How to Hand Over Ownership of a Facebook Page

Handing over the keys to a Facebook Page you've built can feel nerve-wracking, but the process itself is straightforward once you know the steps. Whether you're selling your business, passing the torch to a new social media manager, or transitioning work to an agency, getting the ownership transfer right is essential. This guide will walk you through exactly how to assign a new owner, explain the different roles, and troubleshoot common issues along the way.

First Things First: Understanding Facebook Page Roles and Permissions

Before you click a single button, it's important to understand the hierarchy of control on a Facebook Page. Giving someone the wrong level of access can be a minor inconvenience or a major catastrophe. Facebook has refined these roles over the years, especially with the "New Pages Experience," but the core concepts remain the same.

The New Pages Experience vs. Classic Pages

Most pages have now been updated to what Facebook calls the "New Pages Experience." In this model, management is role-based and centered around tasks. Instead of just adding an "Admin," you give people "Facebook access" or "Task access."

• Facebook Access (Full Control): This is the equivalent of the old "Admin" role. Someone with full control can do everything, including managing other admins, deleting the page, and viewing insights. This is the level of access you'll need to grant to transfer ownership.
• Task Access (Partial Control): This is for specific roles. You can grant someone permission to manage only content, messages, community activity, or ads. This is perfect for team members or contractors who don't need the keys to the entire kingdom.

Classic Page Roles (For Older or Unconverted Pages)

If your Page is still on the "classic" format, you'll see a slightly different set of roles. Again, "Admin" is the highest level of permission.

• Admin: Can manage all aspects of the Page, including adding and removing other admins, editing the Page, creating posts, and running ads. Only an Admin can transfer ownership.
• Editor: Can do everything an Admin can do except manage other Page roles. They can edit the page, post, and respond to messages.
• Moderator: Can respond to comments, remove comments, and ban people from the page. They cannot create posts.
• Advertiser: Can only create ads and view insights.
• Analyst: Can only view insights and see who published on the Page.

The cardinal rule is simple: Never give Admin access or Full Control to someone you don't trust completely. It's the highest level of permission and gives them the power to remove you from your own Page.

How to Transfer Ownership of a Facebook Page (Step-by-Step)

Let's get into the practical steps. We'll start with the most common scenario - the New Pages Experience - before covering the process for Classic Pages and the more professional Meta Business Suite method.

Method 1: The New Pages Experience (Most common)

This is the standard process for most users today. To add a new admin with full control, you'll first invite them and, once they accept, you can then choose to remove yourself if needed.

Before You Start

• The new owner must "Like" the page. If they haven't liked the Page, they may not show up when you search for them.
• You generally don't need to be Facebook friends with the person, but it can make finding them easier. You can also search by the email address associated with their Facebook account.
• For security, you must have been an Admin of the page for at least 7 days to add another admin with full control.
• Make sure you are logged into your personal Facebook profile that has admin access to the Page.

The Steps

1. Go to Your Page: Navigate to the Facebook Page you want to transfer.
2. Switch to the Page Profile: At the top right, click your profile picture and then select "Switch Profile" to begin managing the Page directly.
3. Open the Professional Dashboard: Once you're acting as your Page, click the "Manage" button near the top of your Page's profile.
4. Find Page Access: In the menu on the left, scroll down and click on "Page Access."
5. Add a New Person: In the "People with Facebook access" section, click the "Add New" button. A dialog box will appear. Click "Next."
6. Search for the New Owner: Type the name or email address of the person you want to add. Select them from the list when they appear.
7. Grant Full Control: This is the most important step. On the "Assign Page Access" screen, you'll see a list of permissions. To transfer ownership, you must toggle the switch that says "Allow this person to have full control." Read the warning carefully - this gives them the power to remove you!
8. Confirm and Send Invitation: Click "Give Access," enter your Facebook password to confirm the change, and an invitation will be sent to the person.

