How to Highlight a Story on Facebook

Your Facebook Story disappears in 24 hours, but what if your best content didn't have to? Facebook Story Highlights allow you to permanently showcase your most valuable, entertaining, and brand-defining moments right on your Profile or Page. This article walks you through exactly how to create them, what content to feature, and how to make them an essential part of your social media strategy.

What Exactly Are Facebook Story Highlights?

Facebook Story Highlights are collections of your past Stories that you can curate and pin to your Facebook Profile or Page. Instead of vanishing after one day, they live right below your info section, front and center for anyone visiting your page. Think of them as a personal "best of" reel, a digital portfolio, or a visual guide to your brand. They are the first thing new followers will see, giving them an instant understanding of who you are and what you offer.

Why do they matter so much? Good content takes time to produce, especially engaging video Stories. Letting that effort disappear after just 24 hours is a huge missed opportunity. Highlights keep your top-tier content working for you long after its initial publication, educating, entertaining, and converting viewers around the clock.

For example, a personal trainer could create Highlights for "Workouts," "Client Results," and "Meal Prep." A local bakery might feature "Our Cakes," "FAQs," and "Behind the Scenes." They give your audience a quick, on-demand way to find the information they need without having to dig through your timeline.

How to Create a Facebook Story Highlight: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating your first Story Highlight is simple. You can add to a Highlight from a Story that is currently live or pull content from your Story Archive (as long as you have it turned on). We'll cover both methods.

First Things First: Make Sure Your Story Archive is On

The Story Archive automatically saves your Stories after they disappear, creating a private library only you can access. Without it, your Stories are gone for good after 24 hours. Turning it on is the first step.

• Navigate to Your Profile/Page: Go to your Facebook Page or personal Profile.
• Open Story Settings: Tap the three dots on the top right to open your settings menu, then choose "Story settings." On a Page, you may see a "More" button that leads to settings.
• Find Your Archive: Look for "Story archive" or a similar setting. Tap on it.
• Toggle it On: Make sure the "Save to archive" option is switched on. Now, Facebook will start saving every Story you post.

With that out of the way, you're ready to start building your Highlights.

Method 1: Creating a Highlight from a Current Story

This is the most direct way to get started. If you just posted a great Story and want to save it immediately, here’s how:

1. View Your Live Story: Open Facebook and tap on your profile picture at the top to view your active Story.
2. Select the Highlight Option: While viewing your Story, look for the "Highlight" icon at the bottom, which often looks like a star or heart inside a circle.
3. Create a New Highlight: Tap the "New" button (or a plus sign icon). This will prompt you to create a new Highlight collection.
4. Name Your Highlight: Give your new Highlight a short, descriptive name. Try to keep it under 10-15 characters if you can - think "About Us," "DIY," or "Events."
5. Tap "Save" or "Done": Once you've named it, save your Highlight. It will now appear on your Profile or Page.

Method 2: Creating a Highlight from Your Story Archive

Want to turn your best past content into Highlights? The archive is where you'll do it. This method lets you build entire collections at once.

1. Access Your Archive: Go to your Page and click the "More" tab under your cover photo, then select "Story archive." On a personal profile, you can find your archive in your main settings menu as well.
2. Start a Highlight: Inside the archive, you should see an option to "Create Highlight." Tap on that.
3. Select Your Stories: Now, you can browse all your archived Stories. Tap to select all the videos and photos you want to include in this new collection. Once you’re done picking, tap "Next."
4. Give It a Title: Just like with a live story, you'll need to name your Highlight.
5. Choose a Cover Image: Facebook will suggest a Story from the collection to use as the cover. You can swipe through to pick a different one or, even better, upload a custom cover (we’ll get into that below!).
6. Save Your Creation: Tap "Done," and your new Highlight collection will be pinned to your page.

Thinking Strategically: What to Feature in Your Highlights

Now that you know how to create Highlights, the big question is what to put in them. Your Highlights should serve a purpose. They are a tool to tell your story, answer common questions, showcase your expertise, and build a connection with your audience. Think about what a first-time visitor to your page needs to know.

