How to Delete a Facebook Business Page

Thinking about deleting a Facebook Business Page? Whether your brand has pivoted, you're closing up shop, or you're just ready for a clean slate, this guide walks you through the process from start to finish. We’ll cover the step-by-step instructions for deletion, explore important alternatives you might not have considered, and show you how to save your data beforehand.

First Things First: Should You Delete or Unpublish Your Page?

Before you hit that final delete button, it's important to understand the difference between deleting and unpublishing a page. One is permanent, and the other is a reversible way to take your page offline without sacrificing your content or followers for good.

Unpublishing Your Page: Hitting the Pause Button

Unpublishing is like taking your page offline temporarily. When you unpublish a page, it becomes invisible to the public - no one can find it in search or visit it directly. However, for you and any other page admins, everything remains intact. You can still see your posts, access insights, and manage messages.

You should consider unpublishing if:

• You are temporarily pausing your business or marketing efforts.
• You want to rework your strategy or rebrand without deleting everything and starting over.
• You need to make major updates and don't want the public to see the work-in-progress.

Essentially, unpublishing gives you a safety net. You can bring your page back online with a single click whenever you're ready.

Deleting Your Page: The Permanent Solution

Deletion is final. When you request to delete your page, Facebook gives you a 30-day grace period to reconsider. After those 30 days, your page, along with all its content, followers, likes, comments, and insights, will be gone forever. There is no "undo" button after this point.

You should only consider deleting if:

• You are permanently closing your business.
• The page was created by mistake or is a duplicate.
• You are starting a completely new brand and are 100% sure you will not need the old page's history or audience again.

If there's any chance you might want to return to the page later, choose to unpublish it instead.

Your Pre-Deletion Checklist: 3 Crucial Steps Before You Begin

Once you’ve decided that deletion is the right move, don't rush into it. Taking a few preparatory steps will safeguard your data and ensure a smooth process.

1. Download a Copy of Your Page

Your Facebook Page holds years of valuable content, photos, videos, and conversations. Don't let it vanish into the ether. Facebook allows you to download a complete copy of your Page information.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to your Facebook Page and click on Settings in the left-hand menu.
2. In the Settings menu, navigate to Privacy, then select Facebook Page Information.
3. Next to Download Page Information, click View.
4. You can choose a date range, format (HTML is easier to browse, JSON is better for importing into another service), and media quality. You can also select precisely what data you want to download.
5. Once you've made your selections, click Request a Download.

This process can take a few minutes or even a couple of hours, depending on how much content you have. Facebook will notify you when your file is ready to download.

2. Inform Your Audience

If you have an active following, disappearing without a word can be confusing. Post a final update a week or so before you plan to delete the page. Thank your followers for their support and direct them to your other online presences, such as a new Facebook page, a website, an Instagram profile, or an email newsletter. This is a professional courtesy that helps maintain your brand's reputation even as one of its channels closes.

3. Confirm You Have Full Admin Privileges

Only a Page Admin can delete a page. If you're an Editor, Moderator, Advertiser, or Analyst, you will not see the option to delete. Before you proceed, check your role by navigating to your Page Settings and selecting Page Access (or Page Roles in the classic view). If you aren’t the admin, you’ll need to contact an existing admin and ask them to either grant you full admin rights or delete the page for you.

How to Delete a Facebook Business Page: A Step-by-Step Guide (Desktop)

Ready to move forward? The process is managed through the Page Settings menu. Facebook’s interface changes often, but these steps reflect the most current navigation within the New Pages Experience and Meta Business Suite.

