Opening Paragraphs with Quick Answers
There are a few common reasons why you may not be able to make your Facebook post shareable:
- Your post privacy settings are set to Only Me. To make a post shareable, it needs to have a wider audience selected like Friends, Public, or a custom list.
- Your post contains content that Facebook has deemed inappropriate or against their Community Standards. Certain types of content like hate speech, nudity, etc. cannot be shared publicly.
- Your account or the specific post has restrictions placed by Facebook for violations of policies. Restricted accounts have limited sharing abilities.
- There is a technical glitch preventing the Share link from appearing. Trying logging out and back in or posting from a different device.
- The post type does not have share capabilities enabled. Some post formats like life event updates, fundraisers, and marketplace listings do not have sharing functions.
In most cases, changing the audience to Public or Friends resolves the issue and allows sharing. But for privacy or violations, you will need to modify the content.
Why Shareability Matters
Having shareable content is crucially important for reaching more people on Facebook. Here are some key reasons you want your posts to be sharable:
- Increased exposure – Sharing exponentially grows your audience and helps content go viral.
- Engagement – When people share your post, it often leads to more reactions, comments and overall engagement.
- Reduced marketing costs – User shares drive organic reach and reduce the need for paid promotions.
- Brand awareness – Wider sharing of your content raises awareness and recognition for your brand.
- Traffic growth – Posts shared to user timelines can direct more traffic back to your Page or website.
The share button is one of the most powerful tools on Facebook for increasing your reach. Avoid limiting the audience too much or you lose out on potential sharing.
Post Audience Settings
The most common obstacle to sharing access is having an overly restrictive post audience. Facebook allows you to target who can see a post in various ways:
- Public – Anyone on or off Facebook can see the post.
- Friends – Your friends list and their friends can access the post.
- Friends except… – Friends list minus any groups or people you exclude.
- Specific friends list – Only people on a custom list you create can see it.
- Only me – The post is private and not shareable.
having your audience set to Only Me prevents anyone else from viewing or sharing the post. Make sure to choose Friends, Public or a custom list with sharing in mind.
Here is a table summarizing post audience settings:
| Audience | Who Can Access | Shareable? |
|---|---|---|
| Public | All Facebook users | Yes |
| Friends | Your friends and their friends | Yes |
| Friends except… | Friends minus excluded groups | Yes |
| Custom friend list | Only people on that list | Yes |
| Only me | Just you | No |
As you can see, Only Me is the only setting that blocks sharing. Use any other audience for a shareable post.
Limitations on Content
Facebook also prohibits sharing of posts that violate their Community Standards and terms around appropriate content. Certain types of posts cannot be made public or sharable due to content restrictions.
Banned Content
Here are some examples of content that Facebook does not allow to be shared publicly:
- Nudity or sexual content
- Hate speech, threats or bullying
- Graphic violence
- Illegal or unethical content
- Spam or misleading information
- Infringing on intellectual property
If your post contains any violations, Facebook will block sharing capabilities. You will need to modify or remove the problematic content to have it be shareable.
Restricted Accounts
In some cases, restrictions can be placed on your entire account that limit your ability to share posts. This usually happens if multiple content violations have occurred. Some possible account restrictions include:
- Limited sharing abilities for a period of time
- Pre-approval required for posts before sharing publicly
- Blocking sharing of any new posts entirely
- Disabling live streaming capabilities
- Requiring confirmed identity to post or share
If you believe your account has unfair restrictions, you can submit an appeal to Facebook. But in most cases, the limits relate to serious or repeated violations of policies. Avoid posting inappropriate content to maintain full sharing abilities.
Technical Issues
Less commonly, technical glitches can cause the share button to disappear or fail to load on a Facebook post. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Refresh the page – The share link may load after a refresh.
- Log out and back in – A quick logout/login can fix missing share issues.
- Use a different device – Try making the post from a phone, computer or tablet.
