Facebook Recommendations are one of the most powerful tools in a modern business’s arsenal. They serve as critical “Social Proof” that influences a user’s decision to visit a business, purchase a product, or hire a service. In an age where trust is the most valuable currency online, managing recommendations correctly is vital for growth.
Summary
Facebook’s recommendation system allows real customers to share their experiences with businesses transparently and authentically. Unlike the old 1-5 star rating system, the current system focuses on a simple question: “Do you recommend this business?”. These recommendations appear on your Business Page and help people discover your business through search and news feeds. In this guide, we will learn how the mechanism works, how customers can recommend you, how business owners can manage this tab, and what to do when encountering content that does not meet community standards.
What are Facebook Recommendations and How Do They Work?
Recommendations are based on feedback from real customers within the Facebook community. When a customer recommends a business, they can select tags (like “Great service,” “Friendly atmosphere”) and add text and photos describing their experience.
- Impact on Rating: The overall Page rating is based on how many people recommend or don’t recommend the Page, alongside past recommendations and star ratings the Page had previously.
- Visibility: Recommendations that include text (minimum 25 characters) have the most significant impact on the Page’s overall rating.
How Can Customers Recommend a Business?
For someone to recommend your Page, they must perform the following steps:
- Navigate to the “Recommendations” or “Reviews” tab on the Business Page.
- Click “Yes” (to recommend) or “No” (to not recommend) in response to the question about recommending the business.
- Write the feedback. It is recommended to explain in detail what was positive or negative. Users can also select tags that characterize the business.
- Choose the audience (Public, Friends, etc.) and click “Post”.
Managing Recommendations by the Business Owner
Business owners can choose whether to display the recommendations tab on their Page.
- How to Enable or Disable: Go to Page Settings -> “Templates and Tabs” and toggle the switch next to “Reviews”.
- Strategic Note: Disabling the tab will remove all existing reviews from public view, but it may also lower the level of trust for new visitors.
Handling Inappropriate or Fake Recommendations
Facebook does not allow deleting individual recommendations just because a business owner dislikes them. However, one can report recommendations that violate community standards.
- What Can Be Reported: Recommendations that are irrelevant to the service/product, offensive content, spam, or paid recommendations.
- How to Report: Click the three dots (options) in the corner of the recommendation and select “Report post”. Facebook will review if the recommendation violates its policies.
Comparison Table: Positive Recommendation vs. Non-Recommendation
| Parameter | Positive Recommendation (Yes) | Non-Recommendation (No) |
| Rating Impact | Increases overall Page rating | Decreases overall Page rating |
| Exposure | Helps the Page appear more in searches | May reduce exposure in discovery mechanisms |
| Response | Recommended to thank the customer | Essential to respond professionally and solve the issue |
| Tag Usage | Highlights strengths (service, price) | Points out areas for improvement |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I delete a negative review from my page?
No, you cannot manually delete a single review. You can only report it if it violates Facebook’s rules or disable the entire Reviews tab.
Why doesn’t my rating change after a new recommendation?
The rating is calculated based on a combination of many factors, including new recommendations and past ratings. Recommendations with text have more weight than just clicking “Yes”.
What happens if someone reports a recommendation I gave?
Facebook will check the report against its community standards. If the content is found to violate rules (like defamation or spam), the recommendation will be removed.