How to Turn On Reviews on Facebook

Want to let your satisfied customers become your best advocates? Activating reviews on your Facebook Page is a powerful way to build undeniable social proof and credibility. This guide will give you the exact steps to turn on Facebook's recommendation feature, explain why it's so vital for your brand, and provide actionable strategies to manage your feedback like a pro.

Why Bother with Facebook Recommendations Anyway?

In a world of sponsored posts and polished ads, authentic customer feedback cuts through the noise. It feels real because it is real. Turning on Facebook Recommendations (formerly known as Reviews) isn't just about collecting gold stars, it's a core component of a modern marketing strategy. Here’s why it's a non-negotiable for most businesses.

Builds Immediate Social Proof and Trust

Think about your own buying habits. How often do you check reviews before trying a new restaurant, booking a service, or buying a product? Your customers are no different. Nielsen reports that 66% of people trust consumer opinions posted online. A page full of positive, heartfelt recommendations from real people is often more persuasive than the most expensive advertising campaign. It provides instant validation that your business is legitimate, trusted, and delivers on its promises.

Improves Your Visibility and Local SEO

Facebook isn't just a social network, it's also a powerful search engine. When a user searches for "plumbers near me" or "best coffee shop," Facebook's algorithm looks at various signals to decide who to show first. An active Recommendations tab, filled with positive feedback, is a strong signal that your business is active, reputable, and relevant. This can boost your visibility within Facebook's own search results. This effect can even trickle over to Google, as search engines often pull in Facebook review data to build a richer profile of your business online.

Provides Invaluable, Honest Feedback

Ever wish you could have a free focus group to tell you what's working and what isn't? That's what your recommendations are. Positive reviews highlight your strengths, telling you exactly what your customers love so you can double down on it. A glowing recommendation about your fantastic customer service or lightning-fast shipping reinforces your unique selling points.

Even negative feedback, while sometimes tough to hear, is a gift. It points directly to areas for improvement in your products, services, or processes. A well-handled negative review is an opportunity to learn, grow, and demonstrate excellent customer service publicly.

A Quick Heads-Up: Facebook Changed "Reviews" to "Recommendations"

Before we get into the "how-to," it's important to understand a key change Facebook made. A few years back, it switched from the traditional 5-star rating system to a simpler, more powerful "Recommendations" model. Instead of just picking a star value, users are now asked a simple question: "Do you recommend [Your Business Name]?"

They can answer "Yes" or "No." After that, they can add more context through tags (like "great service," "friendly staff," or "clean environment"), photos, and text. This change was designed to encourage more descriptive and helpful feedback. It moves beyond a simple numerical score to storytelling and specific praise.

So, while you might be looking to "turn on reviews," what you'll actually be enabling is the Recommendations feature. Most people (and even this article) will use the terms interchangeably, but it's good to know exactly what you'll see on your Page.

How to Turn On Reviews on Your Facebook Business Page (The Step-by-Step Guide)

Alright, let's get down to business. Enabling recommendations is straightforward, but the settings can feel a little buried if you don't know where to look. The steps are the same whether you are on a desktop computer or using the mobile app to manage your Page.

1. Navigate to Your Facebook Page: First things first, log into the Facebook profile that has administrative access to your Business Page. Go to your Page.
2. Access Your Page Settings: Look for the menu on the left side of your screen. You should see an option labeled "Settings." Click on it. If you manage your page through Meta Business Suite, you might need to find "All tools" then locate Page Settings.
3. Go to "Templates and Tabs": Inside the Settings menu, you'll see another list of options. Click on "Templates and Tabs." This section controls which sections (like "About," "Photos," "Events," etc.) appear on your Page and in what order.
4. Find and Enable the "Reviews" Tab: Scroll down the list of tabs. You should see one named "Reviews" or "Recommendations." If it's already there but disabled, you will see a toggle switch next to it. Click the toggle to turn it on. It should turn blue.
5. Add the Tab if It's Missing: If you don't see the "Reviews" tab in your list, don't worry. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "Add a Tab" button. A window will pop up with available tabs you can add. Find "Reviews" in this list and click the "Add Tab" button next to it. Once added, it will appear in your main list, where you can make sure the toggle is switched on.
6. Reorder the Tab (Optional but Recommended!): You don't want your amazing feedback buried at the bottom of your Page menu. On the "Templates and Tabs" screen, you can click and drag the tabs to reorder them. We recommend moving the Reviews tab up high, right below your "About" or "Photos" section, to make it highly visible to visitors.

