There are a few reasons why you may not be able to share a post on Facebook in a private message. Facebook has certain restrictions in place to prevent spam and protect user privacy. In this article, we’ll take a look at the reasons you may be running into issues sharing posts privately and some potential workarounds.
Facebook’s Policy on Sharing Posts in Messages
Facebook’s terms of service and community standards prohibit users from sending unsolicited commercial messages or spam to other users on the platform. This includes sharing posts via private message that contain promotional content, advertisements, or links to commercial offers. Facebook wants to keep private messaging an area for personal conversations between friends and family. They restrict the ability to share posts broadly through messages to cut down on spam.
Limitations on Sharing Posts from Pages You Don’t Manage
Facebook also doesn’t allow users to share posts via private message from Pages that they don’t have admin access to. For example, if you wanted to share a post from Coca-Cola’s Facebook Page, but you don’t manage that Page, you wouldn’t be able to share it in a private message. This prevents people from grabbing content from Pages and spamming it out via private messaging without the Page admin’s permission.
Technical Issues Preventing Post Sharing
In some cases, technical glitches or bugs may also prevent you from being able to share a post in a private message. Facebook’s apps are constantly being updated, so temporary issues like this do pop up from time to time. Some common technical reasons you may not be able to share a post include:
- The Facebook app needs to be updated to the latest version
- Your Facebook app is experiencing a bug or glitch
- Your Facebook profile or app has an incorrect privacy or sharing setting enabled
- The post you’re trying to share has security settings applied by the original poster that prevent sharing
Usually technical problems that limit post sharing are resolved relatively quickly. Updating the app, restarting your phone, or waiting a bit and trying again later often fixes temporary glitches.
Ways to Potentially Share Posts in Private Messages
While Facebook tries to limit spam and unauthorized sharing of content in private messages, there are some workaround ways you may be able to share certain posts:
- Screenshot the post and share the screenshot image
- Use the Copy Link option to share the post’s link
- Share posts from Pages you manage as an admin
- Make sure any privacy settings on the post allow it to be shared publicly
However, if the post contains promotional content or comes from a Page you don’t own, Facebook may still block you from sharing it even using these methods.
Best Practices for Sharing on Facebook
Here are some best practices to keep in mind when sharing content on Facebook to avoid any issues:
- Only share personal updates, photos, videos, etc. via private messaging
- Post promotions, ads, and commercial offers directly to your Timeline or Page
- Use Groups rather than private messages if you want to share posts with multiple people
- Make sure you have admin access if you want to share posts from a Facebook Page
- Double check that any post privacy settings allow public sharing
Following these tips will help ensure your shares don’t violate Facebook’s policies and get blocked. Check Facebook’s terms of service if you ever have questions about what you can and can’t share on their platform.
Conclusion
Facebook limits post sharing via private messaging to prevent spamming and unauthorized use of Page content. While you may occasionally hit roadblocks sharing certain posts privately, there are some workarounds like taking screenshots or copying the link. Make sure any posts you want to share don’t contain promotional content and that you have permission to share content from Pages you don’t own. With billions of users, Facebook relies on automated filters to maintain their sharing policies, so sometimes perfectly innocent shares can get caught in the crossfire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share public posts in private messages on Facebook?
In most cases, you cannot share complete public posts in private Facebook messages. Facebook restricts this functionality to prevent spamming. You may be able to share a link or screenshot of a public post privately.
What happens if I try to share a post in a private message on Facebook?
If you try to share a post that violates Facebook’s policies, you will receive an error message preventing you from sending the message. The share may be automatically blocked or flagged and reviewed by Facebook’s mods.
Can I share posts from Groups in private messages?
Facebook does not allow users to share full posts from private Groups they are a member of into private messages. You can only message full post content to other members of the same private Group.
Are there any workarounds to share Facebook posts privately?
Some workarounds include taking a screenshot of the post and sharing the image, using the Copy Link option to share the post URL, or sharing content you have permission to re-share from Pages you manage.
What are Facebook’s rules around sending promotional content in private messages?
Facebook prohibits users from sending promotional content, spam, advertisements, or unsolicited commercial offers through private messaging. This type of content should be posted directly to timelines and Pages.