How to Turn Off a Facebook Business Page

Thinking about turning off your Facebook Business Page signifies a shift in your strategy, and you've come to the right place for a clear guide on how to do it correctly. This article cuts through the confusion, showing you the differences between deactivating and deleting, walking you through a pre-deletion checklist, and providing exact, step-by-step instructions for either option. We'll make sure you can confidently close this digital chapter without any loose ends.

Deactivate vs. Delete a Facebook Page: What's the Difference?

Before you take any irreversible steps, it’s important to understand the two main options you have for "turning off" your Page: deactivation and deletion. They sound similar, but their consequences are drastically different. Choosing the right one depends entirely on your future intentions.

Deactivating a Facebook Page: The Temporary "Pause" Button

Think of deactivation as putting your Page into hibernation. It becomes invisible to the public, including your followers, but all of your information is saved behind the scenes. This is the perfect option if you think you might want to return to the Page someday, perhaps after a rebrand, a business pivot, or just taking an extended break.

• What happens:
  • Your Page and all its content (posts, photos, videos) become invisible to everyone.
  • People cannot search for or find your Page.
  • You can still access your Page as an admin and manage its settings.
  • Your admin privileges remain intact, allowing you to reactivate the Page anytime.
• Choose deactivation if:
  • You are unsure if you want to permanently close the Page.
  • Your business is seasonal, and you want to go offline during the off-season.
  • You are undergoing a rebrand and need to pause activity before relaunching.
  • You just need a break from managing the Page without losing all your hard work.

Deactivation is the safest first step. There's no deadline - you can leave it deactivated for weeks, months, or even years and bring it back to life with a single click.

Deleting a Facebook Page: The Permanent Goodbye

Deletion is the final, irreversible option. When you choose to delete your Page, you are telling Meta that you want all associated data to be permanently erased from its servers. This is a choice you should only make when you are 100% certain you will never need the Page or its contents again.

• What happens:
  • After a 30-day grace period, your Page and all its content are gone forever.
  • You will lose all likes, followers, reviews, messages, and historical analytics.
  • The Page's unique URL (username) will eventually be released for others to claim.
  • You cannot reactivate a deleted Page once the 30-day window has passed.
• Choose deletion if:
  • Your business has permanently closed.
  • You are completely certain you will not use that brand presence or Page again.
  • You created a duplicate Page by mistake and want to remove it permanently.

Meta provides a 30-day window after you initiate deletion. During this time, your page is scheduled for deletion but can still be recovered. If you change your mind within that month, you can cancel the process. After that, it’s gone for good.

Before You Click Anything: A Pre-Deletion Checklist

Jumping straight to the settings without planning can lead to lost data and confused followers. Before you deactivate or delete, run through this simple checklist to protect your assets and maintain good communication.

1. Announce Your Plans to Your Audience

If you've built a community, don't just disappear. Let them know you're closing your Page. A simple announcement post a week or two in advance can:

• Manage expectations: Prevents followers from thinking your page was hacked or something went wrong.
• Redirect your audience: Direct them to your website, another social media platform (like Instagram or LinkedIn), or your new Facebook Profile if applicable. You worked hard for those followers - don't lose them!

2. Download a Copy of Your Page Information

This is your digital safety net. Years of posts, photos, videos, and interactions are valuable data. Before deleting anything, download a complete backup of your Page. The backup file includes:

• Posts, photos, and videos you've shared.
• Page profile information.
• A list of your followers (though not their personal details).
• Events, milestones, and more.

To do this, go to Settings &, Privacy >, Settings >, Privacy >, Your Facebook Information, and click Download Page Information. You can choose the date range and format. Give yourself plenty of time, as a full download can take a while to process.

3. Check for Connected Apps and Logins

Did you ever use your Facebook Business Page account to log in to third-party tools or apps? Sometimes marketing tools, contest apps, or scheduling platforms use Facebook for authentication. Review your Business Integrations in your settings to see what services are connected. You may need to create a new login method for those tools to avoid getting locked out after deleting your Page.

4. Verify Admin Permissions

You can only deactivate or delete a Page if you have full admin permissions. If you are part of a team, make sure you are an Admin with "Full Control." If not, you will need to ask the Page Owner or another admin to either grant you the necessary access or to handle the deletion themselves. If you try to delete a Page without permission, the option simply won't be available.

