What you need before you start
A Facebook business page is separate from your personal account. You will need a personal Facebook account first — this is the account you log into, and it becomes the administrator of your business page. You cannot create a business page without one.
Decide on a few details before you begin: your business name exactly as you want it to appear, a profile photo (usually your logo), and a category that describes what you do. You do not need these to be perfect — you can change them later. What matters is having them ready so you are not interrupted mid-setup.
If you plan to run ads or use Facebook's business tools, you will also need to set up a Meta Business Account — this is the umbrella account that manages your page, your ads, and your payment methods. Facebook will prompt you to create one during setup, or you can do it afterward.
Key Takeaways
- You must have a personal Facebook account before you can create a business page; the personal account becomes the page administrator.
- Go to facebook.com/pages/create, choose your business category, and fill in your business name, contact details, and description.
- Add a profile photo and cover photo to make your page look complete; these are the first things people see when they visit.
- Set your page to "Public" in settings so customers and potential customers can find and follow you without sending a friend request.
- Create a Meta Business Account during setup or afterward if you plan to run ads, schedule posts, or use Facebook's analytics tools.
Step-by-step: Creating your page
Open Facebook and log into your personal account. Go to facebook.com/pages/create in your browser, or tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the Facebook app, scroll down, and tap "Pages." Then tap "Create a Page."
Facebook will ask you to choose a category for your business. Select the one that best describes what you do — "Local Business," "Restaurant," "Retail," "Service," "Health & Wellness," or others depending on your industry. This category helps Facebook show your page to the right people and determines which features are available to you.
Enter your business name in the text field. Use the exact name you want to appear on your page. Enter your phone number, street address, website (if you have one), and a short description of what your business does. You can leave fields blank if you do not have that information yet, but a phone number and address help customers find you.
Tap "Create Page" at the bottom. Facebook will take you to your new page, which will be mostly empty. This is normal — you have just created the page, not filled it in yet.
Adding photos and basic information
Your page needs a profile photo and a cover photo. The profile photo is small and appears next to your business name everywhere on Facebook; use your logo or a clear image of your storefront. The cover photo is the large banner at the top of your page.
To add a profile photo, click the camera icon in the profile photo area (or tap it on mobile). Upload an image from your device. Facebook will ask you to crop it — keep the image centered and clear. Do the same for the cover photo by clicking the camera icon on the cover area. Cover photos are wider and shorter than profile photos, so choose an image that looks good in that shape.
Next, fill in your "About" section. Click "Edit" next to "About" on your page. Add a description of your business in 255 characters or fewer. Include what you do and what makes you different. Add your hours of operation, payment methods you accept, and any other details that help customers understand your business. Save when you are done.
Setting your page to public and choosing who can see it
By default, your page is public, which means anyone on Facebook can find it and follow it. This is usually what you want for a business. To check, click the three dots at the top right of your page (or tap "More" on mobile) and select "Settings and Privacy," then "Settings."
Look for "Page Visibility" or "Visibility" in the left menu. Make sure the toggle next to "Public Page" is turned on. If it is off, your page will only be visible to people you invite, which defeats the purpose of a business page. Turn it on.
While you are in settings, scroll down to "Messaging" and decide whether you want to allow people to message you directly. Most businesses turn this on so customers can ask questions. You can also set "Message Response Time" to let people know how quickly you typically reply.
Creating a Meta Business Account
A Meta Business Account is a separate login that manages your page, ads, and payment methods. You do not have to create one to have a business page, but you will need one if you want to run ads, use the Meta Business Suite to schedule posts, or view detailed analytics about who is visiting your page.
Facebook usually prompts you to create a Meta Business Account during page setup. If you skipped it, you can create one later. Go to business.facebook.com, click "Create Account," and follow the steps. You will need to enter your business name, your email address, and your phone number. Your personal Facebook account will be linked as the administrator.
Once your Meta Business Account is set up, you can add other people as administrators or editors of your page without giving them access to your personal account. This is useful if you have employees who will post on your behalf. Go to your page settings, find "Roles," and add people with the permission level you choose.
What to do after your page is live
Your page is now live, but it is empty. Write a welcome post introducing your business. Keep it short — one or two sentences about what you do and why people should follow you. Add a photo or video if you can.
Add a call-to-action button to your page. This is a button that appears near your cover photo and can direct people to book an appointment, call you, visit your website, or shop. Click "Add Button" near the top of your page, choose the action you want, and enter the link or phone number.
Post regularly — at least once a week to start. Share updates about your business, photos of your products or services, customer testimonials, or tips related to your industry. The more you post, the more Facebook will show your page to people who might be interested.
Security and privacy settings for your business page
Your business page is public, but you can control who can post on it and what comments appear. Go to Settings, find "General," and look for "Page Moderation." Add words or phrases you want Facebook to automatically hide in comments — for example, spam keywords or offensive language. Comments containing those words will be hidden from your page.
Set "Who Can Post on Your Page" to "Only You" or "Only Admins" so customers cannot post directly to your page timeline. They can still comment on your posts and message you privately. This keeps your page looking professional and prevents spam.
If someone is harassing you or your business in comments, you can delete their comment, hide it, or ban them from your page. Click the three dots on their comment and choose "Delete," "Hide," or "Ban [Name]." Banning prevents them from seeing or commenting on your page again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a business page without a personal Facebook account?
No. Facebook requires you to have a personal account first. Your personal account becomes the administrator of your business page. You do not have to use your personal account to post on the business page — you can switch to posting as the page instead of as yourself.
What if my business name is already taken on Facebook?
If another page has your exact business name, you may not be able to use it. Try adding your location to the name — for example, "Jane's Bakery - Portland" instead of "Jane's Bakery." You can also contact Facebook through your page settings to request the name if you believe the other page is inactive or fraudulent, though this process is slow.
Do I need to pay to create a business page?
Creating a business page is free. You only pay if you run ads or use certain premium features. Posting, messaging customers, and using basic analytics are all free.
How do I add other people to manage my business page?
Go to your page settings, find "Roles," and click "Add a New Page Role." Enter the person's email address or Facebook name, choose their permission level (Admin, Editor, Moderator, or Analyst), and send the invitation. They will receive a notification and can accept the role.
Can I change my business page name after I create it?
Yes, but there are limits. You can change your page name once every 60 days. Go to Settings, find "General," and click "Edit" next to your page name. Enter the new name and save. If you have changed it recently, you will have to wait until the 60-day window passes.