How to Get a Short URL for Facebook

A long, messy Facebook URL is hard to remember, looks unprofessional, and is a pain to share. Creating a custom, short URL - often called a vanity URL - makes your profile or page instantly recognizable and easier for people to find. This guide walks you through the simple steps to claim a clean URL for your personal profile and your business page, so you can start sharing it confidently.

Why Your Facebook URL Matters (A Lot More Than You Think)

You might not give your Facebook URL much thought, but it's one of the first things people see when they search for you or land on your business page. A default Facebook URL often looks like this:

facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001234567890

Compare that to a clean, custom URL:

facebook.com/YourName or facebook.com/YourBrand

The difference is clear. A custom, short URL isn't just a minor cosmetic tweak, it's a small but powerful branding tool. Here’s why getting it right is so important:

• Professionalism and Credibility: A clean URL shows you’ve taken the time to set up your social presence intentionally. It looks far more professional on a business card, email signature, or linked from a website than a generic string of numbers.
• Brand Recognition: It reinforces your brand or personal identity. When someone sees facebook.com/yourbrand, there's no question about who they're connecting with. Consistency across platforms is huge, and claiming your username on Facebook helps solidify your digital footprint.
• Memorability: No one is going to remember a URL with a random 15-digit number. A custom URL is easy to remember, easy to type, and easy to tell someone. This makes word-of-mouth marketing and offline sharing much more effective.
• Improved Searchability: A custom username containing your name or brand name can make it easier for people to find you through Facebook's own search function and even on search engines like Google.

Essentially, your URL is like a digital address. You want one that’s simple, direct, and leads people exactly where they need to go without any confusion.

Profile vs. Page URL: What's the Difference?

Before you jump into the settings, it's good to know the difference between a personal profile URL and a business page URL. The process for creating a custom URL is similar for both, but their purpose is entirely different.

• Personal Profile URL: This is for your individual Facebook account. It's the unique web address for your personal timeline, where you connect with friends and family. Your custom URL for a personal profile is typically some variation of your name.
• Business Page URL: This is for your brand, business, organization, or public figure identity. It points to a page designed for public broadcasts, marketing, and community engagement. The custom URL for a page should ideally be your exact business name.

You'll need to set the custom URL, or "username," for each one separately. Let’s get it done.

Creating a Custom URL for Your Personal Profile (Your Vanity URL)

A custom URL for your personal profile replaces that clumsy, number-based address with a clean one based on your name or a consistent handle. Facebook calls this your "username." It's easy to set up, but you can only change it once in a while, so choose wisely.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Access Your Settings

Log in to your Facebook account on a desktop computer. The settings are much easier to navigate on a desktop than on the mobile app. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen, and from the dropdown menu, select Settings &, Privacy, then click Settings.

Step 2: Go to the Accounts Center

Facebook has moved most general settings into its Meta Accounts Center. From the Settings menu, you should see a large box on the left labeled "Accounts Center." Click on that, or click on the See more in Accounts Center link.

Step 3: Edit Your Profile's Username

Once you're in the Accounts Center, click on Profiles. You might see both a Facebook and an Instagram profile if they are linked. Click your Facebook profile. On the next screen, you'll see options for your Name, Username, Profile picture, and Avatar. Click on Username.

Step 4: Choose and Check Your Username

This is where you'll create your custom URL. In the text box, type the username you want. This username will appear after facebook.com/. As you type, Facebook will automatically check if it's available. If it is, you'll see a green checkmark or an "is available" message. If not, you’ll get a red X and need to try a different variation.

Keep these rules in mind:

• Usernames must be at least five characters long.
• They can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) and periods ("."). Periods are often used to separate first and last names, like John.Smith.
• You can't claim generic terms (e.g., "pizza") or use extensions like .com or .net.
• The username must be unique across all of Facebook.