And that's it! Once you toggle it on, a "Reviews" section will now be visible on your Facebook Page, ready for customers to share their experiences.

You've Turned on Recommendations... Now What?

Don't just switch on recommendations and hope for the best. To truly leverage this feature, you need a proactive strategy. Success isn't just about getting reviews, it's about managing them effectively to build a strong, positive brand reputation.

Strategy 1: Actively Ask for Recommendations

This is the most critical part. Your happiest customers are often busy and might not think to leave a review unprompted. You need to make it incredibly easy for them. A gentle, well-timed nudge can make all the difference.

• Get Your Direct Link: Your Facebook Page has a dedicated URL for leaving reviews. You can usually find it by going to your page and adding `/reviews` to the end of the URL (e.g., `facebook.com/yourbusiness/reviews`). Send this direct link to customers.
• Email Follow-ups: Set up an automated email that goes out a few days after a customer makes a purchase or uses your service. Keep it simple and personal. Something like, "Hey [Name], thanks for your recent order! If you have a moment, we'd love it if you could share your experience on our Facebook Page. Your feedback helps us a ton!"
• In-Person Asks: If you have a brick-and-mortar location, a small sign with a QR code that links directly to your reviews page can work wonders.
• Social Media Posts: Once in a while, it's okay to create a simple, non-pushy post asking your followers to share their experiences. Frame it around how much their feedback helps you and other customers.

Strategy 2: Respond to Every Recommendation

Responding to feedback shows you're engaged, listening, and that you value your customers. It's a hugely important signal to both current and future customers.

How to Handle Positive Recommendations:

Don't just "like" a positive review. Write a thoughtful reply.

• Thank them by name. It adds a personal touch.
• Reference something specific they said. For example, "Thanks so much, Sarah! We're thrilled you enjoyed the hazelnut latte - it's one of our favorites, too!"
• Keep it brief and genuine. This simple act reinforces their positive feelings and encourages others to share as well.

How to Handle Negative Recommendations:

Responding to a negative review is your chance to turn a bad situation into a win. Your public response isn't just for the unhappy customer, it's for everyone else who will read it.

1. Acknowledge and Apologize: Start by acknowledging their feelings and offering a sincere apology that their experience didn't meet expectations. "Hi John, we're very sorry to hear that your visit wasn't up to standard."
2. Don't Be Defensive: Avoid making excuses or arguing. Even if you think they're wrong, a public argument never looks good. Empathy is your best tool.
3. Take it Offline: Your goal is to resolve the problem privately. Provide a direct contact, like an email address or a phone number. "This isn't the experience we want for our customers. We'd appreciate the chance to make it right. Could you please email us at support@yourbiz.com so we can learn more?"

This approach shows you're accountable, proactive, and committed to customer satisfaction. Sometimes, a potential customer can be more impressed by how you handle a complaint than by a flawless 5-star rating.

Strategy 3: Repurpose Your Best Recommendations as Social Proof

Don't let your best feedback just sit on your Facebook Page. Turn it into powerful marketing content!

• Create Testimonial Graphics: Grab the most compelling quote from a glowing recommendation, pair it with a nice background, and share it as a post on Instagram, LinkedIn, or even in an email newsletter. Simple tools like Canva make this incredibly easy.
• Feature Them on Your Website: Add a dedicated "Testimonials" section to your website and embed screenshots of your best Facebook recommendations.
• Use Them in Ads: User-generated content often performs far better in ads than branded content. Using a real customer review as the centerpiece of an ad can make it feel more authentic and trustworthy.

Final Thoughts

Switching on Facebook Recommendations is a simple move that opens the door to building deep trust, gathering essential feedback, and attracting your next wave of customers. By following these steps and taking a proactive approach to managing your reviews, you can transform happy customer voices into your brand's most powerful marketing asset.

As your brand's reputation grows, you'll see more comments, messages, and recommendations rolling in, not just on Facebook but everywhere else. We built Postbase to solve this very problem. By bringing all your comments and DMs from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more into one clean and unified inbox, we help you respond to every amazing review or customer concern without having to jump between ten different apps. It makes community management feel less chaotic and ensures you never miss a chance to strengthen a customer relationship.