How to Post My Own GIF on a Facebook Comment

Nothing kills a hilarious social media moment faster than technical difficulties. You’ve found or created the perfect animated reaction, you’re ready to drop it into a Facebook comment, and then... you realize there’s no “upload GIF” button. While Facebook makes it easy to search for a GIF, using one you’ve saved yourself requires a specific workaround. This guide breaks down exactly how to post your own GIFs in Facebook comments, whether they’re saved on your hard drive or living online.

First, The Easy Way: Using Facebook’s Built-In GIF Search

Before we get into custom GIFs, let’s cover the default method. Facebook’s built-in GIF library, powered by services like Giphy and Tenor, is the quickest way to add a popular animated reaction to a comment. While you can't use your own files with this method, it's often the fastest option if a mainstream GIF will do the trick.

On Desktop:

1. Navigate to the post where you want to leave a comment.
2. Click into the comment box. To the right of the text field, you'll see a small grey box labeled GIF.
3. Click on it. A pop-up window will appear with trending GIFs.
4. Use the search bar at the top to type in a keyword or phrase (e.g., “facepalm,” “mind blown,” “Michael Scott”).
5. Click on the GIF you want to use, and it will automatically post as your comment.

On Mobile (iOS and Android):

1. Tap the “Comment” button under a post.
2. Look for the GIF icon, usually located on the right side of the comment entry field. If you don't see it, you may need to tap an arrow or icon to expand your options.
3. Tapping the icon will open a searchable library of GIFs.
4. Find the perfect animation using the search bar, tap on it, and it will be posted instantly.

This works great for common reactions, but what happens when you need to use a totally unique, custom-made GIF for your brand or community? That's where you'll need a different approach.

The Real Goal: How to Post Your Own Custom GIF on Facebook

Facebook doesn't allow you to upload a GIF file directly from your computer or phone into a comment. Trying to do so won’t work, the file either won't attach or will appear as a static image. The secret is to host your GIF online and then use its URL. There are a few ways to do this, ranging from a quick paste to getting your GIF into Facebook’s actual search results.

Method 1: The Direct Link Method (The Quickest and Most Reliable)

This is the fastest way to get a specific GIF you already have into a comment. The entire process relies on having your GIF hosted somewhere with a public link. Popular sites like GIPHY, Imgur, and Gfycat are perfect for this.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First, upload your GIF file to a hosting service. We’ll use Imgur as an example because it’s simple and doesn’t require an account for basic uploads.
   • Go to imgur.com/upload.
   • Drag your GIF file onto the page or click “Choose Photo/Video” to select it from your computer.
   • Once the upload is complete, you’ll be taken to the page for your GIF.
2. Find and copy the correct link. This is the most important part. You don’t want the page link, you want the direct image link.
   • On Imgur, right-click the GIF and choose “Copy Image Address” or “Copy Link.” A correct link will typically end in .gif.
   • On GIPHY, click the “Share” button, then select and copy the “GIF Link.”
3. Go to the Facebook post where you want to comment.
4. Paste the URL directly into the comment box.
5. Wait a moment. Facebook needs a second or two to read the link and generate a preview of your GIF. Once the GIF image appears below the URL, your work is done.
6. You can now delete the text URL from the comment box, leaving only the GIF preview. When you press Enter, only the animated GIF will be posted.

This method works for any GIF, whether it's one you made or just one you found online that isn't in Facebook's search library. It’s a foolproof way to share a specific animation instantly.

Method 2: The GIPHY Upload Method (To Get Your GIFs in the Search)

If you have GIFs you want to use repeatedly or want other people to find via Facebook's native search, you’ll need to upload them to a major GIF database like GIPHY or Tenor. For this to work, your GIPHY account needs to be a verified public channel, either as a Brand or an Artist.

Once your channel is approved, you can upload GIFs that eventually get indexed and appear in Facebook's library. This is a longer game, but it's great for brands that want staff and fans to easily use their custom brand assets.

Steps for Getting Your GIFs on GIPHY:

1. Create a GIPHY Account: Sign up for an account. To get an official channel (which is required for your GIFs to appear in public searches), you’ll need to apply for an upgrade to a Brand or Artist channel. This requires providing links to your website or portfolio.
2. Upload Your GIFs: Once you have a public channel, click the “Upload” button. You can upload from a file or paste in a video URL (like from YouTube).
3. Tag Your GIFs Effectively: This is a big deal. The search function runs on tags. When you upload, add several relevant tags that people (including yourself) would use to find the GIF. For a product reaction GIF, you might tag it with your brand name, the product, and the emotion it conveys (e.g., “BrandName,” “New Product,” “excited,” “celebration”).
4. Set the GIF to Public: Make sure the privacy setting for the GIF is “Public.” Private GIFs won’t be indexed.
5. Wait for Indexing: This isn't instant. It can take a few days or sometimes longer for your new GIF to make its way into GIPHY’s system and then into the libraries used by Facebook, Instagram, and other apps. Once it's there, you should be able to find it by searching your unique tags in the Facebook comment GIF search.

Creating Your Own GIFs: Quick Tools and Best Practices

Knowing how to post your GIF is only half the battle. Creating a great one is what makes the difference. With custom GIFs, you can show off your product from all angles, turn an in-office joke into community content, or create unique reactions with your branding.

Why Custom GIFs Are Marketing Gold

• Brand Personality: A custom GIF instantly injects your brand’s personality into a conversation. It turns a standard comment into a memorable, engaging interaction.
• Demonstrate Products: Show a quick, looping highlight of your product in action. It’s catchier than a static image and lower commitment than a full video.
• Stand Out: While everyone else uses the same handful of trending GIFs, you’ll have an entirely unique library of reactions that are 100% on-brand.
• Build Community: Create GIFs based on inside jokes or community moments. When followers start using your GIFs, you’ll know you've built something special.

Easy Tools to Create Your GIF

You don't need to be a video editor to make a high-quality GIF from your own videos.

Web-Based GIF Makers

• Ezgif.com: This free online tool is like a Swiss Army knife for GIFs. You can convert a video to a GIF, resize it, crop it, add text, and optimize the file size. Just upload your video, select the portion you want to loop, and download your file. It's powerful and requires no software installation.
• GIPHY’s GIF Maker: GIPHY has its own simple GIF creator. You can paste a video link (from YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) or upload your own video file. It lets you trim the video and add captions, stickers, and filters before creating your GIF.

Mobile Apps

• GIPHY App: The mobile version of GIPHY lets you record video or use existing clips from your camera roll to create and upload GIFs directly from your phone.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to post your own GIF in a Facebook comment is a small skill that opens up huge possibilities for more personal and engaging communication. By using either the direct link method for quick one-offs or uploading your content to services like GIPHY for wider use, you can break free from the standard GIF library and start reacting with animations that are perfectly tailored to your brand or a specific moment.

Ultimately, a strong social media strategy isn't just about posting great content, it's about managing the conversations that content creates. Dropping the perfect GIF gets a reaction, but then you have to respond to replies, DMs, and comments across all platforms. At my own company, one of the biggest frustrations we saw was teams drowning in alerts and jumping between apps just to keep up. That’s why we built the unified inbox in Postbase - to pull all of your comments and messages from every platform into one clean view. It's about turning that moment of engagement into a real, manageable conversation.