How to Schedule a Shared Post on Facebook

Trying to schedule a shared post on Facebook can feel like searching for a feature that doesn't exist - because, in a way, it doesn't. While you can't hit a share button and schedule it for later, you can achieve the same result with a few simple and reliable workarounds. This guide will walk you through exactly how to schedule curated content on your Facebook Page or Group, helping you plan ahead and keep your feed active with great finds from around the web.

Why Can't You Just Schedule a "Share"?

First, let's get the big question out of the way. Why isn’t there a simple "Schedule Share" button? The reason boils down to how Facebook views the "share" action. It's designed to be an immediate, in-the-moment endorsement. When you share something, you're instantly amplifying its reach and telling your audience, "Hey, look at this right now." This real-time interaction is what the platform is built around.

From a technical standpoint, the functionality for scheduling is tied to post creation, not post interaction. Scheduling involves telling Facebook to create and publish a new piece of content at a future time. Sharing, on the other hand, is an interaction with a piece of content that already exists.

For social media managers, brand builders, and creators, this presents a workflow challenge. You find a perfect article or a valuable post from another page that you think your audience would love, but it's not the right time to post. You want to add it to your content calendar and schedule it for later. The good news is, you can, it just takes a slightly different approach.

Method 1: The Essential Workaround (Scheduling as a Link Post)

This is the most common, reliable, and professional method for "sharing" content at a later date. Instead of trying to schedule the share action itself, you schedule a new post that links directly to the original content. The end result for your audience is nearly identical: they see the content preview and your caption and can click to see the original.

You can do this easily using Meta Business Suite.

Step-by-Step Guide for Meta Business Suite:

1. Find the Original Post's URL: First, navigate to the Facebook post you want to share. To get its unique URL, click on the post's timestamp (e.g., "5h ago," "June 14," etc.). This will open the post on its own page, and you can copy the full URL from your browser's address bar.
2. Open Meta Business Suite: Log in to Meta Business Suite and navigate to the "Planner" or simply click the "Create post" button on the home screen. Make sure your correct Facebook Page or Group is selected.
3. Paste the Link: In the post-creation box, paste the URL you copied in the first step. Give it a few seconds. Meta Business Suite will automatically crawl the link and generate a rich preview, which will look very similar to how a shared post appears.
4. Write Your Caption: This is a vital step. Don't just paste the link and schedule it. Add your own unique perspective. Why are you sharing this? What insight can you add? What question can you ask to spark a discussion? This is also the perfect place to give credit. Always tag the original creator or Page by typing the "@" symbol followed by their name.
5. Schedule the Post: Instead of hitting "Publish," look for the scheduling options. You'll see a button that says "Schedule." Click it, and a calendar and time selector will pop up. Choose the exact date and time you want your post to go live.
6. Confirm and Save: Double-check your date and time, and click the "Schedule" button to finalize it. Your post will now appear in your content planner, ready to be published automatically at the time you chose.

Pros and Cons of the Link Method

Pros:

• Full Control: It allows you to add your unique commentary, which builds a more personal brand connection with your audience.
• Clean and Professional: It looks neat in your feed and performs well with algorithms that favor link clicks.
• Reliable: This method is fully supported by Facebook's scheduling tools and almost never fails.
• Trackable: Because it's a new post on your Page, its performance (reach, engagement, link clicks) is tracked within your Page's analytics.

Cons:

• Not a "True" Share: It won't display the original post's likes and comments directly embedded in your post. The attribution comes from your caption and the link itself.

Method 2: Repurposing Content for Your Community (With Credit)

Sometimes, what you want to share isn't the post itself, but the media within it - like a viral video, a funny meme, a powerful infographic, or a beautiful photo. In these cases, you can schedule a completely new post using that media, as long as you provide clear and direct credit to the original creator.

