How to Choose a Facebook Page Category

Picking the right category for your Facebook Page seems like a small detail, but it has a surprisingly big impact on how people find you and the features you can access. Instead of just guessing, it's worth taking a moment to choose a category that perfectly aligns with your brand. This guide will walk you through exactly how Facebook categories work, why they’re so important, and how to choose the perfect one for your business or personal brand.

Why Your Facebook Page Category Matters More Than You Think

Your Page category is more than just a label in your "About" section. It's a critical piece of data that tells Facebook's algorithm what you're all about, which in turn affects your Page's performance in three main ways.

1. Visibility and Discoverability

Think of your page category as a primary keyword for Facebook Search. When a user looks for a "restaurant near me," pages categorized as "Restaurant" are far more likely to appear. If your Italian restaurant is categorized as a generic "Local Business," you’re missing out on a huge portion of your local audience who are actively looking for a place to eat.

The algorithm also uses your category to suggest your Page to people who have shown interest in similar businesses or topics. Picking a specific and accurate category gives Facebook the contextual clues it needs to put your Page in front of an audience that is actually likely to engage with and follow you.

2. Page Features and Functionality

Facebook doesn't treat all pages the same. The category you select unlocks - or locks away - specific features tailored to that business type. This customization is designed to make your Page more useful for both you and your potential customers.

• A Restaurant or Cafe page gains the ability to add a menu, show hours, and integrate with food delivery and reservation services like DoorDash or OpenTable. You get a special "Order Food" call-to-action button.
• A Local Service page (like a plumber or a hairstylist) can showcase service lists, service areas, and reviews. A "Book Now" or "Get Quote" button becomes available, making it easier to generate leads directly from Facebook.
• A Non-Profit Organization gets access to a "Donate" button, which can be a game-changer for fundraising campaigns.
• Pages for a Public Figure prioritize followers over likes and have a layout that's better suited for personal branding content.

Choosing an ill-fitting category means you might miss out on tools specifically designed to help your type of business succeed on the platform.

3. Audience Perception and Trust

Your category is one of the first things a new visitor sees. It sets their expectations instantly. If they land on your page expecting an e-commerce store but see it’s categorized as "Blogger," that mismatch creates confusion. A clear category acts as social proof, it tells people, "Yes, you're in the right place." It helps build credibility and trust from the first impression, letting visitors immediately understand who you are and what you offer.

The Two Main Types of Facebook Page Categories

At a high level, Facebook divides its categories into two buckets. Understanding which camp you fall into is the first step in narrowing down your options.

Business or Brand

This is the bucket for any entity that sells products or services. It's the most common choice and covers nearly all commercial endeavors, from multinational corporations to side hustles run out of a garage. The primary goal of a "Business or Brand" page is to generate leads, drive sales, and build a relationship with customers.

Common examples include:

• Local Service (Plumber, Real Estate Agent, Fitness Trainer)
• Shopping & Retail (Clothing Store, Bookstore, Pet Supply Store)
• Restaurant/Cafe
• Software Company
• Product/Service

Community or Public Figure

This category is for pages that are not centered on commerce but are instead about building an audience around an individual, a cause, an organization, or a shared interest. The goal here is typically awareness, community engagement, or personal brand building. While these pages can be monetized, their foundational purpose is communication and connection, not direct sales.

Common examples include:

• Author, Blogger, Musician/Band, Public Figure, Artist
• Community, Interest, Fan Page
• Government Organization, Politician
• Non-Profit Organization, Cause

Choosing between these is pretty straightforward. If your main goal is to get customers to buy something from you, pick "Business or Brand." If your main goal is to build an audience or community around a person or idea, pick "Community or Public Figure."

How to Find and Choose the Right Category: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you know why it's important, here’s a simple process to find the best-fit category for your page.

Step 1: Start With Your Core Identity

Before you even open Facebook, ask yourself the simplest question: "What am I?" Be basic. Don't worry about clever branding or your marketing message yet. Just state what your organization fundamentally is.

• I am a... coffee shop.
• I am a... company that sells handmade jewelry online.
• I am a... freelance writer offering digital marketing services.
• I am a... musician trying to build a fanbase.

