Changing the name of a Facebook page used to be close to impossible once the page had grown. The old hard block at 200 likes is gone, but a name change is still a reviewed request rather than an edit you simply make. Here is how the process works now and how to give yourself the best chance of approval.
How to request the change
Open the page, go to its settings and find the page information section. Edit the name there and submit the new one. For a page of any size the request goes to review rather than taking effect immediately. Reviews typically take a few days.
Why requests get refused
The review is checking whether the new name describes the same thing as the old one. Refusals usually come down to one of these:
- The new name has nothing to do with the existing one or the page’s content.
- It is a generic term like “News” or “Travel” that no single page may claim.
- It contains a brand or trademark the page does not own.
- It uses unusual capitalisation, symbols or deliberate misspellings.
- It is misleading about what the page is, for example implying an official status.
How to improve your odds
Change in steps rather than all at once. A name that keeps a recognisable element of the old one is far more likely to pass than a complete replacement. If you need to get a long way from where you started, plan two or three changes over several months rather than one dramatic jump.
Make the page’s content match the name you are asking for before you ask. A reviewer looking at a page about one subject will refuse a name about a different subject. Change the posting first, then request the name.
Keep the page in good standing. Pending appeals or recent restrictions make an approval less likely.
If you are refused
Wait before trying again, and submit something closer to the original rather than resubmitting the same request. Repeated identical attempts do not help.
If you are buying or selling
Buyers often want to know whether a page can be renamed before they commit. The honest answer is that it usually can, gradually, and that nobody can guarantee an outcome. Do not pay a premium based on an assumption that an immediate rebrand will be approved. Related reading: shortening a long page name.
Thinking of selling?
We give free valuations with no obligation. Send us the page URL and a representative replies with a figure, usually within one business day. Looking to buy instead? Register as a buyer.
