked their post. Your like will not generate notifications for anyone else who can see the post, even if you tag other people in your like or comment.
Liking a Photo or Album
When you like a photo or album on Facebook, the person who originally uploaded it will get notified. Just like with posts, they will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who liked that photo or album.
For example, if you like your friend’s profile picture or a photo they shared in an album, they will get a notification that you liked it.
Photo and Album Visibility
As with posts, the visibility settings do not affect your like notification. If your friend shared a photo visible only to their friends, they will still get notified when you like it since you are friends.
The only exception, again, is if they limited visibility to Only Me. Your like will not generate a notification in that case.
Others Who See the Photo
Only the person who originally posted or shared the photo or album will get the like notification. Your like will not generate notifications for anyone else who can see the photo, even if you tag other people in your like or comment.
Liking a Page
When you like a Facebook Page, the Page admin(s) get notified. They will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who recently liked their Page.
For example, if you like a brand’s Facebook Page, the brand likely has admin(s) running that Page who will get notified of your like.
Multiple Page Admins
If a Facebook Page has multiple admins, they will all get notifications when you like that Page. Your single like will generate notifications for every admin on that Page.
New vs Existing Page Likes
Page admins can see who has newly liked their Page recently. So your like will show up in the list of new likes they get notified about.
In addition, Page admins can view a full list of everyone who has liked their Page. So even if you liked a Page a long time ago, the admins can still see your name and profile picture along with all other people who have liked the Page.
Liking a Comment
When you like a comment on Facebook, the person who posted that comment will get notified. They will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who liked their comment.
For example, if you like a comment your friend left on a post, your friend will get a notification that you liked their comment specifically.
Original Poster’s Notifications
Liking someone’s comment does not also notify the original poster of the post itself. Only the person who posted the comment you liked will be notified.
The original poster can still see that you liked the comment by viewing all activity on their post. But they will not get a separate notification just for your comment like.
Other People Who See Comment
Just like posts and photos, liking a comment will not generate notifications for anyone else who can see that comment. Only the comment poster will be notified, even if you tag other people in your like or reply.
Liking a Facebook Live Video
When you like a Facebook Live video, the person who originally shared the live video will get notified. Just like other content, they will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who liked their live video.
For example, if your friend shared a live video and you like it while they are still broadcasting, they will get a notification that you liked their live video.
After Video Ends
If you watch and like a Facebook live video after the broadcast has ended, the original broadcaster will still get a notification that you liked it post-broadcast.
Other Viewers
As with posts and photos, liking a live video only notifies the original broadcaster, even if you tag other people. Viewers do not get notified when you like a live video they are also watching.
Liking a Marketplace Listing
When you like a Marketplace listing, whether for sale, housing, jobs, etc., the person who posted that listing will get notified. They will see your name and profile picture in the list of people who liked their listing.
Liking a Marketplace listing functions similarly to liking any other post on Facebook. It simply lets the original poster know you appreciate their listing, without leaving a comment.
Multiple Likes
Your like will notify the poster once, even if you tap like multiple times on the same listing. Facebook’s system prevents duplicate like notifications from being generated.
Listing Visibility
As with other content, if the original poster limited visibility in any way, your like will only notify them if you are within the audience they shared it with. Private listings you like will only notify the poster since you are a potential buyer.
Pages You Follow vs Like
| Follow | Like |
|---|---|
| Get notifications when Page posts | Don’t get notifications from Page posts |
| Appears in your news feed | May appear in news feed less frequently |
| Can unfollow anytime | Have explicitly liked the Page |
On Facebook, you can either like a Page or follow a Page. What’s the difference?
When you like a Page, you are expressing interest in that Page and showing support for what they post. Liking adds it to the Pages list in your profile.
Following a Page goes a step further than liking it. When you follow a Page, you get notifications in your News Feed whenever that Page posts or does a live broadcast. Their content is more likely to show up high in your news feed.
So in general, follow Pages you really want to keep up with, and like Pages you just want to express support for more casually.
What Happens When You Unlike Something
If you unlike something on Facebook, such as a post, Page, photo, or comment, it simply removes your like. Here is what happens:
- Your name and profile picture are removed from the list of people who liked that content.
- You stop getting notifications about that content (if you followed a Page).
- The creator of that content will not get a notification that you unliked it.
- Analytics tracking your like, such as People Reached, are removed.
In essence, undoing your like makes it as if you never liked that content to begin with. It erases your digital “thumb’s up” without any notification to anyone else.
Accidental Likes
Unliking is useful if you accidentally liked something or changed your mind about supporting certain content. It’s an easy way to undo it.
Unlike Pages
When you unlike a Facebook Page, it removes your name from the list of people who like that Page. However, the Page admins will not get notified that you specifically unliked their Page.
Limits to Liking Activity
Facebook does place some limits on how much you can like content in a short period of time. This is to prevent abuse:
- You may be temporarily blocked from liking content if you like posts too quickly.
- Liking several unrelated Pages or posts in a row can also trigger a temporary block.
- Typically these blocks last only a few hours before your ability to like is restored.
As long as you are liking content naturally based on your interests, and not using automated methods, you likely will never run into any limits.
Conclusion
Liking something on Facebook is an easy way to show support and appreciation for the content someone has shared. When you like a post, photo, comment, page, live video, or marketplace listing, the original creator is notified of your like.
Your like helps boost positive interactions on Facebook. Use it to engage with and encourage your friends and favorite Pages!