There are a few common reasons why you may see the message “This content isn’t available right now” on Facebook:
The content has been reported and removed
If a post or page has been reported to Facebook for violating their Community Standards, it will be removed and you’ll see this message when trying to view it. The content may have contained things like hate speech, harassment, nudity, or violence that went against Facebook’s rules.
The content is restricted in your region
In some cases, content may only be viewable to users in certain countries or regions due to the poster’s settings or local laws. If you try accessing restricted content from an unsupported area, you’ll get the “content not available” notice.
There is a technical issue
Less commonly, this message can appear due to a temporary glitch or outage affecting Facebook’s servers. The content may reappear once Facebook resolves the problem on their end. If the issue persists, it’s more likely to be one of the other reasons.
When does this message appear?
You’ll see the “content not available” message when trying to access a specific Facebook post, page, group, event or other piece of content. This includes:
- Clicking on a post, photo, or video in your News Feed or on a profile
- Visiting a Facebook Page or Group directly
- Trying to view a Facebook Event
- Accessing a link or content that’s been shared with you on Facebook
If you come across the notice while scrolling through your News Feed, it likely means that post has been restricted or removed entirely after being reported.
Common examples
A friend’s post is unavailable
If you click on a post made by a friend and see this message, it normally means your friend’s post has been taken down by Facebook for violating a policy after being reported. For example, if it contained nudity, hate speech, or threats of harm.
A Page or Group you joined is unavailable
Pages and Groups you’ve liked or joined in the past can also become unavailable if they are removed by Facebook for policy violations. For instance, Facebook may take down a Group spreading COVID-19 misinformation or a Page promoting prohibited products or services.
An event is unavailable
Similarly, you may get this notice when trying to view a Facebook Event you responded as “Going” or “Interested” for in the past if that Event has since been removed. This could happen if the event was fake, illegal, or promoting dangerous activities.
A link you clicked is unavailable
If a friend shares a post, video, or external link on Facebook and you then try clicking through, you may find the content is unavailable if the original post was taken down. Links being shared on Facebook still have to comply with the platform’s rules.
Troubleshooting tips
Here are some things to try if you think content has been incorrectly pulled down on Facebook:
Check if you can access the content with a different account or when logged out
Log out of Facebook, or try viewing the content using a secondary account you have. If you can see the post, page, or event when logged out or with another account, it likely means your specific access has been restricted. This points to a region blocking issue or the content creator blocking you.
Make sure you aren’t accessing an old or broken link
In some cases, clicking on an old link or shared post from long ago may show the “content unavailable” message if that content has since been removed from Facebook. Try navigating directly or searching for the group, page, or user profile to confirm if they are still active on Facebook.
Check Facebook’s System Status page
The Facebook System Status page lists any current outages and issues impacting the platform. If you are getting the message across Facebook, it may be related to an ongoing outage rather than any single piece of content being unavailable.
Report incorrect takedowns
If you believe content was incorrectly removed from Facebook, you can submit an appeal through this form: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/1758255661104383
Explain why you feel the content was wrongly removed under Facebook’s policies. If the appeal is successful, the content may be restored.
Avoid spreading misinformation
Keep in mind that Facebook has been cracking down on harmful misinformation, especially relating to elections, COVID-19, and dangerous conspiracy theories. If your content was removed for misinformation, it will likely stay unavailable to prevent false facts from spreading further.
Why can’t I see my own post?
There are a few potential reasons you may not be able to see your own Facebook post:
Your post was deleted or hidden by you or Facebook
If you can’t see a post you know you made in the past, first check your Activity Log. This contains your complete posting history. If the post appears there but not on your profile, it means either:
- You deleted the post yourself, or…
- Facebook removed the post for violating their policies
Double check Facebook’s Community Standards to see if your post contained anything prohibited like hate speech, nudity, or graphic violence.
You limited the audience
When making a post on Facebook, you can choose who is able to see it – friends, public, or a customized list. If you have a very limited audience selected, you may not be able to view the post from your own profile if you aren’t in the selected audience. Switch to a different viewer account that was granted access.
Your account is temporarily restricted
If your account has been placed in Facebook Jail for violations, some of your existing posts may also become hidden from your view during the restriction period. Try logging out and back in, or checking from a secondary account.
It’s an old post and you don’t have scrolling history enabled
Facebook has settings that allow you to control how far back your own post history loads. If you have this set to only show recent posts, your older content won’t be accessible from your profile view. You can still find it in your Activity Log.
Change your history setting to expand the range of posts visible.
Getting an error message besides “content unavailable”
Here are some other common Facebook error messages and what they mean:
“This page isn’t available right now”
This typically indicates there is a temporary technical issue affecting Facebook functionality in your area. Give it some time and try again later. If the problem persists, it could point to a wider outage.
“The link may be broken, or the page may have been removed”
This usually appears when clicking an old link to a Facebook page, group, or event that no longer exists. The original content was likely deleted or the URL changed at some point, breaking the old link.
“Can’t Load URL: The domain isn’t authorized for this operation”
You will get this error if attempting to access Facebook using an expired or invalid security certificate. Try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache and cookies.
Prevent your own content being restricted
To avoid having your posts, pages, or events taken down by Facebook:
- Carefully review Facebook’s Community Standards so you understand what is and isn’t permitted
- Avoid posting hate speech, threats, nudity or other prohibited content
- Don’t spread dangerous misinformation, especially about elections, health issues and conspiracies
- Watch for signs your content may have been reported, like angry reactions or comments
- Remove questionable content proactively before Facebook has to step in
Monitoring your own content and keeping it within guidelines is the best way to avoid access issues.
Conclusion
The “content not available” message on Facebook typically indicates that particular post, page, group or event has been reported and removed for violating platform policies. Less often, it may be due to technical issues on Facebook’s end or regional blocking restrictions. When you encounter the notice, first check if the content is available when logged out or from a different account before assuming it was incorrectly deleted. If you believe the takedown was unwarranted, submit an appeal to Facebook through the proper form.
| Reason for “Content Unavailable” Message | Troubleshooting Steps |
|---|---|
| Content was reported and removed for violations | Review Facebook Community Standards to understand prohibited content |
| Region blocking or access restrictions | Try accessing content when logged out or using a different account |
| Temporary Facebook technical issue | Check Facebook System Status page for known outages |
By being mindful of Facebook’s rules and limitations around sharing content, you can avoid the frustration of having your own posts, pages, groups or events unexpectedly become unavailable. Facebook’s policies exist to limit the spread of dangerous misinformation and provide a safe, secure user experience across its global community.