How to Turn Off Comments on Facebook Posts: Complete Guide

SocialRails Team

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Facebook Privacy

Want to stop people from commenting on your Facebook posts? Whether you're dealing with trolls, want to share sensitive information, or just prefer to limit interactions, Facebook gives you several ways to control comments.

This guide covers everything you need to know about turning off, limiting, and managing comments on Facebook posts - both for personal profiles and business pages.

Why You Might Want to Turn Off Comments

Common Reasons People Disable Comments

Privacy and Control:

• Share personal updates without unwanted opinions
• Prevent arguments and drama on your posts
• Protect family photos from stranger comments
• Control the narrative around sensitive topics

Business and Professional Reasons:

• Announce layoffs or difficult company news
• Share legal information that shouldn't be debated
• Post regulatory-required content
• Prevent competitors from leaving negative comments

Mental Health Protection:

• Avoid dealing with negative feedback
• Reduce anxiety around social media interactions
• Create a more positive online experience
• Limit time spent moderating comments

Content Strategy:

• Focus attention on likes and shares instead
• Prevent misinformation from spreading in comments
• Keep discussions on other platforms (like your website)
• Maintain professional appearance for business posts

Method 1: Turn Off Comments When Creating a Post

This is the easiest way to prevent comments before you publish.

For Personal Facebook Profiles

Step 1: Create Your Post

1. Click "What's on your mind?" at the top of your feed
2. Type your post content
3. Add photos, videos, or links if desired

Step 2: Adjust Privacy Settings

1. Click the audience selector (usually shows "Friends" or "Public")
2. Choose who can see your post
3. Click "More Options" at the bottom

Step 3: Disable Comments

1. Look for "Who can comment?" section
2. Select "Turn off commenting"
3. Post your content normally

For Facebook Pages (Business)

Step 1: Create Page Post

1. Go to your Facebook Page
2. Click in the "Write something..." box
3. Add your content

Step 2: Access Advanced Settings

1. Look for the gear/settings icon near the "Post" button
2. Click on it to open post settings
3. Find the "Comments" section

Step 3: Disable Comments

1. Uncheck "Allow comments on this post"
2. Publish your post
3. Comments will be disabled from the start

Method 2: Turn Off Comments on Existing Posts

Already posted something but want to disable comments? Here's how.

For Posts on Your Personal Profile

Step 1: Find Your Post

1. Go to your profile or timeline
2. Locate the post you want to modify
3. Click the three dots (...) in the top right of the post

Step 2: Access Comment Settings

1. Select "Edit Privacy" from the dropdown menu
2. Look for comment settings in the privacy options
3. Choose "Turn off commenting"

Alternative Method:

1. Click the three dots on your post
2. Select "Turn off commenting" if it appears directly
3. Confirm your choice

For Facebook Page Posts

Step 1: Navigate to Your Page

1. Go to your Facebook Page
2. Find the post you want to modify
3. Click the three dots (...) on the post

Step 2: Edit Post Settings

1. Select "Edit Post" from the menu
2. Click the gear icon for post settings
3. Uncheck "Allow comments on this post"
4. Save your changes

Method 3: Hide Comments Instead of Disabling

Sometimes you want to keep comments but hide negative ones.

Hide Individual Comments

How to Hide Specific Comments:

1. Find the comment you want to hide
2. Click the three dots (...) next to the comment
3. Select "Hide comment"
4. The comment becomes invisible to everyone except the commenter

Benefits of Hiding:

• Comment author doesn't know it's hidden
• Reduces drama and confrontation
• Keeps your post looking cleaner
• Other people can't see the hidden comment

Hide Comments with Certain Words

Set Up Automatic Comment Filtering:

1. Go to your Page Settings (for business pages)
2. Click "General" in the left sidebar
3. Find "Page Moderation" section
4. Add words or phrases you want filtered
5. Comments containing these words will be automatically hidden

For Personal Profiles:

• Facebook doesn't offer automatic filtering for personal accounts
• You'll need to hide comments manually as they appear
• Consider using privacy settings instead

Method 4: Limit Who Can Comment

Rather than turning off all comments, you can control who's allowed to comment.

