Having your Facebook page blocked can feel like hitting a roadblock, but there’s no need to panic. Whether you're a business owner or just trying to stay connected with your audience, it's important to understand why this might happen and what you can do to fix it.
In this article, we’ll break down the most common reasons your page might get blocked and guide you through the steps to appeal and recover it.
Top reasons your Facebook page might get blocked
Improper use of Facebook message tags
One of the main reasons the page gets blocked is the misuse of Facebook Message Tags. If this is the case, we'd recommend you immediately pause all active automations using this and other message tags. You will need to review and change them before you move forward.
To avoid similar issues in the future, it is important to keep in mind some basic rules for using message tags:
- They cannot be used for regular messages, weekly updates, or promotional materials at all.
- Message tags are dedicated to very strict use cases. For example, account update is used only for specific updates about a user's account: password update, application status (for example, you're telling them that they can apply for a visa now), or notification about suspicious activity such as fraud alerts, as mentioned here.
- If you want to send these messages after 24 hours, you need to use Facebook ads, SMS, and Email. Also, you can use One-Time notifications that allow you to send something just one time after 24 hours. You only need the user's permission for each of these notifications. Here you can find the full description for each method.
- Before continuing to use your automations, we strongly recommend reading this guide. It contains use cases for each tag and a general explanation of current Facebook policies. After that, you will have nothing to fear from Facebook.
Violations of community standards
This is another widespread reason for your Facebook page getting blocked.
It is important to ensure that your page only sends messages to contacts who are actually expecting to receive them. Some contacts may not expect to receive some of the automated messages from your business, deem them to be unwanted, and eventually report and/or block your page. If a number of Facebook users report your messages, then Facebook takes action against your page.
You can check your page status in Settings and privacy > Page setup > Page status.
If you see the following message: “A message sent from your page goes against our community standards or pages, groups and events policies”, then it’s important to note that it may not necessarily refer to something sent out through Manychat automations but also something posted or any other action taken by your page on Facebook.
Here you can learn more about Facebook community standards and how to stay compliant with them.
Additional common reasons
Here are some additional common reasons why your page might get blocked.
- Sending promotional messages outside the 24-hour rule, including broadcasts and sequences with a primary focus on sales or containing links.
- Using Messenger to promote "flash sales," "fire sales," or any type of sale.
- Sending messages that are reported as spam by contacts or have a high block rate.
- Failing to comply with Facebook’s terms and policies.
In your Manychat account, you can check any warnings, blocks, and unblocks related to your Facebook page by navigating to Settings > Logs > Facebook page restrictions.
The appeal process: how and where to regain access to your page
If you wish to appeal the block to Facebook or contact their support, here are the links that will help you:
Kindly note that Manychat can't unblock your page, only Facebook has control over it.
Best practices to keep your Facebook page secure
- When using Messenger, imagine you’re having a conversation with your closest friends and family. How would you share news or discuss something important with them? That’s the tone you should adopt in your messages. Approach your communications thoughtfully and engagingly.
- Rather than simply stating "Hey, I have this product. Interested in buying?", craft your messages to be more interactive and enticing. Think of creative ways to introduce your products and services to spark interest.
- Embrace content marketing. Manychat is a fantastic tool for providing your contacts with the information they need about your offerings. Make your interactions informative, enjoyable, and personalized.
- Assist your customers effectively. Top sales organizations leverage Manychat to engage with individuals who might have questions or concerns before making a purchase. Hard-sell tactics don’t work well in Messenger and can even lead to your page being banned.
Remember, the key with Manychat is to avoid sending direct links to your online store or similar promotions in the initial message. Instead, start by asking relevant questions and wait for a response before introducing any promotional content.
Adhere to Facebook’s terms and policies by initiating organic conversations first. This approach ensures that your interactions appear genuine and helps prevent your page from being flagged for spamming.