Ideas for Businesses & Brands:

• About Us/Team: Introduce your mission and the people behind the brand. Use short video clips of team members saying hello or share your founder’s story. This humanizes your company.
• Products/Services: Show your offerings in action. Create separate Highlights for different product categories. If you're a service-based business, show the transformation or final result.
• Testimonials/Reviews: Screenshot glowing customer reviews, share user-generated content, or post quick video testimonials. Social proof is incredibly powerful.
• FAQs: What questions do you get asked constantly in DMs? Put the answers in a Highlight. This saves you time and provides immediate value to your followers. Cover things like shipping, hours, or how to get started.
• Behind the Scenes (BTS): Give people a peek at your process. Show how a product is made, what a typical day looks like, or office shenanigans. BTS content builds authenticity and trust.
• Events/Promos: Have a special offer or an upcoming event? Create a Highlight as a semi-permanent advertisement on your page. You can easily delete it once the promotion ends.

Ideas for Creators & Personal Brands:

• Start Here: Create a "welcome" Highlight for new followers. Introduce yourself in a few video clips, explain what your account is about, and tell people what they can expect from your content.
• Tutorials/Tips: Feature your best advice. This positions you as an expert in your niche. You could have Highlights for "Editing Tips," "Parenting Hacks," or "Gardening 101."
• Q&A Sessions: Save your best Ask Me Anything (AMA) or Q&A sessions. It’s an engaging format that shows you listen to your community and provides evergreen answers others might find useful.
• Affiliates/Favorites: Share links and information about your favorite products, tools, or brands. It’s an easy-access shopping guide for your followers.
• Series: If you run a regular content series like "Monday Motivation" or "Taco Tuesday," compile them in a Highlight so people can binge-watch a collection of related content.

Best Practices for Standout Highlights

Creating Highlights is just the beginning. The goal is to make them look professional, organized, and inviting. A few final tweaks can make a massive difference in how your audience interacts with them.

1. Design Custom Cover Images

The default covers for Highlights are just a cropped version of one of the stories inside. This can make your profile look cluttered and unprofessional. Creating simple, on-brand custom covers is a quick win.

• Keep it Simple: Match the background color to your brand’s palette.
• Use Icons: Find simple icons that visually represent the content of each Highlight (e.g., a speech bubble for FAQs, a shopping cart for products).
• Stay Consistent: Use the same style for all your covers to create a clean, cohesive look across your profile. Tools like Canva have easy-to-use templates specifically for Story Highlight covers.

To change a cover, tap and hold the Highlight, select "Edit Highlight," then tap "Edit Cover" and choose a photo from your camera roll.

2. Use Clear and Concise Names

People should be able to understand what’s in each Highlight instantly. Mismatched or long names create confusion and friction for the viewer.

• One Word is Best: "Shop," "Reviews," "Team," "Travel."
• Use Emojis: A well-placed emoji can add personality and provide a strong visual cue. For example: "About Us 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦" or "FAQ ❓".
• Be Straightforward: Avoid vague names like "Moments" or "Favorites." Tell people exactly what they're going to get.

3. Organize Strategically

Your most important Highlights should appear first. On Facebook, when you add a new Highlight, it moves to the first position on the far left. If you need to reorder them, you can delete and re-create them in the order you prefer, ensuring your "Start Here" or "Shop Now" Highlight is the first thing people see.

4. Regularly Update and Prune

Your Highlights are dynamic, not set in stone. Don’t let them get stale. Regularly review what you have featured.

• Remove outdated information, like expired sales or past events.
• Add new testimonials or fresh behind-the-scenes content to existing Highlights.
• Don’t be afraid to delete a Highlight that is no longer relevant to your brand’s goals.

Treat your Highlights as a core part of your social media storefront. They deserve the same care and planning as your grid posts or your ad campaigns.

Final Thoughts

Facebook Story Highlights are more than just a place to save pretty pictures, they're a powerful communication tool. They transform temporary content into lasting assets that can orient new followers, drive sales, and build a stronger brand story right from your profile. By carefully curating what you save, you create a resource that works for you long after those 24 hours are up.

Planning this kind of long-term content strategy is at the heart of what we built Postbase for. Seeing your entire social media plan - from ephemeral Stories that could become Highlights to permanent feed posts and videos - in a single visual calendar helps you build a more cohesive brand presence. We make it simple to plan ahead and see exactly where features like Highlights fit into the bigger picture of your marketing without the usual complexity.