How to set a vanity URL for your Facebook fan page

I’ve read different posts that have talked about changing your Facebook URL to a vanity URL but never seen anyone explain how to do it. (ex: your default url might be http://www.facebook.com/pages/XYZPizza/233101648663[/url]. A vanity URL would be [url=http://www.facebook.com/XYZPizza]http://www.facebook.com/XYZPizza)

I figured out how to do it today so I thought I’d write up a quick guide on how to do it. Sorry if somebody has already explained how to do it. I searched and couldn’t find anything.

  1. Make sure you are logged into your Facebook account.
  2. In the URL bar at the top of the screen type this exactly: http://www.facebook.com/username/. Do not type in your username, type the actual word “username”.
  3. You will then be sent to page where it will ask you for a username. Leave that box blank. Underneath it you will see a link that says, “Set a username for your pages”. Click that.
  4. On the next screen select the fan page that you would like to make a vanity URL for.
  5. Type in vanity name that you would like to use (ex: “XYZPizza”) and you’re done.

That’s a helpful guide.

Hopefully another helpful comment…be very careful when you do this as you can only change/correct a user name once (if you make a mistake).

A few people (myself and WA Dave for example) have done this and accidentally set the username for out own (personal) page rather than the fan page it isn’t particularly clear (step 4 in the above guide)

It is easy to do but just be careful and double check everything.

So you don’t have to do the thing where they send you a text message anymore? Good Lord, how often to they change stuff on that site!?!

Whoops! That’s a very important point I left out. Another thing to is that I believe you have to have at least 25 fans in order to use a vanity URL?

Thank you so much, I’ve been trying to figure this out for awhile.

I couldn’t get the vanity until i hit 100 fans. Hope this helps :slight_smile:

Thank You!
Facebook.com/pakulas

You’re welcome. Another handy thing for your Facebook fan page is the application static FBML. It allows you to make your own custom tabs using html. Go to http://www.facebook.com/apps/applicatio … 878&ref=ts

Also check out this website for a tutorial:
http://www.hyperarts.com/blog/tutorial- … plication/

I just installed Static FBML and got it running. This may be old news to some of you, but you can code with the FBML to make something in the box visible ONLY to your fans… which means true fans only specials. They can’t see the offer number unless they become a fan, so I think this will be a great way to round up more people.

Thanks to all of you guys that are helping with Facebook… I’ve learned a ton over the past 48 hours.

That is very cool, thanks for that tip. The amount of knowledge and outside-the-box information here is such a blessing.

Here’s the code for making something visible to fans only:

<fb:fbml version =“1.1”>
fb:visible-to-connection

Fans Only Stuff Here

</fb:visible-to-connection>
</fb:fbml>

I put a note under it saying “Can’t see the special? That’s because you’re not a fan yet! Click “Become A Fan” above and you’ll instantly see the offer”

Roger

Thanks for that post, very informative !

I followed your instructions to be told I’m…

“not eligible for a username at this time. In the future, Pizza Amore will be able to set a username.”

Presumably that means I need 100 fans ?

I am a little FaceBook challenged, so this information is helpful!
Do I understand correctly, that a ‘business page’, or fan page must be a part of an individual’s personal page?
But that a vanity URL will lead only to the fan/business page? I’m trying to keep the two separate if I can

Thanks,
Eric

I’m no expert on this but here’s my take on it.

Even if you have an individual page and then set up a fan page you can not see the link between them. On a group page you see the creator/admin but not on a fan page. Each page has its own separate identity but a vanity URL is simply a more concise way of accessing a page than all the long code than you get as standard on facebook.

This is correct, I have a personal page and a page for our shop that I access while logged into my personal page. However, there is no way someone can tell that they are linked.