This simple statement is your starting point. It gives you the first keyword to search for.

Step 2: Think Like Your Ideal Customer

Next, put yourself in your customers' shoes. If they were looking for a business like yours on Facebook, what search terms would they use? They most likely aren't searching for your official business name unless they already know you. They’re searching for what they need.

• Someone looking for a coffee shop will search "coffee," "cafe," or "coffee shops near me."
• Someone looking for jewelry will search "jewelry," "necklaces," or "handmade gifts."
• Someone needing writing services will search "writer," "copywriting services," or "content creator."

List a few of these search terms. They will be immensely helpful for finding the right category.

Step 3: Analyze Your Competitors

Competitive analysis is marketing 101, and it works for page categories, too. Find 3-5 successful competitors or similar brands on Facebook. Go to their pages and check their "About" section to see what categories they use.

You might find they all use the exact same category, which is a strong signal that it's the industry standard. Or, you might see a few different ones, which gives you more validated options to consider for your own page.

Step 4: Use Facebook's Live Suggestions

Now, it's time to put it all together. As you set up or edit your page, you'll find the "Category" field. Start typing one of the keywords from Step 1 or 2.

As you type, a dropdown menu will appear with suggestions. For instance, if you type "Food," you’ll see options like "Food & Beverage," "Food Delivery Service," "Fast Food Restaurant," and "Health Food Store." Don't just pick the first one you see. Type a few of your different keywords and see what options pop up. The ideal category is usually the most specific one that accurately describes what you do.

Here are a few common business types and their ideal categories:

• A brick-and-mortar clothing boutique: Primary - "Shopping & Retail." Secondary - "Clothing (Brand)"
• A freelance graphic designer: Primary - "Graphic Designer." Secondary - "Product/Service"
• A software company selling a project management tool: Primary - "Software Company." Secondary - "Internet Marketing Service"
• An author promoting their new book: Primary - "Author." Secondary - "Public Figure"

Can You Change Your Facebook Page Category Later?

Yes, absolutely! Let's get that worry out of the way. Your page category is not set in stone. If your business pivots or you realize you made the wrong choice initially, you can change it at any time.

How to Change Your Page Category:

1. Navigate to your Facebook Page.
2. On the left-hand side menu, click “Edit Page info.”
3. The “Categories” section will be right near the top. Click on it.
4. Click the 'X' to remove an old category or just start typing to add a new one.
5. Select your preferred category from the dropdown list.
6. The changes save automatically.

While you can change it, it's not a good idea to switch your category around frequently. Choose a category and stick with it unless your business fundamentally changes. Frequent changes can be confusing for your audience and potentially flag your page in Facebook’s system.

What If You Fit into Multiple Categories?

Many businesses don't fit into one neat little box. A bakery might also be a coffee shop. A web designer might also offer brand consulting. Facebook understands this, which is why you can add up to three categories for your Page.

Here’s the best way to handle this:

1. Make your primary category the most specific and accurate one. This should represent the core of what you do. This first category is the most important one for search and algorithms.
2. Use the second and third categories to cover secondary services or aspects of your business. These add more context for both Facebook and your visitors.

Example: A yoga studio that sells activewear and offers nutrition coaching.

• Primary Category: Yoga Studio (This is the main reason people come.)
• Secondary Category: Health & Wellness (This is a broader term that encompasses everything.)
• Tertiary Category: Shopping & Retail (This covers the activewear side of the business.)

By using all three slots strategically, you can give a much more complete picture of your brand, attracting a wider yet still relevant audience.

Final Thoughts

Choosing your Facebook Page category is a foundational step that influences visibility, features, and audience perception. By thinking from your customer's perspective and choosing the most specific category first (while using the others to add more context), you set your page up for better discovery and engagement from day one.

Getting your page set up correctly is the first step, and the next is maintaining a consistent content calendar to keep your audience engaged. We built Postbase to make that part easier, providing simple tools to visually plan your content, schedule it reliably across all your social platforms, and manage all your conversations in one unified inbox, allowing you more time to build your brand.