Comment Restrictions for Personal Profiles

Friends Only:

1. When creating a post, click the audience selector
2. Choose "Friends" as your audience
3. Only people on your friends list can comment
4. Reduces unwanted comments from strangers

Specific Friends:

1. Select "Specific Friends" when posting
2. Choose exactly who can see and comment
3. Perfect for sensitive or personal content
4. Gives you maximum control

Business Page Comment Controls

Page Visitor Restrictions:

1. Go to Page Settings
2. Click "General" in the left menu
3. Find "Visitor Posts" section
4. Control who can post and comment on your page

Audience Restrictions:

1. When creating a post, use audience selector
2. Limit to followers, people who like your page, or specific groups
3. Reduces spam and irrelevant comments
4. Maintains engagement with your actual audience

Method 5: Use Comment Moderation Tools

For ongoing comment management, especially on business pages.

Enable Comment Approval

For Facebook Pages:

1. Go to Settings > General
2. Find "Page Moderation" section
3. Enable "Moderate all comments from visitors to your Page"
4. All comments will need approval before appearing

Benefits:

• Complete control over what comments appear
• Prevents spam and inappropriate content
• Allows you to maintain brand reputation
• Gives you time to think before approving

Set Up Profanity Filters

Automatic Content Filtering:

1. In Page Settings, go to "General"
2. Find "Profanity Filter" option
3. Choose between "Off," "Medium," or "Strong"
4. Facebook automatically hides comments with inappropriate language

Custom Blocked Words:

1. Add specific words or phrases to block
2. Comments with these words are automatically hidden
3. Useful for industry-specific issues
4. Can include competitor names or sensitive topics

Managing Comments After Disabling

What Happens to Existing Comments

When You Turn Off Comments:

• Existing comments remain visible
• No new comments can be added
• People can still like and react to existing comments
• You can still reply to comments that were already there

Options for Existing Comments

Hide All Existing Comments:

1. Go through each comment individually
2. Hide comments you don't want visible
3. Time-consuming but gives you control
4. Comments are hidden, not deleted

Delete Inappropriate Comments:

1. Click three dots next to the comment
2. Select "Delete" instead of "Hide"
3. Comment is permanently removed
4. Use sparingly as it can create more drama

Best Practices for Comment Management

When to Disable Comments

Good Times to Turn Off Comments:

• Announcing sad news (deaths, illnesses, breakups)
• Sharing controversial but necessary information
• Posting about legal matters
• During crisis management situations
• When you're too busy to moderate properly

Consider Alternatives Instead:

• For mild negativity, try hiding specific comments
• For spam, use filtering tools
• For trolls, block specific users
• For overwhelming responses, limit audience instead

Communication Strategies

Let People Know Why:

• "Comments disabled due to sensitive nature"
• "Discussion continues on our website"
• "Please direct questions to our customer service"
• "Comments turned off to prevent misinformation"

Redirect Engagement:

• Point people to your website or email
• Suggest they share the post instead
• Direct them to other posts where comments are enabled
• Encourage private messages for questions

Maintaining Engagement

Don't Disable Comments Too Often:

• Comments drive engagement and reach
• Facebook's algorithm favors posts with interactions
• Regular comment disabling can reduce your overall visibility
• Use strategically, not as default

Balance Control with Community:

• Engage positively when comments are enabled
• Build relationships with regular commenters
• Create posts specifically designed for discussion
• Show appreciation for thoughtful comments

Facebook Business Page Specific Features

Advanced Page Comment Controls

Audience Optimization for Posts:

1. Target posts to specific demographics
2. Exclude audiences likely to leave negative comments
3. Use Facebook's audience insights
4. Create custom audiences for sensitive content

Comment Ranking:

1. Facebook can automatically rank comments
2. Most relevant comments appear at the top
3. Reduces visibility of spam or irrelevant comments
4. Improves overall comment quality

