Facebook Marketplace is a convenient platform for buying and selling items locally. However, sometimes users encounter issues when trying to create a new listing. There are a few common reasons why Facebook Marketplace may not allow you to post:
Your account or listing violated Facebook’s Commerce Policies
Facebook has strict commerce policies that prohibit certain types of items, transactions, and account behaviors. If you’ve previously posted prohibited items or engaged in policy-violating behavior, Facebook may restrict your ability to create new listings as a penalty. Some examples of policy violations include:
- Posting prohibited or illegal items like weapons, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco
- Posting counterfeit or replica items
- Using multiple Facebook accounts to evade restrictions
- Failure to ship items after purchase
- Receiving excessive buyer complaints or order disputes
If you think a policy violation is why you cannot post, you should review Facebook’s commerce policies carefully. Avoid posting any further prohibited items. Contact Facebook to appeal the restriction if you believe it was placed in error.
Your listing contains restricted content
Facebook Marketplace does not allow certain content that may be abusive, dangerous, or illegal. Some examples include:
- Offensive, violent, or sexually explicit text, images, or videos
- Content that promotes discrimination or hate
- Illegal or prescription drugs
- Content that violates others’ intellectual property rights
If your listing contains any restricted content, Facebook will block you from posting it. Carefully review your listing’s photos, videos, and description text to remove anything that violates Facebook’s content policies. Avoid vague descriptions of items that could be interpreted as restricted. Descriptions should specifically describe exactly what you are selling.
Your account needs ID verification
Facebook may require users to complete an ID verification process before allowing access to certain features, like Marketplace. This helps ensure accounts are authentic. You may need ID verification if:
- Your account is new
- You changed your name or birthday
- You’ve had prior violations or restrictions
- Your activity seems suspicious or inauthentic
If ID verification is required, you’ll see a notice when trying to create a listing. To complete verification, you’ll need to upload a copy of your government ID and a photo of yourself. This process may take a few days to process after submitting your ID documents.
Your account is restricted from selling items
In some cases, Facebook may impose restrictions that prevent accounts from selling items on Marketplace, even if posting is still allowed. This is different from a total block on posting. Selling restrictions may happen if:
- You’ve failed to ship purchased items
- You have a history of order cancellation or refund requests
- You’ve frequently posted items that violate policies
With a selling restriction, you may still be able to give away items for free or post non-sale listings like housing or services. But the “Sell Item” option will be disabled. Ensure you fulfill any outstanding transactions, avoid further policy violations, and appeal the selling restriction through Facebook to regain full Marketplace access.
Your payment account is not properly set up
Facebook requires users to add a payment method before allowing item sales on Marketplace. This ensures Facebook has a way to collect fees for transactions conducted on its platform. If your payment setup is incomplete, the platform may block you from posting items for sale until it is resolved. Some potential issues include:
- No payment method on file
- Invalid or expired payment details
- Pending payment account verification
Check that you have a valid debit/credit card or PayPal account added in your Marketplace payment settings. Update any expired info or complete any pending payment verification steps required by Facebook. This should resolve any payment-related posting restrictions.
Your account was accidentally flagged or disabled
In some rare cases, an account may become incorrectly flagged by Facebook’s automated systems, leading to restrictions. Bugs or technical errors could also potentially cause posting issues. And user accounts sometimes get mistakenly reported and disabled by others. If you feel your account was restricted in error:
- Double check you have not violated any Facebook policies
- File appeals through Facebook’s help pages
- Reach out to Facebook support if issues persist after appeals
Providing details on why you feel the account was restricted incorrectly can help in determining if it was disabled by mistake. But keep in mind restrictions in error are uncommon – most bans are legitimate based on policy violations.
You reached your selling limits
Facebook limits the number of items each user can sell in a given time period. This helps manage inventory and prevent spam. New users or those with short selling histories have lower limits. If you’ve reached your selling limit, you’ll have to wait until the next period to post more items. Selling limits impact both new listings and relists. Ways to increase your selling capacity over time include:
- Maintaining a good seller reputation
- Avoiding order issues, cancellations, and refunds
- Growing your established user account history
- Keeping listings active for longer vs quick deletes
Avoid rapidly taking listings down and reposting them as Facebook may flag this behavior. Marketplace selling limits tend to increase naturally the longer an account is in good standing.
You have an active block from posting
If you’ve engaged in severe or repeated policy violations, Facebook may impose a block that prevents you from posting items for a set time period. Active blocks could last anywhere from a few days up to a few weeks depending on the severity of past infractions. Some examples of behaviors that can warrant posting blocks include:
- Posting prohibited, dangerous or illicit items
- Scams and fraudulent listings
- Hate speech, bullying, or harassment
- Spamming or artificially inflating engagement
You will receive notifications if you have an active block in place. Avoid further policy violations during the block period. Once the block expires, take care to carefully follow Facebook’s rules moving forward to avoid additional restrictions.
Your account is banned from Facebook
If your entire Facebook account becomes banned or disabled, you will obviously be unable to access Marketplace for posting. Account bans happen for reasons like:
- Severely violating Facebook’s terms of service or community standards
- Committing illegal behavior through Facebook
- Having multiple repeated serious policy violations and blocks
- Using fake accounts or bots
Appealing an overall Facebook account ban is difficult if it was placed due to severe infractions. Avoid violating policies, laws, or terms of service on any other accounts you control to prevent further bans.
You have market or category restrictions
Facebook may limit the ability to post certain item categories in some markets based on local laws and regulations. For example, alcohol cannot be sold on Marketplace in some locations. And some product categories like medical devices or supplements require special approval. If you cannot select a particular category when creating a listing, it is likely restricted in your market. Common restricted categories include:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Weapons
- Pets
- Housing rentals
- Pharmaceuticals and supplements
- Adult items
Make sure the items you are trying to list are allowed for sale in your specific region. Certain categories will simply be unavailable when trying to create a new Marketplace post if rules prohibit them.
Troubleshooting tips when Facebook Marketplace isn’t letting you post
If you are running into problems posting items for sale on Facebook Marketplace, here are some troubleshooting steps to take:
- Carefully review Facebook’s commerce policies and ensure your item or content does not violate any rules.
- Check for any active restrictions or blocks in place on your account that may prevent posting.
- Confirm your payment account is properly set up if trying to sell items.
- Verify your account through ID upload if Facebook prompts you to do so.
- Make sure your item category is allowed for sale in your country/region.
- Appeal any restrictions you feel were placed in error and avoid further violations.
- Contact Facebook support if issues persist after following troubleshooting tips.
With over 1 billion users, Facebook must put automated restrictions in place to uphold policies, prevent abuse, and maintain a safe community. While this can sometimes impact well-meaning users, following the commerce rules and troubleshooting tips above should help you resolve most posting issues.
Conclusion
Facebook Marketplace provides an easy way for people to buy and sell locally through the convenience of the social network. However, users sometimes find the platform won’t allow them to create new listings. This is often due to violations of Facebook’s commerce policies or other account restrictions. By understanding the common reasons posting may be blocked and following troubleshooting steps, you can usually identify and resolve the underlying issue. Make sure to follow Facebook’s rules for acceptable content and behavior to maintain full access to Marketplace’s useful features.