How to Create a Compliant Facebook Page

Facebook has strict rules regarding pages and your account may be locked out if you ignore them. The page can't be deceptive, misleading or infringe on anyone else's copyright. Moreover, Facebook constantly changes the rules in an effort to limit promotional content.

How can you create a Facebook page and how can you stay compliant with Facebook's rules?

1. To create a Facebook page you just have to go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and choose a classification whether it is a page of a local business or place, artist, band, or public figure, company, organization, or institution, entertainment, brand or product or cause of community. When choosing a name for your page, you cannot violate other's rights. Therefore, you cannot create a page for a brand, unless it is your registered trade mark, you cannot create a page for a public figure, unless you are that person yourself, but you can create fan pages for them provided that your page cannot be confused with the official page of that company, brand or person.

   The name of the page has to reflect its content. You are not allowed to use an appealing name that brings visitors to your site and then offer them different content.

   The name may not include all capitals and may not include character symbols.
   
   The category and name of the page cannot be changed. If you make up your mind, you will have to delete the page and start a new one.

2. After filling out your business name or your brand and location information you can upload the main photo for your page and write the 'About' section. Write a 2-3 sentence description here. If you have a website, it is advisable to include a link to the site.

3. Using the 'Edit Page' option you can enter a longer description, which can be an extended version of the 'About' section.

4. Add your cover photo. Facebook has a strict policy regarding cover photos, so you have to know the rules. The most important rule is that covers may not include images with more than 20% text. If you have a company logo, you can include it, but don’t be too promotional.

5. You can create an endless amount of tabs on your page, but you can only customize four of them. These four will appear on the page. The user has to click the arrow to see the others.

6. You are allowed to collect information from the users of your page, but you have to make it clear that it is you and not Facebook that collects this information. You need to notify your users about the purpose of data collection and need to get their permission for that. You have to ensure security of the data collected. Here you have to follow the applicable regulations of your country as well.
   If you want to use harvesting bots, robots, spiders, or scrapers you have to get permission from Facebook.

7. It is not allowed to publish third-party advertisements on your page, unless you have the special permission of Facebook. You cannot even post content advertising another company. You may promote an offer only if you are the merchant for or the manufacturer of the offered products or services.

8. Your offers have to comply with applicable laws of your country. For example, you have to follow the rules regarding marketing of cigarettes, alcohols, or marketing products to minors.

9. If you intend to use your Facebook page to administer a promotion such as a contest or sweepstakes you have to follow the rules summarized in our article How to Setup a Compliant Facebook Contest.

Your Facebook page may be deleted for breaking these rules, so it is better to pay attention to them. But that should not stop you from creating your Facebook page because it is an excellent tool to use in order to connect with your clients and/or fans.