How to Deactivate Your Facebook Page (The Temporary Option)

Ready to put your page on hold? Follow these steps using Facebook’s "New Pages Experience." The user interface can differ slightly, so these instructions are for the most up-to-date layout.

1. Switch to Your Page Account: On Facebook, click your profile picture in the top-right corner, then click "See all profiles" and select the business page you want to deactivate. You must be actively controlling the Page to access its settings.
2. Access Your Page Settings: Once you are managing your Page, click its profile picture in the top-right corner again. From the dropdown menu, select Settings &, Privacy, and then click Settings.
3. Navigate to Privacy Settings: In the left-hand menu, click on Privacy, then select Facebook Page Information.
4. Find Deactivation and Deletion: On this screen, you’ll see several options. Scroll to the last one, labeled Deactivation and deletion, and click the View button on the right.
5. Select "Deactivate Page": You will see two options. Choose Deactivate Page. It explicitly states, "This can be temporary." Click Continue.
6. Enter Your Password and Confirm: For security, Facebook will ask you to re-enter your personal profile password. After entering it, click Continue one last time. Your Page is now deactivated and hidden from the public until you choose to log back in and reactivate it.

How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Page (The Final Step)

If you're absolutely certain that you want to permanently erase your Page and have completed the pre-deletion checklist, the process is very similar to deactivation. Just be mindful that this action is final after 30 days.

1. Switch to Your Page and Open Settings: Just like with deactivation, you need to first switch to using your Business Page. Then navigate to Settings &, Privacy >, Settings.
2. Find the Deletion Menu: From your Page's settings menu, go to Privacy >, Facebook Page Information. Scroll down and click View next to the Deactivation and deletion option.
3. Select "Delete Page": Here, choose the second option: Delete Page. The description clearly warns, "This is permanent." Before you continue, this is also where Facebook gives you one last chance to download your information.
4. Confirm Deletion by Clicking Continue: Facebook will display prompts explaining what you are about to do. Read them carefully and click Continue.
5. Provide Your Password for Security: To finalize the request, you must enter your password one more time to prove you're the account owner.
6. Submit the Final Deletion Request: Click Continue one final time.

Your Page is now scheduled for permanent deletion in 30 days. It will be immediately unpublished and invisible to the public during this grace period, giving you one last month to cancel the process if you have a change of heart.

FAQ: Common Questions About Turning Off a Facebook Page

Help! I scheduled my page for deletion but I want it back. What can I do?

As long as it's been less than 30 days, you’re in luck. Just log into your Facebook profile, switch to the Page profile, and you should see a prompt to cancel the scheduled deletion. Follow the on-screen instructions to reactivate it. If more than 30 days have passed, the Page is permanently gone and cannot be recovered.

Why don't I see the option to delete or deactivate my Page?

This almost always comes down to permissions. To delete a Page, you must have an admin role with "Full Control." If you are an Editor, Moderator, or Admin with only "basic control," you won't have the power to remove it. You’ll need to contact the person who created the page or another admin with full privileges to either perform the deletion or update your role.

What happens to my Facebook Ads and Ad Account if I delete my page?

All active ad campaigns that are linked to the deleted Page will stop running immediately, as they no longer have a destination page. Your Ad Account itself doesn't get deleted, as it's tied to either your personal profile or a Facebook Business Manager account. However, you will need to associate future ads with a different, active Facebook Page.

My Instagram account is connected to this Facebook Page. What will happen to it?

If you have an Instagram Business Profile connected to the Facebook Page you are deleting, your Instagram account will be impacted. Often, it gets converted back into a Personal Account. This means you will lose access to Instagram Insights (analytics), advanced contact options on your profile, and the ability to run ads or promote posts. Before deleting your Facebook Page, you should go into your Instagram settings and switch it back to a Personal or Creator account, or connect it to a different Facebook Page if you have one.

Final Thoughts

Shutting down a Facebook Page involves more than just a few clicks, it’s a strategic choice between temporary deactivation and permanent deletion. By weighing your options, running through the pre-deletion checklist, and following the correct steps, you can either pause your Page's activity or remove it cleanly, confident that you’ve handled everything correctly.

Sometimes the need to turn a Page off comes from the burnout of juggling too many platforms and seeing too little return. We built Postbase to solve that very chaos. By putting all your planning on one clean visual calendar and funneling all your comments and DMs into a single inbox, we help make social media management feel calm and organized. Our goal is to give you tools that let you focus on growing your brand instead of just trying to keep up with the chaos.