How to delete or unpublish a Facebook page

A Facebook page is "[A] place on Facebook where artists, public figures, businesses, brands, organizations and nonprofits can connect with their fans or customers," according to the Facebook Help Center.

Facebook pages are distinct from profiles, which is your primary account where you share pictures, comment on a friend's post, and display information about yourself.

You need a Facebook profile to create a Facebook page, but unlike profiles, which must be about a real person, a Facebook page can be about anything, from the ramen shop you manage to the band you promote to the handmade jewelry you sell. 

If you find yourself ready to delete a Facebook page — whether because the business closed, the band broke up, or you simply don't want a given page to be out there anymore — it's easy to delete Facebook pages via the main site and the Facebook app.

Delete a page on the website

1. Log into your Facebook account, then navigate to the page you want to delete by clicking your profile icon at the top right of the page. Click "See all profiles" and select the page. 
2. On the page to be deleted, click Settings on the left hand column, then click Privacy on the left of the next page.
3. On the next page, click Facebook Page Information.
4. Next, beside the words "Deactivation and deletion," click View.

   

   Insider

5. You will be taken to a page with two options: "Deactivate Page" and "Delete Page." Select "Delete Page," then hit Continue.

   

   Insider

6. A new window will pop up asking if you want to download and/or transfer information on the page. Make your selections, then hit Continue.
7. Enter your password when prompted, then hit Continue.
8. Now, finally, hit Continue on the next window, noting that the action you are about to take is permanent — or it will be, if you don't cancel the deletion by reactivating the page within 30 days.

Explore BI Games

Take a smarter break in your day - and see how far you get.

Play now

Want more Business Insider in your news feed?

Add BI in Google so our reporting is easier to find when you’re searching for what matters.

Add to Preferred Sources

Delete a page from the app

1. Open the Facebook app, click Menu. (Located at the bottom right of the screen on an iPhone and the top right on an Android.)
2. Tap Pages, then tap the page you wish to delete.

   

   Insider

3. Open the page's Settings, then tap General.
4. Tap Remove Page" On the next window, tap the Delete Page button.
5. Confirm your choice in the next window and delete the page. You have 30 days to reactivate it and stop the deletion.

Delete a Business page someone else created

People can create Facebook pages for just about anything, and sometimes that includes ones made for your business, band, book club, or any other entity. If there is a page out there that's about you or your organization that you didn't create, here's how to contact Facebook customer support and delete it.

1. Navigate to the page you want deleted, then click the three dots near the top right of the page.
2. Click "Find support or report" on the popup window.

   

   Insider

   3. On the next window, click "Pretending to be something," and then, on the next window, you can select among the options like "Me," "A business," etc.
   4. Type in the name of the entity (your business or blog or such) in the next popup window, then hit "Send."
   5. Facebook will now look into the page and if the company finds that it is illegitimate, the platform will delete it for you.

FAQs: Deleting a Facebook Page

Can admins delete Facebook pages?

Yes, they certainly can. In fact, you need to be an admin or to have been granted permission in order to be able to delete a Facebook page.

You are automatically made the admin of any Facebook page you create, so you can follow the steps already laid out above when one needs to be deleted. If you are not an admin of a page you wish to delete, you must request access.

Why can't I delete a Facebook page?

If you can't delete a Facebook page, then you do not have administrator access to it. If it's a page someone else created, you can either reach out to them directly if they are known to you, or follow the steps above to have Facebook handle the deletion for you.

If it is a page you know you created and should be able to delete, then that means your admin status has been changed. Someone else with admin access may have changed your role — on purpose or accidentally — and you will need to be re-added as an admin to delete the page.

How do I remove the owner of a Business page?

To change the ownership of a Facebook business page, you will need admin access to the page. With that in place, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Facebook profile, then click your profile image at the top right.
2. Choose "see all profiles" and navigate to the page by selecting it from the dropdown.
3. On the page, click Settings on the left hand side of the screen.
4. On the next page, click New Pages Experience, then select Page Transparency.

   

   Insider

   5. Underneath "Claim this page," hit Manage.
   6. Select the person or entity to whom you want to transfer the page, then click Assign.

   How to stop the deletion of a Facebook page

   As noted above, you have 30 days after you elect to delete a page to stop it from being deleted. If you changed your mind, just follow these steps:

   1. Open your Facebook profile and click on your image in the top right.
   2. Click Settings & privacy from the dropdown menu, then click Settings.
   3. Click Your Facebook information.

      

      Insider

      4. Finally, hit the word "View" beside reactivation, then click to reactivate the page.

      And remember, you can always unpublish a Facebook page instead of deleting it. This hides the page from public view but allows you to reactivate it at any time.