There are a few common reasons why your Facebook page may have been restricted. The most likely causes are violating Facebook’s Community Standards, posting prohibited content, or your page getting reported repeatedly. Don’t worry – in most cases, page restrictions are temporary. Here’s what you need to know about restricted pages on Facebook and how to get your page back to normal.
What Does It Mean When Your Facebook Page Is Restricted?
A restricted Facebook page has limited functionality and audience reach. Here are some of the effects of a restricted page:
- Your page’s posts may only be visible to certain audiences, like page admins and fans who have interacted with your page in the past.
- You may be blocked from posting new content to your page for a period of time.
- Your page may not show up in search results or recommendations.
- You will not be able to run ad campaigns with your page.
- You may see a notification that your page has reduced distribution or is unable to add new admins.
The restrictions placed on your page depend on the reason for the limitation. In most cases, the restrictions are temporary, lasting from a few hours up to a few weeks. Permanent disabling of pages is rare and usually only done for repeat violations of Facebook’s terms.
Why Was My Facebook Page Restricted?
Here are some of the most common reasons Facebook pages get restricted:
Violating Community Standards
If your page content goes against Facebook’s Community Standards, it may get restricted. Some examples of violations include posting hate speech, nudity, or graphically violent content.
Posting Banned or Regulated Goods
Facebook prohibits pages that promote the sale of certain goods like illegal drugs, prescription medications, and weapons. Pages found in violation will be restricted.
Harmful Misinformation
Facebook cracks down on pages that spread harmful misinformation like health hoaxes, election fraud claims, and conspiracy theories. If your page shares this type of misinformation, restrictions may be applied.
Suspicious or Inauthentic Activity
To combat spam and fraud, Facebook restricts pages that engage in suspicious activity like mass following/friending, repetitive posts, or coordinated inauthentic behavior.
Intellectual Property Violations
Posting copyright-protected content like movies, TV shows, music, and books you don’t have the rights to use can result in page restrictions.
Multiple Page Quality Violations
Pages that repeatedly violate Facebook’s Page Quality guidelines by posting clickbait, low-quality content, or disruptive ads may get restricted.
User Reports
If your page receives multiple user reports for any reason, Facebook may restrict your page as a precaution while evaluating whether Community Standards or other policies were violated.
How Long Do Facebook Page Restrictions Last?
The duration of Facebook page restrictions can vary depending on the severity and type of violation:
- Minor first-time violations may last 1-7 days.
- More serious or repeated violations can prompt 1-30 day restrictions.
- Severely abusive pages may be disabled permanently.
In most cases, restrictions are temporary. The first time your page gets penalized, the limits may be on the shorter side. But if your page continues violating policies, restrictions will progressively get longer.
How to Get Your Restricted Facebook Page Back to Normal
If your page has been restricted, here are some steps you can take to get it restored to full functionality:
- Check for a notification. Log in to your page’s admin account and look for any notifications explaining the restriction. This may give details on duration and what content violated a policy.
- Remove any offending content. Delete any posts, photos, videos, or information that goes against Facebook policies. This shows Facebook you understand the violation and have taken steps to correct it.
- Adjust your posting strategy. Review Facebook’s rules and carefully consider what you share going forward. Repeated violations will lead to longer restrictions.
- Appeal the restriction. In the page admin, find the option to “Request Review” of any restrictions placed on your page. Explain why you believe the limitations should be lifted.
- Communicate with Facebook. If your appeal is denied but you believe the restrictions were made in error, reach out to Facebook directly via the Facebook Business Support options.
With a first-time minor violation, your page may automatically be restored to normal within a few days if you remove any offending content. But be patient – it can sometimes take 1-2 weeks for restrictions to fully lift after an appeal.
How to Prevent Facebook Page Restrictions
Here are some tips to help avoid getting your Facebook page restricted in the first place:
- Carefully review Facebook’s Community Standards, Page Quality Guidelines, and other policies so you understand what type of content is permitted.
- Avoid posting copyrighted material you don’t have permission to use, and give proper attribution when sharing other sources.
- Stick to posting original content that provides value for your audience.
- Don’t engage in aggressive marketing tactics like sending spam messages or mass friending.
- Maintain an active page admin presence and delete any inappropriate content from fans quickly.
- Don’t purchase page likes or followers from third-party sites, which is against Facebook rules.
Keeping up with Facebook policy changes can help minimize your risk of accidental violations resulting in restrictions. While it’s impossible to prevent all user reports, following best practices can keep your page in good standing.
Can a Restricted Facebook Page Be Deleted?
In most cases, Facebook will restrict a page rather than delete it outright on the first violation. But in certain situations, it is possible for a severely problematic page to be permanently removed.
Facebook may delete pages without the option to appeal for:
- Repeated hate speech, bullying, or harassment violations
- Terrorist propaganda or recruiting pages
- Sex trafficking or exploitation content
- Impersonating or pretending to be someone else
- Severely violating intellectual property rights
For less serious first-time violations, Facebook will usually restrict your page temporarily rather than deleting it. But repeat offenders or pages promoting dangerous or illegal activity face a higher risk of permanent removal.
What to Do If Your Facebook Page Gets Deleted
If your page ended up being one of the rare cases that got completely deleted, here are a few options:
- Appeal the deletion if you believe it was a mistake. Facebook may restore your page if it was removed in error.
- Create a new page, but avoid reposting any content that violated Facebook’s rules.
- Use an alternative social media platform to rebuild your audience.
- Contact Facebook support and explain why you believe deletion was too harsh a penalty.
Unfortunately, once a page is permanently deleted, it can be difficult to get restored. Your best bet is to learn from any violations that occurred and make your new page fully compliant with Facebook’s standards.
Conclusion
Facebook page restrictions are designed to be temporary punishments for violating platform policies. By removing offending content and adjusting your strategy, most restricted pages can regain full access within a few days or weeks at most. While permanent deletion is rare, you can avoid the harshest penalties by understanding and following Facebook’s rules for acceptable content.