There are a few potential reasons why Facebook may not be showing all of your posts on your timeline:
You’ve hidden the post
If you’ve hidden a post from your timeline, it won’t be visible to anyone except you. To check if you’ve hidden any posts:
- Go to your profile and click on the triple dot “More” menu in the top right
- Select “Activity Log”
- Click on the dropdown menu next to “Filters” and select “Hidden from Timeline”
This will show you any posts you’ve hidden. You can unhide them by clicking on the post and selecting “Unhide from Timeline”.
Your post is pending review
Facebook will sometimes flag posts that may go against their Community Standards. If this happens, your post enters a pending state while it’s reviewed:
- You’ll see it on your timeline but your friends won’t.
- There may be a notification saying it’s being reviewed.
- It typically takes less than a day for Facebook to review pending posts.
If your post doesn’t violate any policies, it will be approved and become visible to others after review. If it does violate policies, Facebook may remove it.
Your post privacy settings are limited
Double check the audience selector when posting to make sure you’ve selected “Public” or “Friends” as the audience. If you’ve selected a more limited group like “Close Friends”, only those individuals will see the post.
Your post contains blocked words/phrases
Facebook maintains a list of words and phrases that are blocked from posts. If your post contains any blocked terms, it will not be visible to anyone except you. Some examples of commonly blocked words/phrases include:
- Hate speech
- Harassment
- Profanity
- Sexually explicit language
- Sensitive topics like self-harm or illegal drug use
You’ve hit the post visibility limit
Facebook limits the reach of posts from accounts that mass-post frequently. If you’re posting a lot within a short time frame, Facebook may limit the visibility of your posts as an anti-spam measure.
Your account is shadowbanned
A shadowban is when Facebook severely limits the visibility of your posts and comments, but doesn’t notify you. Potential reasons for getting shadowbanned include:
- Frequently posting clickbait, sensational or misleading content
- Aggressively commenting/messaging, especially on promoted posts from Pages
- Posting banned content like pornography or illegal activity
- Having a very low percentage of comments vs posts
Appealing a shadowban is difficult, but possible by remaining active in positive ways and avoiding the activities that led to being banned.
Your friends have unfollowed you
If a friend unfollows you, they’ll stop seeing your posts in their News Feed. Your posts will still show up on your profile page that they can visit.
To see a list of people who have unfollowed you recently:
- Go to your profile page
- Click “Friends” below your cover photo
- Click “More” next to Friends
- Select “Followers You Know”
This shows friends who still follow you. Click “Unfollowers You Know” to see those who’ve unfollowed.
You’ve been temporarily banned from posting
If you’ve severely or repeatedly violated Facebook’s terms, they may temporarily ban you from posting. You’ll get a notification if you’ve been banned from posting.
Bans may last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. You’ll need to wait for the ban period to expire before you can post again.
Your Facebook app needs an update
Make sure you have the latest version of the Facebook app installed on your mobile device. Outdated versions can sometimes cause posting issues.
On iPhone, go to the App Store and check for Facebook app updates. On Android, go to Google Play and check for updates.
Facebook is having technical issues
Like any technology platform, Facebook can experience occasional technical glitches. Sometimes posts may fail to appear due to problems on Facebook’s end. Check their support page or Twitter account to see if they’re currently experiencing issues.
You’ve hit your post limit for the day
To limit spam, Facebook enforces a maximum number of posts per day from an account. This limit varies based on your account history. If you go over the limit, your additional posts won’t show up.
Give it a rest for the day and your post counter will reset overnight. You’ll be able to post again in the morning.
Your post contains a blocked link
If your post includes a link that Facebook has blacklisted, the entire post may not show up. This is often the case with links to questionable websites or copyright infringement.
If you suspect a link is blocked, try making the post again without the link to see if it goes through.
You’ve been restricted from posting
In some cases of severe or repeated violations, Facebook may restrict your ability to post. You’ll get a notification explaining the restriction.
It can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You’ll need to wait out the restriction period before you can post again.
Your post wasn’t fully published
Make sure you fully publish your post after creating it. Sometimes people compose a post but then navigate away or close the app before hitting publish. This can result in a “phantom draft” that you can’t see.
When making a post, ensure you tap the “Post” button after finishing it. Also check your drafts folder to see if any unpublished posts are stuck there.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting Facebook post visibility issues can be frustrating, but is often caused by one of these common problems. Check each of the possibilities to ensure your posts appear consistently going forward. And as always, maintain your account in good standing by following Facebook’s guidelines.
If you’ve ruled out all other causes, contact Facebook support to report persistent problems with post visibility.
| Reason | Solution |
|---|---|
| You’ve hidden the post | Unhide posts in your Activity Log |
| Your post is pending review | Wait for Facebook’s review process |
| Your post privacy settings are limited | Check the audience selector when posting |
| Your post contains blocked words/phrases | Avoid blocked terms like profanity or hate speech |
| You’ve hit the post visibility limit | Reduce your posting frequency |
| Your account is shadowbanned | Appeal the shadowban by posting positively |
| Your friends have unfollowed you | Check your followers list to see who has unfollowed |
| You’ve been temporarily banned from posting | Wait out the temporary ban period |
| Your Facebook app needs an update | Update to the latest version of the Facebook app |
| Facebook is having technical issues | Check Facebook’s status page and wait for fixes |
| You’ve hit your post limit for the day | Wait until your daily limit resets overnight |
| Your post contains a blocked link | Repost without the questionable link |
| You’ve been restricted from posting | Wait out the restriction period |
| Your post wasn’t fully published | Ensure you fully hit the “Post” button |
Facebook’s algorithms and rules can feel opaque sometimes. But in most cases, post visibility issues can be explained by one of these common factors. Understanding the potential causes can help troubleshoot problems quickly.
With billions of users, Facebook aims to balance open communication with security and quality. Their visibility limits try to strike that balance. Maintain your account in good standing, and your posts should reach your intended audience consistently.
But bugs and glitches do occur. If problems persist after checking all possible factors, contact Facebook support to investigate further. They can look into any unexplained issues on their end affecting your post visibility.
With some diligence about the requirements, posting on Facebook should be an effective way to connect with friends, family and followers. The platform continues working to minimize issues that might hinder that open expression and discussion.
Facebook holds a unique place in internet communication and culture. So troubleshoot any problems diligently to ensure you remain engaged in that virtual community space. With some patience and detective work, you should be able to resolve most post visibility issues.
Maintaining your account properly allows you to access Facebook’s benefits, while avoiding triggers that might limit your posting ability. Check settings periodically and keep your content within guidelines. Using Facebook responsibly helps prevent problems before they start.
If issues do occur, systematically walk through the potential factors covered here. Get your post visibility back on track, so you can actively participate in the Facebook experience as intended. Share your memories, news and content freely again, knowing friends and followers are seeing it all in their feeds.