Tips for a Great Personal URL:

• Start with Your Name: The best option is usually FirstNameLastName or FirstName.LastName.
• Stay Consistent: If you use a specific handle on Instagram, X, or TikTok, try to get the same one on Facebook for brand consistency.
• Keep it Professional: Avoid nicknames, strings of numbers, or anything that might look unprofessional years from now.

Step 5: Save Your Changes

Once you've found an available username you're happy with, click the Done button. That’s it! Your new, short URL is now active. You can test it by typing facebook.com/your.new.username into a new browser tab. It will lead directly to your profile.

Setting Up a Custom URL for Your Facebook Business Page

A custom URL for your business page is non-negotiable for serious branding. It’s what you’ll print on marketing materials, link to from your website, and share with your followers. The process is straightforward, but you must be an admin of the page to make this change.

Like with personal profiles, this username becomes your page's unique URL. For this, it’s best done on a desktop.

Step 1: Go to Your Page's Settings

First, navigate to the Facebook Page you want to edit. In the left-hand menu, scroll down to find "Settings". If it's your first time doing this, Facebook might prompt you to switch to managing the page directly.

Step 2: Find the Username Setting

Inside the page Settings menu, you'll land on the "General Page Settings" tab by default. This is where you should find the "Username" option, right below the page "Name." Click the Edit link next to it.

Step 3: Create Your Page Username

An input box will appear. Here, you'll type the username you want for your business page. Ideally, this should be your exact business name. Facebook will validate its availability in real-time. A green checkmark means you're good to go, a red notification means it's already taken.

Tips for a Strong Business Page URL:

• Use Your Business Name: Prioritize YourBrandName if it's available. If it’s taken, try adding a slight but logical variation, like YourBrandNameHQ (for headquarters) or YourBrandNameUSA.
• Keep it Clean and Short: Avoid unnecessary hyphens, numbers, or extra words. The shorter and cleaner, the better.
• Check Social Consistency: Before confirming, double-check if this handle is available on other key platforms like Instagram and X. Unified branding is powerful.

Step 4: Save and You're Done

Once you’ve settled on an available username, click the Save Changes button. Facebook will confirm the change, and your page now has a professional, easy-to-share URL: facebook.com/YourPageUsername.

Beyond Facebook's Native Short URLs: Using a Link Shortener

While creating a custom Facebook URL is the first and most important step, sometimes you need more from your links. Generic link shorteners like Bitly or custom URL shorteners like Rebrandly can add another layer of utility, especially for marketing campaigns. This is an optional but powerful step for marketers.

Why would you shorten an already short URL? There are three main reasons:

1. Click Tracking and Analytics: This is a big one. When you share facebook.com/YourBrand, you don't know who clicked it or where they came from. If you run that link through a shortener and get something like bit.ly/FB-Campaign, you can track the number of clicks, the geographic location of the clickers, and referrals. This is invaluable data for measuring the ROI of your social promotions.
2. Branded Short Links: Services like Rebrandly allow you to use your own domain to create custom short links (e.g., yourbrand.co/connect). Sharing this is not only amazing for branding but also builds trust, as users can see the link belongs to you before clicking.
3. Clean Referrals: A shortened URL removes any extra tracking parameters (UTM codes) from sight, making links shared in bios or descriptions look cleaner. You still get the tracking data on the back end without the URL looking messy and technical to the end user.

The process is simple: take your new, clean Facebook URL, paste it into the link shortener of your choice, and generate the new tracking link. This technique combines a professional Facebook presence with the data-driven insights needed for effective marketing.

Final Thoughts

Creating a short, custom URL for your Facebook Profile and Business Page is a foundational step in building a strong, professional digital presence. It’s a simple change that makes you easy to find, strengthens your brand identity, and replaces a clunky, forgettable web address with a clean, memorable one.

Once you've polished your Facebook URL, the next step is making sure you're consistently sharing great content on the platform. At our company, instead of jumping between apps and spreadsheets, we use Postbase to plan all our content - including for our pages with those nice new URLs - from a clean, visual calendar. It saves us hours and helps keep our brand message sharp across all platforms.