The invitation is valid for 30-31 days. The new owner must accept it to gain access. Once they've accepted, they will appear in the "Page Access" list as having Full Control. At this point, you have successfully added a new co-owner.

Final Step: Removing Yourself (Optional)

If you are fully handing over the Page and no longer need access, you can remove yourself after the new owner has accepted their invitation. Go back to Page Access, find your own name in the list, click the three-dot icon next to it, and select "Remove From Page."

Method 2: Using the Meta Business Suite or Business Manager

For businesses, agencies, and anyone managing multiple social assets, transferring ownership through Meta Business Suite (formerly Business Manager) is the cleanest and most professional way. This method makes the Business Account the owner of the Page, rather than a personal profile. This insulates the Page from issues related to personal accounts getting disabled or employees leaving the company.

Why This Is Better for Businesses:

• Clear Ownership: The business entity owns the Page asset, not an individual.
• Centralized Management: All your assets (Pages, Ad Accounts, Instagram profiles) are in one place.
• Secure and Scalable: Easily give employees or agencies access to specific assets without linking personal profiles directly. Removing access is just as easy.

The Steps

1. Go to Business Settings: Navigate to business.facebook.com/settings.
2. Add the New Person to Your Business: In the left-hand menu under "Users," click on "People." Click the blue "Add people" button.
3. Invite by Email: Enter the business email address of the person you want to add. It is important to assign them the "admin" role at the Business level during this step if you intend for them to be a true owner. Proceed through the next screens to grant them access to the specific Page.
4. Assign the Page Asset: After inviting them, you can double-check their permissions. Go to "Accounts" > "Pages" in the left-hand menu. Select the correct Page from the list. On the right, click "Add People" and assign the new user "Full control" of the Page asset.
5. They Must Accept the Invite: The new user will receive an email invitation to join your Business Manager. Once they accept, they will have full control as defined.

If you're transferring the Page to another business's Business Manager account (common for new business owners or agencies), the process is a bit different. Your Business Manager will need to "Release Asset" to the other company's Business Manager ID.

Troubleshooting Common Handover Problems

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are some of the most common hiccups and how to solve them.

"I can't find the person I'm trying to add."

This is often because they haven't "Liked" your Page yet. Ask them to like the Page and then try searching for them again. If that still doesn't work, try searching by the email address associated with their Facebook account. In some cases, their privacy settings may prevent them from being searchable, temporarily becoming Facebook friends can solve this.

"Someone invited me, but I can't accept the invitation."

Make sure you are logged into the correct Facebook profile. Also, switch from your personal profile to "as the page" mode if needed and check your Page's notifications there. The invite sometimes shows up under the Page's notifications instead of your personal ones.

"The 'grant full control' option is greyed out."

Facebook security protocols require an account to be an admin on a Page for at least one week before they can grant another user full control. If your admin status is brand new, you'll have to wait seven days before you can pass full ownership to someone else.

"I handed over ownership, but what about the Ad Account and Instagram?"

This is a major reason why using Meta Business Suite is so important. A Facebook Page, Instagram account, and Ad Account are all separate assets. Transferring Page ownership alone doesn't grant access to the others. For a complete business handover, you must transfer all associated assets within Business Manager.

Final Thoughts

Transferring ownership of a Facebook Page is a significant move that cements a change in control over a valuable business asset. By understanding the difference between roles, following the correct step-by-step process for your Page setup, and double-checking that all associated assets are accounted for, you can ensure a secure and problem-free transition.

Getting the new team in place is just the first step, next, they have to manage the chaos of daily content. The real workflow begins now. To help with this, we built Postbase to simplify everything after the handover is complete. Our platform helps your team bring all your content - from videos to carousels across every platform - into one beautiful visual calendar, manage every comment and DM from a single shared inbox, and see what's actually working without spending hours buried in confusing reports. It makes that smooth handover lead directly into a clear and effective social media workflow.