The short answer
Facebook reviews are called Recommendations: a yes or no on whether someone recommends your business, usually with text. To respond, switch into your business Page, open the Reviews tab, and comment on the recommendation as the Page so the reply carries your brand name. Keep it short and public, then continue private details in Messenger. Recommendations that break Facebook's Community Standards can be reported.
- Recommendations are posts. Your reply is a comment, and the reviewer's friends may see the exchange.
- Always reply as the Page, not from your personal profile; check the identity switcher before posting.
- You can turn Recommendations off, but that removes the rating and reviews from your Page.
- Rating-only recommendations can't be reported; ones with text that break Community Standards can.
How Facebook reviews work today
Facebook moved away from five-star reviews to Recommendations. Instead of picking a star rating, a customer answers whether they recommend your business and usually adds a few lines, tags or photos. Each recommendation appears in your Page's Reviews tab, and because it's a post, people can react to it and comment on it.
That changes how you should think about a reply. On Google, a reply is read by strangers comparing businesses. On Facebook, it is also read by the reviewer's friends, people in local groups who saw it shared, and regulars who follow your Page. A reply that would feel fine on a review site can feel stiff in a social feed. Write like a person who runs the place.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who can reply? | People who manage the business Page, commenting as the Page |
| Public or private? | Comments are public; Messenger is the private channel |
| Can I turn reviews off? | Yes, in Page settings; this removes the rating and reviews from your Page |
| Can I delete a recommendation? | No; you can report one that breaks the Community Standards |
| Can I report rating-only recommendations? | No; Facebook says those can't be reported |
| Format | Recommend yes/no, usually with text, tags or photos |
How to reply to a Facebook recommendation
Meta rearranges Page menus often, so labels may differ slightly on your screen. The flow stays the same.
Switch into your Page
From your profile, open the profile switcher (See all profiles) and choose the business Page. Replying from your personal profile is the most common mistake on Facebook.
Open the Reviews tab
On the Page, go to Reviews (often under the Page's details section), then See all to list every recommendation.
Comment on the recommendation
Write your reply in the comment box under the recommendation. Double-check that the small avatar next to the box shows your Page logo, not your face.
Follow up in Messenger when needed
If the customer needs to share an order number, address or account detail, send a message from the Page instead of asking for it in public.
Manage from the app if you prefer
The Facebook app and Meta Business Suite both let Page managers see and answer recommendations on a phone. Use whichever your team already checks daily.
Example replies for Facebook recommendations
Facebook replies can be warmer and more casual than on other platforms. A first name, a light touch and an emoji-free sentence or two is usually right.
Regular customer recommends you
Recommends: Best breakfast spot in town, been coming every Saturday for two years. The staff know my order before I sit down!
Two years of Saturdays! Thank you, this made the whole team smile. Your usual will be waiting this weekend.
Doesn't recommend, public frustration
Doesn't recommend: Booked a family photo session, photographer turned up 40 minutes late and rushed everything. The kids were melting down by then.
We're really sorry. Turning up late to a family shoot puts everyone on edge, and you deserved our full patience, not a rushed session. I've sent you a message so we can offer a free reshoot at a time that suits the kids. Alex, studio owner
Complaint shared in a local group
Doesn't recommend: Ordered a birthday cake, the writing was misspelled and nobody answered the phone when I called.
That's on us, and we're sorry. A misspelled name on a birthday cake isn't a small thing. We've messaged you to arrange a refund, and we've added a read-back step so every inscription is checked with the customer before it's piped.
Positive with a small suggestion
Recommends: Great gym, friendly coaches. Wish the evening classes weren't always full though.
Thanks for recommending us! You're not the only one asking about evenings; we're adding a 7:30pm class from next month. Keep an eye on our posts for the new timetable.
- Regular customer recommends you: Short and personal suits a social feed. It also tells anyone scrolling past that this is the kind of place where staff remember you.
- Doesn't recommend, public frustration: Acknowledges the emotional side, which matters on Facebook, and moves the remedy to Messenger instead of negotiating in comments.
- Complaint shared in a local group: Complaints on Facebook travel through shares. A reply that owns the mistake and names a fix is what people in the local group will see.
- Positive with a small suggestion: Uses the Page's own posts as the follow-up channel, which is natural on Facebook.
For more ideas, see replies to reviews with suggestions and our 5-star reply examples.
Should you turn Facebook Recommendations off?
You can. In your Page's settings, under the privacy or Page and tagging options, there's a toggle that controls whether others can view and leave reviews. Facebook is clear about the consequence: turning Recommendations off removes the rating and reviews from your Page.
We rarely recommend it. A Page with no reviews at all looks odd next to competitors with dozens, and switching off after a bad week can look like you're hiding something. It also doesn't stop people talking about you; it just moves complaints into posts and local groups where you have less context. Keep them on and reply well, unless you're dealing with a coordinated attack, in which case report it first.
How to report a Facebook recommendation
Facebook lets you report recommendations that don't follow its Community Standards, such as harassment, hate speech or spam. From the Page's Reviews section, open See all, use the options menu on the post, choose to report it and follow the steps. Note that a recommendation with no text, just the yes or no, can't be reported.
Do
- Report harassment, hate speech, spam or obvious fake accounts.
- Reply calmly while a report is pending; readers see your reply, not the report.
- Screenshot abusive posts before reporting, in case they're edited.
Don't
- Report a recommendation simply because it's negative.
- Argue with the reviewer's friends in the comment thread.
- Delete or hide comments from upset customers on your own posts to make a complaint vanish; it usually resurfaces louder.
If Google is your main review site and Facebook is secondary, it's worth getting the Google side running smoothly first. Responsly drafts and posts Google review replies automatically; it doesn't reply on Facebook.
Sources
- Facebook Help Center: Turn Recommendations on or off for your business Page — Toggle location and effect of turning off
- Facebook Help Center: Report a Recommendation or review about a business Page — Reporting steps; rating-only recommendations can't be reported
- Meta Business Help Center: Manage your business reviews in Meta Business Suite — Managing reviews from Meta Business Suite