Creating a Facebook event takes five minutes and reaches everyone in your network at once
To create an event on Facebook, open the app or website, go to your profile or the Events section, and click "Create Event." You'll fill in the event name, date, time, location, and description. Facebook then shows the event to people you invite and to anyone who searches for events in that location or category. Unlike a post that disappears from feeds, an event stays visible on your profile and in search results until the date passes.
The process is the same whether you're hosting a birthday party, a community cleanup, or a business networking lunch. Facebook stores all the details you enter — including who you invite, who says yes, and what you write in the description — in a way that's searchable and permanent until you delete the event.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook events are created from your profile or the Events section and require a name, date, time, and location to publish.
- Everyone you invite can see the event details, and their responses (yes, maybe, no) are visible to other guests unless they change their privacy settings.
- The event description, guest list, and comments stay on Facebook indefinitely and can be searched by anyone with access to your profile.
- You can change the event to private so only invited people see it, or public so anyone on Facebook can find and join it.
- Deleting an event removes it from search results and guest feeds, but Facebook may retain a record of it in your account history.
Step-by-step: Creating your event
Open Facebook on your phone or computer. On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and scroll to "Events." On a computer, click "Events" in the left sidebar. Click the button that says "Create Event" or the plus sign.
Fill in the event name — this is what appears in search results and on guests' calendars. Add the date and time. If your event spans multiple days, Facebook lets you set a start date and end date. Choose whether to include a specific location (a street address, venue name, or just a city) or leave it blank for online events.
Write a description. This is where you explain what the event is, what to bring, parking details, or anything else guests need to know. Add a photo or video if you want — Facebook uses this as the event cover image. Then choose who can see the event: "Public" means anyone on Facebook can find it; "Private" means only people you invite can see it; "Friends" means your friends can see it but only invited guests can attend.
Click "Create" or "Save." Facebook publishes the event when ready. You can now invite people by searching for their names or by selecting groups of friends. Invited people get a notification and can respond "Going," "Interested," or "Can't Go."
Who can see your event and what information is visible
If you create a public event, anyone on Facebook — including people you don't know — can find it by searching the event name or browsing events in your area. They can see the event name, date, time, location, description, cover photo, and the number of people attending. They cannot see the full guest list unless you allow it in the event settings.
If you create a private event, only people you invite can see any details. However, if someone you invited shares the event or screenshots it, the information spreads beyond your control. Facebook does not prevent invited guests from sharing event details with others.
Guest responses are visible to other guests by default. If you say "Going," other attendees can see your name and response. Some guests change their privacy settings to hide their response, but most people's responses are public within the event. Comments posted on the event page are visible to everyone invited, and sometimes to the public if the event is public.
What Facebook stores about your event
Facebook records the event name, date, time, location, description, all photos and videos you upload, every guest you invite, each person's response, all comments posted on the event page, and any edits you make to the event details. This information is tied to your account and can be searched by Facebook's systems.
Even after you delete an event, Facebook may keep a record of it in your account history or in backups. The company does not publicly commit to deleting event data when ready. If the event was public, search engines like Google may have indexed it, and the information could appear in search results for weeks or months after deletion.
If you invite someone to an event, Facebook notifies them and stores that invitation in their account. The person can decline or ignore the invitation, but Facebook records that you sent it.
Changing privacy settings after the event is created
You can change an event from public to private at any time by editing the event and selecting a new privacy level. However, if the event was public and people already found it, changing it to private does not remove it from search results when ready — search engines and cached versions may still show the old information.
You can also change who can see the guest list, whether guests can invite others, and whether comments are allowed. These settings are in the event details under "Edit Event." If you turn off comments, existing comments stay visible but new ones cannot be posted.
If you want to hide an event from your profile without deleting it, you can archive it. Archived events do not appear on your profile but remain in your account history and can be unarchived later.
Deleting an event and what happens to the information
To delete an event, open it, click the three-dot menu, and select "Delete Event." Facebook removes the event from search results, your profile, and guests' calendars. Guests receive a notification that the event has been canceled.
Deletion is permanent — you cannot recover an event after you delete it. However, Facebook's servers may retain a copy of the event data for a period of time as part of their backup systems. If the event was public and indexed by search engines, the information may remain in Google's cache or the Internet Archive even after you delete it from Facebook.
If you want to prevent future events from being searchable, create them as private events and limit who you invite. This reduces the chance that the event information spreads beyond your intended audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who viewed my event but didn't respond?
No. Facebook shows you how many people are going, interested, or declined, but not who saw the event and ignored it. You can see responses only from people who clicked one of those three buttons.
What happens if I delete someone from the guest list?
The person's name is removed from the guest list and they no longer see the event in their calendar. They do not receive a notification that they were removed, but if they search for the event, they may still find it if it is public.
Can guests invite other people to my event?
Only if you allow it in the event settings. By default, guests can invite others. You can turn this off by editing the event and unchecking "Guests can invite others." Existing invitations sent by guests are not revoked if you disable this.
Is my event visible to people who are not on Facebook?
If your event is public, search engines like Google can index it and show it in search results. Non-Facebook users can see the event name, date, location, and description, but cannot see the guest list or respond unless they create a Facebook account.
What if someone screenshots my private event?
Facebook cannot prevent screenshots. Once someone has a screenshot, they can share it anywhere. If you are concerned about privacy, avoid posting sensitive information in event descriptions or comments, and invite only people you trust.