How to Hide a Facebook Business Page

Sometimes you need to take your Facebook Business Page off the grid for a bit, whether you're overhauling your brand, taking a well-deserved break, or just not ready for a public launch. This guide will show you exactly how to temporarily hide (or unpublish) your page, making it invisible to everyone but you and other admins. We’ll walk through the step-by-step process, explain what this means for your content and followers, and show you how to bring it back online when you’re ready.

Why Hide a Facebook Page Instead of Deleting It?

Before we get into the "how," let's talk about the "why." Understanding the difference between hiding and deleting your page is one of the most important parts of this process. Getting it wrong can mean losing years of hard work.

Hiding (Unpublishing/Deactivating) your page is a temporary PAUSE.

• Your page becomes completely invisible to the public. No one can find it in search, visit its URL, or see its old posts.
• Only page admins can see and edit the page.
• You lose absolutely nothing. All your content, photos, videos, reviews, followers, and page likes are safely preserved behind the scenes.
• You can republish (or reactivate) it instantly, whenever you’re ready.

Deleting your page is a permanent GOODBYE.

• After a 30-day grace period where you can change your mind, your page is gone forever.
• All content, followers, likes, comments - everything - is permanently erased.
• You can never get the page or its username back.

Unless you are 100% certain you're shutting down your business or brand for good, you almost always want to hide (unpublish/deactivate) your page, not delete it.

When Does Hiding a Page Make Sense?

Temporarily taking your page offline is a strategic move that gives you control over your brand's presence. Here are a few common scenarios where it’s a smart choice:

• You're rebranding. If you’re changing your logo, name, or overall brand angle, you can work on the updates privately and relaunch the finished page with a big reveal.
• The business is on pause. Are you a seasonal business shutting down for the winter? Or perhaps taking personal leave? Hiding the page prevents customer confusion and the appearance of being unresponsive.
• It's a work-in-progress. Many creators and businesses build their page out before they officially launch. Hiding it allows you to get everything perfect without public scrutiny.
• You're handling a crisis. If your page is being flooded with negative comments or you need to manage a PR issue, taking it offline temporarily can give you and your team the space to form a strategy without adding more fuel to the fire.

How to Hide a Facebook Business Page: A Step-by-Step Guide

Facebook has updated its terminology and interface. What was once called "unpublishing" a page is now referred to as "deactivating" it, a term you might associate with personal profiles. Don't worry - the function is the same: it makes your page temporarily invisible without erasing any data. These instructions are for Facebook’s New Pages Experience, which almost everyone is on now.

Here’s how to get it done on a desktop:

1. Switch To Your Facebook Page. First, log in to your personal Facebook account. In the top-right corner, click on your profile picture, then select “See all profiles” and choose the Business Page you want to hide.
2. Open Page Settings. Once you're managing your page, click your page's profile picture in the top-right corner again. From the dropdown menu, select Settings & privacy, and then click on Settings.
3. Navigate to Page Information. In the left-hand menu of the Settings screen, click on Privacy. After that, select Facebook Page Information.
4. Find the Deactivation Section. At the very bottom of this list, you'll see a line that says Deactivation and deletion. To the right of that, click the View button.
5. Select "Deactivate Page." This next screen is critical. You'll be presented with two choices: Deactivate Page or Delete Page. Make sure the Deactivate Page option is selected. Facebook clearly states, "This can be temporary. Your Page will be disabled and your name and photos will be removed from most things you've shared." Click Continue.
6. Confirm with Your Password. For security, Facebook will ask you to re-enter your personal account password to confirm that you want to deactivate the page. Type it in and click Continue.
7. Final Confirmation. You’ll get one last pop-up explaining what’s about to happen. Click "Deactivate now," and your page will immediately become invisible to the public.

That's it! Your page is now completely hidden. Only the admins can see or access it.

What Exactly Happens When Your Page Is Hidden?

Once you’ve deactivated your page, you might wonder what the world looks like from both the inside and outside. Here’s a quick breakdown.

For the Public (Your Followers and Customers)

• It’s Gone: From their perspective, the page has vanished. The URL will lead to a standard "This content isn't available right now" error page.
• Invisible in Search: Your page will not appear in Facebook search results, Google search results, or anywhere else.
• No Tagging: Users won't be able to tag your business in their photos or posts, because for all intents and purposes, the page doesn't exist to them.
• Messages Disappear: Your business will no longer appear in their Messenger history.

For You (The Admins)

• Full Access (Mostly): You can still access the page through your profiles, view all the content, analytics, and settings.
• A Private Workspace: It’s the perfect time to make edits. You can upload new photos, draft new posts, rewrite your 'About' section, and answer old messages.
• Scheduled Posts are Paused: Any posts you had scheduled to go live will not publish while the page is deactivated. They’ll remain in your drafts or scheduled folder until you reactivate the page.
• Ad Campaigns are Stopped: All Facebook or Instagram ad campaigns connected to your Facebook Page will automatically be paused. This is a critical point - Facebook won't continue spending your money on ads for a page viewers can't see.

Ready to Go Live? How to Republish (Reactivate) Your Page

Bringing your page back is even easier than hiding it. Since the deactivation is temporary, Facebook makes the process incredibly straightforward.

All you need to do is log into the Admin account associated with the page and go to your page. The act of an admin visiting the page is often all it takes to trigger the reactivation process. Facebook may present you with a banner or pop-up asking if you want to reactivate your page. Just click "Reactivate" to confirm, and your page will almost instantly be visible to the public again.

All of your content, followers, likes, and settings will be exactly as you left them.

Common Questions & Troubleshooting

Running into an issue or have a lingering question? Here are some of the most common answers social media managers and business owners ask.

Can I hide my Facebook page from the mobile app?

Yes, you can. The process is very similar. Open the Facebook app, switch to your page's profile, and tap the menu icon (three lines). From there, navigate to Settings &, privacy > Settings > Page Settings > Facebook Page Information > Deactivation and deletion and follow the same confirmation steps.

I don't see the "Deactivation and deletion" option. Why not?

There are usually two reasons for this. The most common is a permissions issue. You must be a full Admin of the page to deactivate or delete it. Roles like Editor, Moderator, or Analyst don't have this level of access. Make sure you're logged into the correct account with full admin privileges.

How long can I keep my Facebook Page hidden?

Indefinitely. There is no time limit on how long a page can remain deactivated. You can keep it offline for a week, a year, or even longer and bring it back whenever you’re ready.

Will people be notified when I deactivate or reactivate my page?

No. Both actions are silent. Your followers will not get a notification that the page has disappeared or reappeared. It will simply cease to exist from their view, and then show up again in search results and feeds once you’ve brought it back online.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to safely hide and republish your Facebook Page gives you complete control over your brand’s public-facing presence. Instead of resorting to permanent deletion, deactivating your page allows you to pause, regroup, and rebuild behind the scenes without losing the community and content you’ve worked so hard to grow.

As social media managers, we know how much thought goes into planning your content and managing your online community. Once you’re ready to bring your page back online, having the right tools in place can make all the difference. Our platform, Postbase, helps you hit the ground running with a visual calendar to map out your comeback campaign and a unified inbox to manage the wave of comments and messages. We make it simple to schedule your relaunch content in advance, so your return feels intentional and seamless, not chaotic.