Guide: What hidden means on Facebook
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/platforms/what-hidden-means-on-facebook
Topic: How Facebook and Instagram behave
Time: about 2 minutes
Who can do it: Anyone on your team
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: You can explain to anyone exactly who still sees a hidden comment.
Context: Facebook's own words: a hidden comment stays visible to the person who wrote it and their friends, and is hidden for everyone else. Nobody is told, and the replies under it are hidden with it.

Before you start:
1. The author and their friends still see it, which is why nobody complains.
2. Replies under a hidden comment are hidden too.
3. Hidden comments are listed on Facebook under Hidden by this Page.

Steps:
Step 1 of 3: Hide one and look at the result.
Where: The hide icon under a comment in the inbox. The row greys and carries a Hidden chip.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-hidden.en.webp (A hidden comment: greyed, with Hidden and the rule.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-hidden-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: It disappears for your audience while you and the author still see it.

Step 2 of 3: Check it as a stranger would.
Where: Open the post in a private browser window, signed out. The comment is not there.
You should see: Proof of what your audience sees, which is what matters.

Step 3 of 3: Unhide whenever you like.
Where: The unhide icon on the row, or in bulk from the Hidden filter.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-hidden.en.webp (Unhide.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-hidden-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The comment is public again, with no trace of the pause.

If something is off:
Problem: The person says they can still see it
Fix: They can, and so can their friends. That is how Facebook hiding works.
Problem: It is hidden but I did not hide it
Fix: A rule did, or someone hid it on Facebook. The chip says which.
Problem: Does hiding hurt my reach
Fix: Hiding is a normal Page moderation action; Meta documents it as such.

Common questions:
Question: Is the commenter notified when I hide their comment on Facebook?
Answer: No. Nobody is told. The comment stays visible to the person who wrote it and their friends, which is why nobody complains, and it is hidden for everyone else.
Question: Are the replies under a hidden Facebook comment hidden too?
Answer: Yes. Replies under a hidden comment are hidden with it. Facebook lists hidden comments under Hidden by this Page.
Question: Can I unhide a comment later, and will anyone see it was hidden?
Answer: Yes, whenever you like: the unhide icon on the row, or in bulk from the Hidden filter. The comment is public again with no trace of the pause.
Question: What is the difference between hiding and deleting a Facebook comment?
Answer: Hiding leaves the comment visible to its author and their friends and hides it from everyone else; deleting removes it from the post. In CommentWatchDog a hidden row greys and carries a Hidden chip, and hiding often works where deleting is refused.

Related guides:
- What hidden means on Instagram: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/platforms/what-hidden-means-on-instagram
- Hide, unhide and undo: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/hide-unhide-and-undo
- Which rule caught a comment: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/which-rule-caught-a-comment

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/platforms/what-hidden-means-on-facebook.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt