There are a few potential reasons why your Facebook page may not be showing up as a profile:
You converted your profile to a page
The most likely reason your profile is not showing up is because you converted your personal profile to a Facebook page. When you convert a profile to a page, it changes the URL structure and removes some of the features of a personal profile.
For example, your profile URL would be something like facebook.com/jsmith, while a page URL is typically facebook.com/MyBusinessName. Pages also do not show up in search results for profiles or have the same privacy settings as personal accounts.
How to switch a page back to a profile
If you want to switch your page back to a profile, follow these steps:
- Go to your page and click “Settings” at the top
- Click “General” in the left sidebar
- Click “Switch to Personal Account” and follow the instructions
This will convert your page back to a personal profile with all the original privacy settings and profile features.
You created a business page separate from your profile
Another possibility is that you created a Facebook business page in addition to your personal profile. Many people choose to have both a personal profile and a separate page for their business, brand, organization, etc.
In this case, your personal profile still exists but is separate from the business page you created. Your profile is not showing up in searches because it is different from the page URL.
How to find your personal profile
To access your individual profile, you simply need to switch from your page account to your personal account. Here’s how:
- Click on the down arrow at the top right of Facebook
- Choose “Log in as [Your Name]” or “Switch to [Your Name]”
This will take you back to your personal profile that is separate from the business page.
You deactivated your account
If you recently deactivated your Facebook account, this would make your profile stop showing up in any searches.
When you deactivate your account, your profile is hidden until you log back in and reactivate it. Deactivating does not delete your account but temporarily hides it.
How to reactivate a deactivated account
To reactivate your Facebook account:
- Go to Facebook.com and click “Log In”
- Enter your email and password when prompted
- Click on the “Reactivate” button
- Your account will be reactivated
Once you reactivate, your profile will show up normally again in searches.
Your account was temporarily locked or disabled
If your account was temporarily locked or disabled by Facebook for violating a policy, your profile will be hidden from search until it is reinstated.
Some reasons your account may have been disabled include:
- Sharing spam or fake news repeatedly
- Harassing other users
- Having a fake or duplicate account
- Violating Facebook’s terms of service
How to restore a disabled account
To restore a disabled account:
- Check the email Facebook sent you explaining why your account was disabled and how long
- Appeal the decision if you think it was a mistake
- Wait out the specified time period before your account is automatically re-enabled
It may take up to 24 hours after re-enabling for your profile to show back up in searches.
You are completely banned from Facebook
In rare cases where someone has severely or repeatedly broken Facebook’s rules, your account may be permanently disabled with no option to appeal.
This results in a complete ban where you cannot reactivate your old profile. Some reasons this may happen include:
- Committing identity fraud
- Being under 13 years old
- Dangerous criminal activities
- Terrorist content
If your account was permanently disabled, you will need to create a new account and start fresh if you want to use Facebook again.
Your profile is hidden from search
Another possibility is that you have adjusted your privacy settings to hide your profile from being searched.
Facebook allows you to control the privacy of your profile. It’s possible you have it set so only confirmed friends can find your profile in searches.
How to make your profile public again
To make your profile public and visible in searches again:
- Go to your profile and click the three dots icon in the top right
- Select “View As…”
- See what your profile looks like to the public
- Go to your settings and adjust the privacy options
Be sure “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?” is set to Yes.
Your name is different on your profile
If you go by one name on your profile and a different name in searches, your profile may not show up.
For example, if your profile says “Jessica S” but someone searches for “Jessica Smith”, the name mismatch could prevent your account from appearing.
How to fix a name mismatch
To ensure your profile shows up properly:
- Go to your public profile and make sure your name matches your real identity
- Edit your name if needed to match how friends would search for you
- Consider adding common name variations to your profile’s About section
This will help people find your profile regardless of small name differences.
Your profile was memorialized
If someone passes away, Facebook can memorialize that person’s account. This restricts logins and prevents the profile from showing up in searches.
Memorialized profiles follow different privacy rules and can only be seen by confirmed friends.
If you think your account was mistakenly memorialized, you can request to have it reactivated. You will need to provide proof of identity.
Conclusion
There are a variety of reasons why your Facebook profile may not be showing up properly in searches, even though your account is active and public.
The most common reasons include converting your profile to a page, creating a separate business page, deactivating your account temporarily, or adjusting your privacy settings to limit visibility.
To troubleshoot and get your profile visible again, first check what type of account you have and its current status. Then go through your privacy settings and name display to make sure everything is set to public.
With a few quick checks and tweaks to your settings, you should be able to get your Facebook profile showing correctly so friends can find you.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Converted to a page | Switch back to a personal profile |
| Created separate business page | Log in to personal profile instead |
| Deactivated account | Reactivate your account |
| Disabled account | Appeal disabling or wait it out |
| Completely banned | Create a new account |
| Hidden from search | Change privacy settings to public |
| Name mismatch | Update name/variants on profile |
If the typical troubleshooting tips do not work, you may need to contact Facebook support for additional help getting your profile to appear properly in searches.