Guide: Which comments cannot be deleted
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/platforms/which-comments-cannot-be-deleted
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 know why Meta refuses some deletions, and what to do instead.
Context: Most comments can be removed. A few cannot, and the reason is always on Meta side: the comment or its post is gone, the ad has stopped running, or the connection lost access to the page.

Before you start:
1. A refusal is reported rather than hidden: the row keeps the reason.
2. Hiding often works where deleting does not.
3. A page whose connection expired can act on nothing until it is reconnected.

Steps:
Step 1 of 3: Read the reason on the row or the task.
Where: A failed action keeps what Meta said. In a bulk job, open the task to see it per comment.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/tools/tasks (Open Tasks)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/tasks-detail.en.webp (Failed, with the reason, on the task.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/tasks-detail-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The exact refusal, rather than a generic failure.

Step 2 of 3: Try hiding instead.
Where: The hide icon on the row. Hiding is accepted in many cases where deletion is refused.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (Hide, instead.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The comment leaves the public view even though it could not be removed.

Step 3 of 3: Fix the connection if that is the cause.
Where: Settings, Pages. A page reading Disconnected cannot act at all until it is reconnected.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/pages (Open Settings, Pages)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/pages.en.webp (Reconnect Facebook, when the connection is the cause.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/pages-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Actions work again once the page is connected.

If something is off:
Problem: Object does not exist
Fix: The comment or the post was already removed on the platform.
Problem: Meta action block
Fix: The page is temporarily limited. It clears on its own; queued work resumes.
Problem: It worked for other comments in the same job
Fix: Refusals are per comment. Retry failed runs only those.

Common questions:
Question: Where do I see why a comment could not be deleted?
Answer: On the row, or in the task details for a bulk job: a failed action keeps what Meta said, per comment, rather than a generic failure. Open Tasks to read it for a bulk job.
Question: If Meta refuses to delete a comment, can I still hide it?
Answer: Often, yes. Hiding is accepted in many cases where deletion is refused; use the hide icon on the row and the comment leaves the public view even though it could not be removed.
Question: Why can't I delete or hide anything on one of my pages?
Answer: Because its connection has expired. A page reading Disconnected on Settings, Pages cannot act at all until it is reconnected with Reconnect Facebook; actions work again once the page is connected.
Question: Can comments under an ad that has stopped running be deleted?
Answer: Not always. One of the reasons Meta refuses a deletion is that the ad has stopped running; the row keeps the reason, and hiding often works instead.

Related guides:
- Delete a comment, and what the Bin keeps: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/delete-a-comment-and-what-the-bin-keeps
- Meta rate limit and action block: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/troubleshooting/meta-rate-limit-and-action-block
- Follow a task: pause, resume, stop and retry: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/post-cleanup/follow-a-task-pause-resume-stop-and-retry

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/platforms/which-comments-cannot-be-deleted.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt