How to Allow People to Share Your Post on Facebook

Ever posted something on Facebook you were really proud of, only to have friends tell you they couldn’t share it? When that share button is missing, you're losing a huge opportunity for organic reach. This guide cuts straight to the chase: we'll show you exactly how to find the setting that's blocking your shares, fix it for existing posts, and set up your account so everything you publish in the future is shareable from the start.

Why Can't People Share My Facebook Post? Understanding Privacy Settings

The single biggest reason people can't share your Facebook post comes down to one thing: your audience privacy settings. Every time you create a post, you decide who gets to see it. This choice directly impacts whether the "Share" button appears for other people.

If your post isn't shareable, it's almost certainly because it's not set to "Public." Facebook’s privacy model requires people to be able to see the original content in order for a share to make sense. If your post is locked down, sharing it broadly just isn't possible.

Here’s a quick rundown of the main audience options and what they mean for sharing:

• Public (🌍): You'll see a small globe icon. This is the magic setting. Anyone, on or off Facebook, can see your post. This makes it fully shareable for everyone. The share button will be visible, allowing your content to travel far and wide.
• Friends (🧑‍🤝‍🧑): Only people you are friends with on Facebook can see the post. While your friends can share this post, the audience of their share is limited. It won't reach new people outside your mutual friend circles effectively because the original post is restricted to your friends only.
• Friends except...: This is a custom list that excludes specific people. Like the "Friends" setting, it severely limits sharing potential.
• Specific friends: You hand-pick who sees the post. This is highly restrictive and not designed for sharing.
• Only me: Just for you. The share button won’t appear for anyone.

For your brand, business, or public-facing content to have the maximum possible reach, setting your post's audience to Public is essential. That's what makes the share button appear for all viewers, allowing them to become advocates for your content.

How to Fix a Single Post (And Make It Shareable)

Did you already publish something and realize the share button is missing? No problem. You can change the audience setting on any post you've already made. The process varies slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or a mobile device.

On a Computer (Desktop Browser)

This is the easiest way to see all your options at once. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Go to your Facebook profile or page and find the post you want to edit.
2. In the top-right corner of the post itself (next to your name), click the three dots (...).
3. A dropdown menu will appear. Select "Edit Audience."
4. A list of audience options will pop up (Public, Friends, etc.). Select "Public" - the option with the globe icon.
5. Click "Done" or "Save." The post will immediately update, and the share button should now be visible to everyone.

That's it! Anyone who sees the post can now share it directly to their own timeline, in groups, or via Messenger.

On a Mobile Device (iOS/Android App)

Editing a post's privacy on the go is just as simple using the Facebook app.

1. Open the Facebook app and navigate to your profile or page feed.
2. Scroll to the post you need to make shareable.
3. Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the post.
4. From the menu that appears, tap "Edit Privacy" (it may also be labeled "Edit Audience" on some versions).
5. You'll see a list of choices. Tap "Public."
6. Tap to go back. Facebook saves the change automatically. Now, your post is ready to be shared by a wider audience.

How to Make All Future Facebook Posts Shareable (Adjusting Your Default Settings)

Fixing individual posts is great, but isn't it better to set things up so you don't have to worry about it again? By adjusting your default posting privacy, you can ensure every post you create from here on out is immediately shareable. This is especially important for brands and creators who need their content to spread.

For Your Personal Profile

Many entrepreneurs and small business owners use their personal profile for business networking. If that’s you, changing your default setting will save you time and headaches.

1. On the Facebook homepage, click your profile picture in the top-right corner and select "Settings &, Privacy," then click "Settings."
2. In the left-hand menu, look for the "Audience and Visibility" section and click on "Posts."
3. You’ll see an option called "Who can see your future posts?" Click the "Edit" button next to it.
4. From the dropdown menu, select "Public."

Important: This change only applies to posts you create from this point forward. It will not retroactively change the privacy of your old posts. You’ll still need to edit those individually if you want to make them shareable.

For a Facebook Business Page

Good news! All posts made from a Facebook Business Page are public by default. The entire purpose of a business page is to communicate with the public, so Facebook simplifies this for you. You shouldn’t have to worry about post-by-post privacy settings.

However, if you’re certain that content on your page isn’t reaching everyone, double-check that you haven't accidentally set up page-level restrictions. An administrator might have done this long ago. You can find these by going to your Page >, Settings >, Privacy >, Page and tagging. Make sure there are no "Country Restrictions" or "Age Restrictions" in place unless you need them for compliance. These settings can limit visibility in specific regions or to certain age groups, which indirectly hurts shareability.

Beyond the Button: Creating Content People Actually Want to Share

Making a post technically shareable is just the first step. The next, and more important, goal is to create content that inspires people to hit that share button. People share content virally for specific emotional and psychological reasons. Tap into these, and you'll see your organic reach explode.

Think about the last thing you shared. Why did you do it? People generally share content that:

• Expresses Their Identity: A meme that perfectly captures their sense of humor, a quote that aligns with their beliefs, or an article that showcases their professional expertise. It helps them communicate who they are without writing a word.
• Makes Them Look Good: Sharing insightful industry news, a beautiful infographic, or a clever life hack makes the sharer look smart, informed, and helpful to their own network.
• Connects Emotionally: Heartwarming stories, surprising moments, or jaw-dropping videos create an emotional response strong enough that people feel compelled to pass it along.
• Provides Genuine Value: A tutorial that solves a common problem, a list of helpful resources, or a recipe that looks delicious. Content that helps or educates is one of the most shareable formats.

Actionable Strategies for More Shares:

1. Just Ask for It: Never underestimate a simple Call to Action (CTA). Ending a valuable post with, "If you found this helpful, please share it so others can see it too!" prompts people to take that extra step.
2. Prioritize Video Content: In today's social media landscape, video is king. Reels, in particular, are designed for discovery and sharing. A compelling, short-form video gets attention far more effectively than a text-only post.
3. Tell a Good Story: People don't connect with brands, they connect with stories. Share a customer success story, a behind-the-scenes look at your process, or the "why" behind your business. Storytelling builds a connection that makes people want to share your journey.
4. Design for the Eyeballs: Use high-quality photos, clean graphics, and bold text. Content that is visually appealing is far more likely to be stopped on and shared. You don’t need to be a designer, tools like Canva offer templates that make professional-looking graphics accessible to everyone.

A Quick Note on Facebook Groups

Understanding how sharing works in Facebook Groups is another piece of the puzzle. The shareability of a post inside a group depends entirely on the group's own privacy settings:

• Public Groups: Posts here are public. Anyone can see the content and share it outside the group to their own timeline or elsewhere.
• Private Groups: Posts here are visible only to group members. Facebook allows you to share a post from a private group, but only other members of that same group will be able to see the shared content. It's a closed loop, so you can't use it to reach a new audience.

Furthermore, group moderators can disable post sharing within their groups' settings. If you can't share a post in a specific group, it might be due to a rule set by the admin, not your own account settings.

Final Thoughts

Enabling the share button on your Facebook posts is a simple fix that unlocks your content's potential for organic growth. By setting your audience to "Public," you remove the technical barrier to sharing, both for single posts and all future ones. Combine that with a strategy focused on creating valuable, emotional, and visually appealing content, and you’ll give people a compelling reason to become your biggest advocates.

As social media professionals, we know just how much work goes into creating great content - the last thing you need is a technical glitch sabotaging your efforts. We built Postbase because we were tired of tools that made simple things complicated. Instead of worrying about finicky audience settings or why a scheduled Reel failed to publish, our platform gives you a clean, visual calendar to plan and publish content reliably. It handles video-first formats like Reels and Shorts perfectly, keeping you focused on creativity, not troubleshooting.