- Reinstall the Facebook app – A clean reinstall resolves odd technical glitches.
- Update app or software – Make sure Facebook app and OS are up to date.
- Check internet connection – Connection issues may prevent sharing.
If the share button still does not appear after trying the above tips, report the problem to Facebook. Technical problems are usually resolved within a couple of days.
Share Limitations by Post Type
Certain Facebook post formats have sharing disabled by default or require special steps to share:
Life Event Updates
When you add a major life event like a wedding, birth, family death, etc., the update posts to your timeline but cannot be shared. These personal updates are designed for your friends and family only.
Fundraisers
Fundraiser posts for causes primarily utilize Facebook’s internal donation tools. They can receive comments and reactions but do not have a share option. You need to share the external fundraiser website URL for wider promotion.
Marketplace Listings
Posts in the Facebook Marketplace are designed for buying/selling between individuals, not sharing more broadly. But you can still share the post as a link through Messenger to relevant parties.
Pages You Follow
When you cross-post content from a Facebook Page that you run, the share option is not displayed. Page posts are designed to only be shared on that Page itself, not your personal profile.
Embedded Media
If you embed a YouTube video, SoundCloud track or other external media via the “Attach” option when posting, it cannot be shared as a Facebook post alone. You would need to share the source URL instead.
So in summary, certain post formats restrict sharing by design. But you can find workarounds like sharing related links or content on your Page instead.
Ways to Share a Post
When your post does have sharing enabled, here are the ways you or others can share it:
- Share button – Clicking the Share icon on mobile/desktop shares to your timeline.
- Share menu – Tap the three-dot menu and select Share Now or Share on Your Timeline.
- Copy link – Tap the three-dot menu and copy the post URL to share anywhere.
- Embed post – Use the embed code to display the post on websites or blogs.
- Share via Messenger – Forward a link to the post through Facebook Messenger.
- Share to other apps – Tap the share arrow icon to share via WhatsApp, email, etc.
You have many options for getting your post out to extended networks beyond your immediate friends and followers. Use the built-in tools as well as manual link sharing or embeds.
Maximizing Sharing Potential
Here are some tips to make your Facebook posts more sharable:
- Post at high traffic times – Share when more people are actively scrolling.
- Use relevant hashtags – Include trending hashtags tied to your post topic.
- Ask people to share – Directly prompt your audience to share a post.
- Share to groups – Join relevant groups and share your post to members.
- Run a contest/giveaway – Incentivize sharing with a prize drawing.
- Use emotions – Posts that evoke stronger reactions get shared more.
- Include images/video – Visual content tends to get shared much more than text-only posts.
- Target influencers – Get influencers in your niche to share your content.
- Mobile optimize – Ensure posts render well on mobile for more sharing.
Viral sharing requires planning and effort. Craft content tailored for high engagement and sharing among your target audience for best results.
Troubleshooting Lack of Sharing
If your post still does not have a share button or shares are lower than expected, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Check post privacy again – Ensure it’s not set to Only Me.
- Review content for violations – Remove any banned material.
- Confirm technical issues are not blocking sharing.
- Analyze engagement data – Look for low reactions and comments as a signal.
- Study your audience – See if their interests and habits align with viral sharing.
- Try more relevant hashtags – Research and test trending topic tags.
- Post at better times – Study your audience patterns and repost at optimal times.
- Directly ask for shares – Request shares from followers who engage most.
- Improve visual content – Use eye-catching images, video, graphics, etc.
- Craft stronger captions – Use language prompting reactions and shares.
Continuously refine your content strategy based on share data and audience insights. The most shareable posts evolve over time as you learn what motivates your audience.
Conclusion
Facebook’s post sharing features allow content to spread well beyond page followers and friends. But you need to manage both platform limitations and your audience preferences to make posts shareable. Examine privacy settings, restrict violations, resolve technical issues, post engaging content, and study share analytics to maximize the reach of your Facebook content.