Teaching Facebook

People who are not logged in to Facebook (for example, friends who search for you on sites like Google or Bing) can only see: 

• Your name, profile picture, gender and networks. This basic information is always visible to everyone so it's easier for friends find you — even friends who aren't on Facebook yet.
• Your friend list and your likes, activities and interests. You can limit the visibility of this information by changing the settings in the "Connecting on Facebook" section of your Privacy Settings.

For a preview of how your profile appears to people who are not logged into Facebook, or to hide your information from public search results:

1. Go to your Privacy Settings.
2. Click "Edit your settings" under Apps and Websites.
3. Click the "Edit Settings" button for public search.

Facebook created public search listings in 2007 so friends can find you using public search engines such as Google or Bing.

Your public search listing includes your name, profile picture, gender and network — basic information that is always public. It also includes your friend list and your likes, activities and interests (to limit the visibility of this information, change the settings in the "Connecting on Facebook" section of your Privacy Settings). If you post anything to an open forum on the site (for example: posts and comments on public pages and open groups, the "Questions and Answers from Users" section of the Help Center), this post may also appear in search engines.

For a preview of your public search listing, or to hide your information from public search results:

1. Go to your Privacy Settings.
2. Click "Edit your settings" under Apps and Websites.
3. Click the "Edit Settings" button for public search.

Please note: If you uncheck the "Enable public search" box, friends who are not on Facebook yet will be unable to find you.

To preview your public search listing, follow these steps:

1. Follow the "Edit your settings" link in the "Applications and Websites" section at the bottom of of your main Privacy Settings page.
2. Scroll down to "Public Search" and click "Edit Settings."
3. Click "See preview" next to "Public search."

This setting creates a public search listing for you on search engines, so others can see a preview of your Facebook profile. In addition, things you’ve shared as Public may still show up in search engines.

Please make sure that you have enabled your public search listing to be found by following these steps:

1. Click "Edit your settings" for the "Applications and Websites" section at the bottom of your main Privacy Settings page.
2. Scroll down to the Public search option and click "Edit Settings."
3. Check the box next to "Enable public search".

Please keep in mind that once you’ve changed your settings on Facebook, there may be a delay until the external search directory updates. To request an immediate change, you will have to contact the search engine in question.

If you are under the age of 18 then you will not have a public search listing. When you turn 18, please make sure to review your public search listing privacy settings.

You cannot edit what information appears in your public search listing. However, you can opt out of this feature from the "Applications and Websites" section of your main Privacy Settings page.

This setting only allows search engines to access information that is available as Public. This does not include anything you've shared with just your friends or friends of friends.

When people post to an open forum on the site — for example, making comments on public pages, in open groups, or in the "Questions and Answers from Users" section of the Help Center — these posts may also appear in internet search engines like Yahoo and Google.

Facebook does not have control over content that has already been indexed and cached in search engines. If you want to take retroactive steps to remove a piece of content that you've shared in a public forum from an internet search engine, you can:

1. Delete the original post. When you do this, the content may still show up in search engines, but the link to that content will be invalid.
2. Contact the specific search engine’s support team. If you want the entire search result to go away, please reach out to the search engine to remove it.

By default, a public search listing is created for all Facebook accounts that belong to users 18 years of age and older. If you do not want people to be able to find you in a search engine result, please take the following steps:

1. Click "Edit your settings" for the "Applications and Websites" section at the bottom of your main Privacy Settings page.
2. Scroll down to "Public search" and click "Edit Settings".
3. Un-check the box next to "Enable public search". Please note that if you uncheck this box, people who do not yet use Facebook won’t be able to find you. Allowing your friends to find you both on and off of Facebook may make your experience more meaningful.

Once you have changed your public search setting, Facebook will stop publishing your information to search engines. However, this information may still be saved in a search engine’s cache or search memory. Until the search engine updates and deletes the old link, the link will not be valid.

Unfortunately, Facebook does not have control over content that has already been indexed and cached in search engines. To request the immediate removal of this search listing, you will have to contact the specific search engine’s support team.

Please contact the appropriate support team using one of the links below:

• Google
• Bing
• Yahoo

Please keep in mind that you will see a different set of options than other users when searching for your account or viewing your profile. Since you cannot add yourself as a friend, the "Add to Friends" link will not appear.

You will always be able to see the links for "View Profile," "Send Message," and "View Friends" when you find your own account, but these options may not be available to every other user depending on your privacy settings. Also, please remember that although you will never see the option to message or poke yourself on your own profile, other users will see this option.

If you have adjusted your Search settings on the Privacy Settings page, these changes will be reflected properly when other users search for your profile.