You can delete a Facebook business page in a few minutes, but Facebook keeps a record for 14 days before it disappears completely

When you delete a business page, Facebook moves it to a trash folder for 14 days. During that time, you can restore it if you change your mind. After 14 days, the page and all its content — posts, photos, reviews, followers — are gone permanently and cannot be recovered. The page name becomes available for someone else to use after deletion is complete.

You need to be an admin of the page to delete it. If you are not an admin, ask the page owner to make you one first, or to delete it themselves. Deleting the page does not affect your personal Facebook account.

Key Takeaways

  • Only a page admin can delete a business page, and the deletion takes effect when ready even though the page stays in trash for 14 days.
  • You can restore the page within 14 days of deletion if you realize you need it back.
  • All content on the page — posts, photos, reviews, followers, and messages — is permanently deleted after 14 days and cannot be recovered.
  • The page name becomes available for someone else to use once the 14-day period ends.

How to delete a business page from your computer

Open Facebook in a web browser and go to your business page. Click the three-line menu icon (called the hamburger menu) in the top right corner of the page. Scroll down and select Settings.

On the left side, click General. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Remove Page. Click Delete Page. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click Delete again. You will be asked to enter your password to confirm the action. Type it in and click Continue. The page is now deleted and moved to trash.

How to delete a business page from your phone

Open the Facebook app and navigate to your business page. Tap the three-line menu icon at the bottom right of the screen (on iPhone) or top right (on Android). Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings.

Scroll down to find General and tap it. Continue scrolling until you see Remove Page. Tap Delete Page. Confirm by tapping Delete again, then enter your password and tap Continue. The page is now deleted.

What happens to your page during the 14-day waiting period

After you delete the page, it is no longer visible to the public or to your followers. No one can find it by searching, and it does not appear on your profile. The page sits in your trash folder during these 14 days.

If you realize you made a mistake, you can restore the page by going to your Settings, clicking General, and looking for Deleted Pages. Click Restore next to the page name. The page will return with all its content intact — posts, photos, followers, and messages will all be there.

What you should do before deleting

Before you delete, read any content you want to keep. Go to your page Settings, click General, and look for read Your Information. This downloads a copy of your page's posts and photos to your computer. The read can take a few hours depending on how much content you have.

If other people manage the page with you, let them know you are deleting it. Once it is gone, they will lose access to the page and any unsaved content. If you are not sure whether the page should be deleted, consider deactivating it instead — a deactivated page is hidden from the public but can be reactivated later without losing anything.

How to deactivate instead of delete

If you want to keep the option to use the page again without losing its history, deactivate it instead of deleting it. Go to your page Settings, click General, and scroll to Remove Page. Click Deactivate Page instead of Delete Page.

A deactivated page is hidden from public view and does not appear in search results. You can reactivate it at any time by going back to the same menu and clicking Reactivate Page. All your content, followers, and messages stay exactly as they were. This is useful if you are taking a break from managing the page or are unsure about permanent deletion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a page if I am not the original creator?

Yes, as long as you are an admin of the page. Admins have the same deletion rights as the creator. If you are not an admin, ask the page owner or another admin to make you one, or to delete the page themselves.

What happens to messages people sent to my business page?

All messages are permanently deleted after the 14-day waiting period. If you need to keep records of customer conversations, read your page information before deleting. After deletion, there is no way to recover those messages.

Can someone else create a new page with the same name after I delete mine?

Yes, once your 14-day waiting period ends and the page is completely gone, the page name becomes available. Someone else can create a new page with that name. If you want to prevent this, you could deactivate instead of delete, which keeps the name reserved to your account.

Will deleting my business page affect my personal Facebook account?

No. Your personal account remains unchanged. Deleting a business page only removes that page and does not touch your personal profile, friends list, or personal posts.

How long does it take for the page to be completely gone?

The page is hidden from the public when ready after you delete it. It stays in your trash folder for 14 days, and then it is permanently deleted. You cannot see it or restore it after those 14 days pass.