Thinking about changing your Facebook page name? It’s not always as easy as you think. Sometimes it can be as simple as typing over your existing name. However, we know from experience that with Facebook, it’s not always simple. You might hit some obstacles along the way and we’re here to help you overcome them.
If you’re perfectly happy with your Facebook page name, then that’s great! You can be on your merry way! However, some people may need to change their Facebook page name because of a rebrand or to add/change additional information. Perhaps you realised you made a spelling mistake - these things happen to the best of us! Whatever your reason for the change, fear not, we have you covered.
Step 1: Log in to Facebook on a desktop and head to your Facebook page. If you’re an admin, you’ll see the Manage Page options on the left-hand side.
Note: If you can’t see these options, you may need to speak to someone in the business who has admin access and ask them to make you an admin. Logging in as someone else is strictly against Facebook policy and could get you banned… forever!
Step 2: Head to Settings at the bottom. When a new page loads, click Page info on the left-hand menu. In this window, you’ll see that you can type a new name for your page.
As you click in the field, you’ll notice a message from Facebook about accurately naming your page and link to their page name rules.
Step 3: Follow the instructions in order to confirm your name change. Facebook will then take some time to verify your changes. In most cases, this should take between 24 - 48 hours.
Step 4: Wait for the outcome. You may receive an email from Facebook about the change once their check is complete. If the name change worked, congratulations! If not, keep calm and read on…
Sometimes, Facebook will reject a page name change. This could be for many reasons (and some of them do sound ridiculous!). We believe that the likelihood of this happening increases the more followers you have. Here are some examples of reasons you could be rejected:
If the Facebook page name change is rejected, firstly make sure you’ve updated all your other page information to match. You should be able to update your username (which is also your page’s URL) as well as your description, website address, physical address and business categories if necessary. Make sure there is nothing on your page that could make Facebook believe you’re still using your old name. After you’ve done this, try again.
If this still fails to work, then it’s time to get in touch with Facebook support and appeal your case. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Head to Facebook support. If you’re a business page admin, then you should be able to access help from Facebook here.
Step 2: Scroll down towards the bottom of the page where it says “Find answers or contact support”. Then, click Get Started.
Beware! This button won’t always be there. Facebook says it offers support to all of its business page admins, but we’ve found that at mega busy times, they will sometimes turn off the option to contact support and direct you to self-help articles instead. This is, of course, not what we need. In this case, it’s best to wait and try again later.
Step 3: Follow the on-page instructions. First, you’ll need to select the right asset from the list. This will be your Facebook page.
Then select the issue “I want to change the name of my page”.
Step 4: In the 3rd and final section called Get help, they’ll give you some step by step instructions. Be sure to read through this to make sure that you’ve already tried everything on there.
If you’ve done this already, select contact support.
Step 5: You’ll be given a form to fill out. Make sure you provide the correct information, as you may need to follow up later on.
When done, click “Start Chat”.
This will then give you a rare opportunity to plead your case directly with someone at Facebook about your issue, via Facebook Messenger.
Explain to them what you’re trying to do and why you feel your page name should be changed. It helps to give them as much information as possible to support your case here, as it will speed up the process. The chat representative will normally file another request for you, but will likely not be able to provide the outcome just yet. This will follow via email.
If Facebook has disapproved of the name change already, they will normally require some proof from you. In the past we’ve been asked to provide one of the following for our clients:
If you can provide one of the above when you enter the chat, this will save you time later on. If not, you may be asked to provide this via email after yet another rejection.
Remember, no matter how frustrating it may be (believe us, we’ve been there!) always remain calm and polite with the representative, as this may result in a more favourable outcome.
Once you’ve sent across the information requested by Facebook support, you should receive an email within 48 hours to let you know that the Facebook page name has officially been changed. No one ever said social media marketing was easy, so give yourself a pat on the back.
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