Managing Multiple Administrators

Role-Based Comment Management:

1. Assign different roles to team members
2. Editors can manage comments
3. Moderators can hide/delete comments
4. Admins have full control over all settings

Create Comment Management Guidelines:

1. Document when to disable comments
2. Set standards for hiding vs. deleting
3. Train team on professional responses
4. Establish escalation procedures for difficult situations

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"I Can't Find the Comment Settings"

Possible Solutions:

• Make sure you're the post author or page admin
• Update your Facebook app to the latest version
• Try accessing from a computer instead of mobile
• Check if the post type supports comment controls

"Comments Re-Enabled Themselves"

Why This Happens:

• Editing a post might reset comment settings
• Facebook updates can sometimes affect settings
• Multiple admins might have different preferences
• App glitches can restore default settings

How to Fix:

• Double-check settings after editing posts
• Coordinate with other page administrators
• Document your preferred settings
• Regularly review post settings

"People Are Still Commenting"

Check These Issues:

• Settings might not have saved properly
• You might have hidden comments, not disabled them
• Other admins might have different permissions
• The post might have been shared, allowing comments on shares

Alternative Platforms for Discussion

When to Move Conversations Elsewhere

Better Platforms for Deep Discussion:

• Your website's blog comment section
• Email newsletters with reply functionality
• Private Facebook groups
• Professional forums or Reddit communities

Benefits of Moving Discussion:

• Better moderation tools
• More focused audience
• Less public drama
• Better for detailed conversations

Encouraging Alternative Engagement

Instead of Comments, Ask For:

• Shares to spread awareness
• Likes to show support
• Private messages for questions
• Email responses for feedback
• Reviews on your business page

Legal and Professional Considerations

Business Communication Requirements

Some Industries Must Allow Comments:

• Government agencies (transparency requirements)
• Public utilities (regulatory compliance)
• Healthcare organizations (patient communication)
• Educational institutions (accessibility requirements)

Document Your Comment Policy:

• Explain when and why you disable comments
• Be consistent across similar content
• Have clear community guidelines
• Train staff on proper procedures

Crisis Communication

During PR Crisis:

• Consider temporary comment disabling
• Focus on official statements
• Direct people to appropriate channels
• Monitor other platforms for discussion

Legal Issues:

• Some content legally cannot have public commentary
• Financial disclosures might require comment restrictions
• Personnel matters should typically have comments disabled
• Consult legal counsel for sensitive business matters

Measuring Impact of Comment Controls

Track Engagement Changes

Metrics to Monitor:

• Overall post reach when comments are disabled
• Share rates vs. comment rates
• Private message increases
• Website traffic from Facebook posts

Adjust Strategy Based on Results:

• If reach drops significantly, use comment disabling sparingly
• If shares increase, focus on shareable content
• If private messages increase, ensure you can handle volume
• Track which content performs better with/without comments

Conclusion

Turning off comments on Facebook posts is a powerful tool for managing your online presence and protecting your mental health. Whether you're dealing with trolls, sharing sensitive information, or just want more control over interactions, Facebook provides several options.

Key Takeaways:

• You can disable comments when creating posts or on existing posts
• Hiding comments is often better than completely disabling them
• Business pages have more advanced comment management tools
• Use comment controls strategically, not as a default setting

Quick Action Steps:

1. Identify which posts would benefit from disabled comments
2. Learn the comment control options for your account type
3. Set up filtering and moderation tools if needed
4. Create guidelines for when to disable comments
5. Monitor how comment controls affect your overall engagement

Remember:

• Comments drive engagement and help your content reach more people
• Disabling comments should be strategic, not routine
• Always consider alternatives like hiding or filtering first
• Communicate clearly when and why comments are disabled

Your Facebook experience should be positive and manageable. Don't hesitate to use these comment control tools to create the kind of online environment you want. Whether it's for personal peace of mind or professional brand management, you have every right to control how people interact with your content.

For related social media privacy tips, see our guides on Instagram blocking and Instagram explore page management.