There are a few potential reasons why Facebook may be hiding your page or post views:
Algorithm changes
Facebook regularly updates its News Feed algorithm, which decides what content shows up in each user’s feed. Recent algorithm changes have prioritized showing more posts from friends and family, and fewer posts from pages and public figures. This means your page’s posts are less likely to show up in your followers’ feeds organically.
Reach limits
Facebook now limits the reach of page posts, meaning only a certain percentage of your followers will see it. This is to encourage pages to pay for ads if they want their posts to reach more people. So you may have fewer views on posts simply because fewer followers are seeing it.
Missing out on viral distribution
If a post doesn’t get many reactions right away, Facebook’s algorithm will show it to fewer people. So a post needs to get engagement quickly to “go viral” and reach more of your audience. If it doesn’t, you’ll likely see lower view counts.
Bugs or errors
It’s possible there are actual bugs or errors causing view counts to be inaccurate. Facebook’s systems are complex, so weird things can happen. Usually these issues are temporary.
Why is Facebook hiding page views?
There are a few reasons why Facebook may specifically be hiding your page’s total view count:
Emphasizing meaningful metrics
Facebook has said they want to de-emphasize vanity metrics like views and focus on meaningful engagement like comments and shares. So they’ve made design changes like removing page view counts from being publicly visible.
Reducing unhealthy comparison
Facebook likely wants to reduce the tendency to compare view and follower counts, which can be unhealthy for some users and businesses. Hiding public view metrics may help alleviate this.
Pushing for ads
By hiding page view counts, Facebook makes it harder for page owners to track their unpaid reach. This could incentivize them to pay for ads instead to ensure their content gets viewed.
Development challenges
Tracking lifetime page views across platforms like mobile and desktop can be technically challenging at Facebook’s scale. So simplifying the public view count makes engineering sense.
Why are my post views hidden on Facebook?
There are also a few reasons why the view counts may be hidden for your individual posts:
New default setting
As of October 2022, view counts on posts are hidden by default for pages. Page admins have to manually change the setting to make view counts public. So double check your page settings.
Limit organic reach
Similar to page views, Facebook wants to limit the organic reach of unpaid posts and incentivize paying for ads. Hiding view counts contributes to this by obscuring how many people actually saw your post.
Reduced competition
View counts being public led some pages and users to compete over getting the most views. By hiding the metrics, Facebook may aim to promote healthier behavior.
Development costs
Showing view counts on both desktop and mobile takes engineering resources. Facebook may have decided to prioritize other features over maintaining this one.
How can I see my real Facebook views?
If you want to see your actual Facebook page and post view counts, here are a few options:
Check Facebook Insights
Page admins can view Insights to see how many times their page and posts were viewed in a given time period. It gives you your organic reach across desktop and mobile.
Use third-party analytics
Connecting your Facebook account to a tool like Sprout Social or Hootsuite lets you monitor key metrics like views. Their dashboards display the data pulled from Facebook’s API.
Try Facebook Analytics
Facebook Analytics is a separate app that provides view count data on both pages and posts. It offers deeper analytics than Insights.
Install a pixel
Adding the Facebook pixel to your website tracks views of content that people access from Facebook. You can see your website’s FB traffic in Ads Manager.
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Insights | – Built into Facebook – Free to use – Official data |
– Only shows periods – Limited features |
| Third-party analytics | – More features – Real-time data – Helpful dashboards |
– Usually paid service – Setup required – Not first-party data |
| Facebook Analytics | – Official app from Facebook – Detailed data – Free to install |
– Separate from Insights – Still some limitations |
| Facebook Pixel | – Tracks external traffic – Integrates with ads – Official Facebook tool |
– Only shows website views – Requires website |
Should I be worried about low Facebook views?
If your Facebook views seem lower than expected, here are a few things to consider:
Check your expectations
Views can fluctuate a lot based on the interests of your audience. Look at past trends and seasonality to better understand typical numbers for your page.
Analyze your content
See if lower view posts have anything in common like type of content, time posted, or engagement level. This can reveal insights to improve.
Review your audience
A shift in views could indicate a change in your audience makeup and interests. Review your audience data and listen to feedback.
Consider paid strategies
If you want to reach more people,Facebook ads or a promoted post campaign might be warranted to supplement organic reach.
Focus on quality
Having quality interactions with an engaged audience is more important than vanity metrics. Prioritize content your audience truly loves.
Be patient
Algorithm changes can cause temporary dips in metrics. Stick to your strategy and give the platform time to stabilize.
Tips for increasing Facebook page views
Here are some tips to organically grow your Facebook page views:
Post high-quality, valuable content
Posts that provide useful information or entertainment are more likely to get engagement and shares, driving up views.
Use videos and images
Video views don’t count towards page view totals, but video posts can attract attention and get people visiting your page.
Go live frequently
Facebook Live videos appear higher in News Feeds and can significantly boost your organic reach when you go live.
Engage with your audience
Reply to comments, ask questions, and involve your audience to get more comments and visibility on your posts.
Promote outside of Facebook
Let your email subscribers, website visitors, and followers on other platforms know about your Facebook content to drive traffic.
Advertise strategically
Consider using page likes ads to raise awareness and grow your audience, leading to more potential views.
Optimize posting times
Use Facebook Insights to discover when your audience is most active, then post consistently at those high traffic times.
Analyze competitors
See what type of content, posting styles, and promotions work well for competitors in your niche.
Should I pay to increase Facebook reach?
Here are some pros and cons of using paid strategies to extend your Facebook reach:
Potential benefits
– Get your content in front of more of your audience
– Drive traffic to your website
– Promote posts that are performing well
– Raise awareness with new potential customers
– Flexible budgets and targeting options
Potential risks
– No guarantee of ROI on spend
– Can get expensive to reach large audiences
– Need dedicated budget and management
– Promoted posts could underperform
– Risk of irrelevant followers with page like campaigns
Overall, paid reach makes the most sense if you have a robust organic presence already and want to scale it up. Test small campaigns first and track conversions before investing big budgets.
Conclusion
Facebook limiting public page and post view counts is likely an intentional move to emphasize quality over vanity metrics. But organic reach limits, news feed algorithm changes, and platform bugs can also cause view fluctuations.
Page admins still have options like Facebook Insights to monitor their real view data. Focusing on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience is more important than fixating on view quantities.
Strategic advertising and posting at optimal times can expand your reach. But be wary of over-relying on paid reach, and ensure you have strong organic content as the foundation.
With realistic expectations, an understanding of how Facebook works now, and a commitment to adding value, page owners can still build thriving communities even with view counts hidden. The meaningful interactions with real fans matter more than vanity metrics in the end.