Warning: Use this method thoughtfully and ethically. It's great for content that's meant to be shared widely, like memes or public announcements. Be cautious with artistic content like photography or personal illustrations where the context of the original profile is important. When in doubt, stick to the link-sharing method.

How to Repurpose and Schedule Ethically:

1. Save the Media: Find the post containing the image or video you want to share. Right-click and "Save Image As..." or use a tool to download the video. Again, only do this if you are confident you can give proper attribution.
2. Create a New Post: In Meta Business Suite, click "Create post." Instead of pasting a link, you will click "Add photo" or "Add video" and upload the media file you just saved.
3. Write a Sincere Credit-Focused Caption: This is the most important part. Your caption must clearly state where the content came from. Don't hide the credit at the bottom of a long paragraph or bury it in hashtags. Start with it!
4. Good caption example: "We had to share this incredible graphic from [@CreatorPageName]! It perfectly breaks down [the topic]. What are your thoughts? Credit: [@CreatorPageName]."
5. Bad caption example: "Check this out! #marketingtips #socialmedia" (This implies it's your own.)
6. Schedule: Just like with the link method, click the schedule option, pick your date and time, and confirm. Your repurposed post, with its proper credit, is now saved in your content plan.

Giving credit isn't just about avoiding trouble, it's about being a good community member. It shows your audience that you value other creators, and it often encourages the original creator to engage with your Page, creating a positive networking effect.

Using a Social Media Management Tool

If you're managing multiple social platforms, the process of finding a URL, opening a new tab for Business Suite, pasting it in, and then scheduling it can feel a bit repetitive - especially when you’re also trying to plan content for Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn. This is where third-party social media management tools really shine.

They streamline this exact workflow. The steps are fundamentally the same as Method #1 - you're still scheduling a link post - but the experience is often faster and better integrated into your overall social strategy.

• A Centralized Composer: You paste the link into a single post creator, customizing the caption for Facebook and any other platforms you're posting to simultaneously.
• Visual Content Planners: These tools typically feature a drag-and-drop calendar. You can see your curated/shared Facebook posts scheduled right next to your original Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and LinkedIn articles. This high-level view helps you create a much more balanced and strategic content mix.
• Simplified Process: It just takes fewer clicks. For people managing content at scale, that saved time adds up week after week.

Best Practices for Strategically Sharing Content

Strategically sharing content is more than just filling gaps in your calendar. It's about content curation - providing value to your audience by bringing them the best of the web on topics they care about.

Three Golden Rules for Sharing Content:

1. Always Add Your Voice. Never just share a link with no context. Your caption is where you provide value. Explain to your audience why this piece of content is worth their time. Frame it, comment on it, or ask a question about it. This transforms a simple share into a piece of thought leadership.
2. Prioritize Crediting and Tagging. As mentioned before, always tag the original source. It’s professional courtesy, builds community, and puts you on the radar of other creators and brands in your niche.
3. Maintain a Healthy Mix. A feed that contains nothing but other people's content can look impersonal and low-effort. Use shared content strategically to supplement your original programming. A good rule of thumb is to create more than you curate. Maybe for every three original posts, you schedule one curated share. Find the balance that works for your brand and your audience.

Following these simple guidelines will help you build a content calendar that is not only consistent but filled with a rich mix of original ideas and valuable curated finds.

Final Thoughts

While Facebook doesn't offer a direct "schedule share" feature, mastering the link-sharing and credit-based repurposing methods gives you the exact same power. You can effectively plan your content curation strategy, fill your calendar with valuable content for your audience, and build community, all without needing to be online at all hours.

Finding that perfect balance between curated shares and original posts is where an organized calendar is a huge help. For our own content planning, using a tool like Postbase allows us to get a full view of everything at once. I can grab a link, drop it right into the planner for Facebook, and schedule it right alongside our video content for Instagram and TikTok, all without getting lost in a mess of tabs. A clean visual plan keeps the process simple and focused on delivering a great content mix, day in and day out.