1. Switch to Your Page's Profile: Make sure you are interacting on Facebook as your Business Page, not your personal profile. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner and select the Page you want to delete.
2. Access Settings: Once you're managing the correct Page, click its profile picture again in the top-right corner and select Settings & privacy, then click Settings.
3. Navigate to Privacy Settings: In the left-hand menu of the Settings dashboard, click on Privacy.
4. Find Facebook Page Information: Within the Privacy section, click on Facebook Page Information.
5. Find the Deletion Option: At the bottom of this list, you'll see a row for Deactivation and deletion. Click View on the right side of this row.
6. Select 'Delete Page': A new screen will appear asking if you want to deactivate or delete your Page. Select the Delete Page option and click Continue.
7. Confirm Your Choice: Facebook will provide you with options to download your information or transfer it one last time. Since you've already done this (from our checklist!), you can just click Continue.
8. Enter Your Password: For security purposes, you will be prompted to enter your personal Facebook profile password to confirm the deletion. Enter it and click Continue.
9. Final Confirmation: You'll see one final pop-up confirming that you are about to permanently delete your page. Click Delete Page.

Your page will now enter the 30-day deactivation period before it's permanently deleted.

How to Delete a Facebook Business Page From Your Phone (Mobile App)

Deleting from your phone is just as simple. The steps are similar, following a slightly different path through the mobile app's menus.

1. Open the Facebook App and Switch to Your Page: Tap the menu icon (your profile picture and three horizontal lines) in the bottom-right corner. Tap the dropdown arrow at the top to select the Business Page you want to delete.
2. Go to Settings: Tap the menu icon again in the bottom-right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings & privacy, then tap Settings.
3. Navigate to Page Settings: On the Settings page, tap Page Settings at the very top.
4. Access Deletion Options: Scroll down to the Facebook Page Information section and tap on Access and control.
5. Start the Deletion Process: Tap on Deactivation and deletion.
6. Choose to Delete: Select Delete Page and tap Continue. Follow the final on-screen prompts, which may include re-entering your password, to confirm the deletion.

Troubleshooting Common Issues: What If You Can't Delete Your Page?

Sometimes, things don't go as planned. Here are some of the most common hiccups people run into when trying to delete a page and how to fix them.

Problem: The "Delete Page" option is missing.

Solution: This almost always means you are not a full Admin of the page. You might be an Editor or Moderator, which gives you permissions to post but not make structural changes like deletion. Check your Page Role in Settings and ask an existing Admin for elevated permissions.

Problem: The page is connected to Meta Business Manager.

Solution: If your page is linked as the primary page of a Business Manager account, you may need to either assign a different primary page or delete the Business Manager account entirely first. This is a safety measure to prevent inadvertently breaking asset connections for ads, pixels, and product catalogs. You'll need to go to business.facebook.com/settings, review your assets, and sever the necessary connections before proceeding with the page deletion.

Problem: I get an error message.

Solution: Occasionally, a temporary Facebook glitch can cause an error. Try clearing your browser's cache and cookies, logging out and logging back in, or using a different browser. If the problem persists, wait a few hours and try again before diving into the complexities of Business Manager settings.

Changed Your Mind? How to Cancel Page Deletion

Did you delete a page and immediately regret it? Good news! You have a 30-day window to reverse the decision.

To restore your page:

1. Log into the personal Facebook account that holds Admin permissions for the page.
2. Go to Settings & privacy >, Settings.
3. Click Privacy, then Facebook Page Information.
4. Next to Reactivate a Page that's pending deletion, click View.
5. You'll see the page scheduled for deletion. Click the Reactivate button next to it.

Your page will be instantly restored to its previous state, and the permanent deletion process will be canceled.

Final Thoughts

Deleting a Facebook page is a straightforward process, but its finality means you should think carefully about your decision. Taking the time to consider alternatives like unpublishing and backing up your page’s data ensures you won't lose years of hard work, even if the page itself is no longer needed.

Starting over on social media can be invigorating, but building a brand that lasts requires consistency and a clear strategy to avoid ending up in the same spot. At Postbase, we designed our platform to make managing your social media easier, not more complicated. Our visual calendar helps you plan content so you never feel overwhelmed, and our reliable scheduler was built from the ground up to handle today’s content, like short-form video, so you aren't fighting with an outdated tool. It’s about building a presence you’re proud of, minus the daily chaos.