How to Change a Business Name on Facebook

On occasion, a business might need to change its name on Facebook. Facebook does allow you to do this, but approval is required. Here are the steps you should take to change your Facebook business name.

In business, things rarely stay the same for too long. While your business name might have once fit your brand perfectly, there are multiple reasons why a name change may be needed later on down the line. Thankfully, changing your business name on Facebook is pretty straightforward. If you’re looking for how to change a business name on Facebook, follow these simple steps:

1. Inform your customers and fans

Before you change your page name on Facebook, inform your customers and followers on Facebook. The last thing you want is for nobody to recognize you when your posts pop up on their feed. Ensure that customers are well aware of your Facebook name change before you go ahead with it.

Remember that Facebook’s algorithms mean that your posts won’t always show up in customers’ newsfeeds, so it’s worth making multiple posts over several weeks to inform customers and followers before you make the switch.

2. Go to your business Facebook page

Open Facebook on your laptop or computer and access your business page by clicking the top-right dropdown arrow and selecting the business page you’d like to edit.

3. Click “about”

On your business’s main page, click the “about” tab on the left-hand toolbar. This will bring up the general information of your business, including your name, which you’ll be able to change by clicking “Edit”. 

4. Edit your name

When you click “edit,” an overlay will appear on the screen, which will show you the present name of your business, and ask you to type in your new business name of choice.

5. Confirm the name change request

Finally, you’ll need to confirm your name change request by clicking “request change.” You’ll be shown your current page name and new page name, and given the option to cancel the request at this point. 

6. Await Facebook’s response

When you change your page name on Facebook, it’s rarely an automatic process. Once you’ve requested the change, expect to wait up to three days for the change to be approved.

Considerations to make

It’s easy to rush into changing your business name on Facebook without stopping to consider a few things in advance. Before you change your Facebook details, make sure that:

Your new name is the right one

Once you’ve changed your name on Facebook, you may not be able to immediately change it again – so make sure you’re 100 percent certain on your decision before you make the commitment. You wouldn’t want to change your name, then get instant cold feet and want to change it back again, only to find that you couldn’t.

Your name complies with Facebook’s terms

Unsurprisingly, you can’t just name your Facebook page using whatever combination of words you fancy. Facebook checks that your name accurately represents what your business is about, and won’t tolerate offensive or abusive terms within a business name. You also can’t use a variation of the word “Facebook” or “official” in your name, nor can you represent a business that isn’t your own.

You’re the admin of your page

If you’re not your business page’s main admin on Facebook, you might be limited in your editing capabilities. To become admin of your page, you’ll need to contact the current admin and request access.

You haven’t already changed your name within the last seven days

Because it might take Facebook up to seven days to review your page’s name change, you can go by the general rule that name changes are only permitted every seven days. Either way, you probably shouldn’t be changing your business name every seven (or less) days if you don’t want to confuse your customers.

What if you can’t change your business name?

In some instances, you might request a name change and receive a request denial from Facebook. You’ll be fairly limited as to what you can do from here, but if you’re adamant that your name change complies with Facebook’s regulations, you can appeal the decision.

If you’re making a big leap from one name to the next, Facebook might prohibit you from changing your name because it may be “too misleading” for your customers. You can get around this by making a more gradual name change in two separate phases, which you can complete over a 14-day period. You can explain to your customers that Facebook is only allowing a gradual name change during the process. It’s slightly annoying, but it’s one way to get around the system.

Finally, amending your page category may make it possible for you to change your business’s name on Facebook. You’ll find your category info in your “about” section. If you think that your new business page name better represents a different category, edit your category before changing your page name. This should give you some lenience to name your business in a way that best describes the products or services you presently offer.