Facebook Marketplace Privacy Settings Sellers Should Check

Before you list anything on Facebook Marketplace, you should check your privacy settings to control who sees your profile, your friends list, and your location. Sellers often overlook these settings, which can expose personal information to strangers. This article explains the key privacy controls to review and adjust before your first listing.

Why Privacy Settings Matter for Sellers

When you post an item on Marketplace, your public profile name and photo are visible to potential buyers. Your profile may also show your mutual friends, workplace, and other public details. Buyers can click your name and see whatever you have set to “Public.” Adjusting your privacy settings helps you keep your personal life separate from your selling activity.

Additionally, Marketplace uses your location to show listings to nearby people. Your precise location is not shown to buyers, but your general area is. If you are uncomfortable with that, you can change your listing location or turn off location services for the Facebook app.

Profile and Friends List Visibility

Your profile is the first thing a buyer sees when they click your name. To control what they see, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy. Under “Who can see your friends list?” set it to “Only me” or “Friends” rather than “Public.” Similarly, check “Who can see your email address?” and “Who can see your phone number?” — these should be set to “Only me” to avoid spam.

Also review your profile photo and cover photo. Even if your profile is private, your profile picture and cover photo are often public by default. If you do not want strangers to see your face or family photos, consider using a generic image for your Marketplace profile.

Location and Listing Privacy

Marketplace uses your device’s location to show your listings to nearby buyers. You can control this at the time of listing by choosing a location manually. When creating a listing, you can type a city or zip code instead of using your current location. This prevents your exact address from being associated with the listing.

In the Facebook app, you can also turn off location services for Facebook entirely. On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and set Facebook to “Never.” On Android, go to Settings > Location and disable location for the Facebook app. This stops Marketplace from using your real-time location, though you can still manually enter a location for each listing.

Who Can Contact You

Marketplace buyers can message you through Facebook Messenger. By default, anyone can send you a message. If you want to limit who can contact you, go to Settings > Privacy > “Who can contact me?” and choose “Friends of friends” or “Friends.” However, this may prevent legitimate buyers from reaching you, so weigh the trade-off.

Another option is to use a separate email address or phone number in your listing description, but that is not recommended because it exposes your contact info to spammers. Instead, keep communication within Messenger and report any suspicious messages.

Reviewing Past Posts and Tags

Buyers can see your public posts and photos if you have any. To clean this up, use the “View As” feature on your profile to see what a stranger sees. Then go through your public posts and change their audience to “Friends” or “Only me.” Also check your “Photos of You” and untag any that are public.

You can also limit past posts by going to Settings > Privacy > “Limit the audience for old posts?” and clicking “Limit Old Posts.” This changes all past public posts to “Friends” only. This is a quick way to hide old content from potential buyers.

Common Mistakes Sellers Make

Leaving profile public: Many sellers do not realize their profile is visible to anyone who clicks their name. Always check your profile privacy before listing.
Sharing exact address: Some sellers put their home address in the listing description for pickup. This is risky. Instead, arrange to meet at a public place.
Using personal phone number: Listing your phone number can lead to spam and scams. Use Messenger’s built-in chat instead.
Not checking tagged photos: Even if your profile is private, photos you are tagged in may be visible to friends of friends. Untag any that you do not want seen.
Ignoring location settings: If you list with your current location, buyers know your general area. Use a nearby city or zip code instead.

How to Check Your Privacy Settings Step by Step

Open the Facebook app or website and go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
Click on “Privacy” in the left menu.
Review each option: “Who can see your future posts?” set to “Friends” or “Only me.”
Set “Who can see your friends list?” to “Only me.”
Set “Who can look you up using the email address or phone number you provided?” to “Only me.”
Go to “Profile and Tagging” and set “Who can post on your profile?” to “Only me.”
Go to “Public Posts” and set “Who can follow you?” to “Friends.”
On your profile, click the three dots and choose “View As” to see your public view.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can buyers see my exact address on Marketplace?

No. Marketplace only shows your general location, such as city or neighborhood, to buyers. Your exact address is never shown. However, if you list your address in the description, that is visible. Avoid doing that.

How do I hide my friends list from buyers?

Go to Settings > Privacy > “Who can see your friends list?” and select “Only me.” This prevents buyers from seeing your connections. Note that this setting also hides your friends list from your friends, which may be a trade-off.

Can I sell on Marketplace without showing my profile?

No, you must have a Facebook profile to use Marketplace. Your profile name and photo are always visible to buyers. You can, however, adjust your profile privacy to limit what else they see.

What happens if I turn off location services for Facebook?

Marketplace will not use your real-time location. You will need to manually enter a location for each listing. This can help protect your privacy but may reduce the visibility of your listings to local buyers.

Should I use a separate Facebook account for selling?

Facebook’s terms require one personal account. Creating a second account may result in a ban. Instead, adjust your privacy settings on your existing account to protect your personal information.

How do I block a buyer who is harassing me?

In the conversation, click the person’s name, then select “Block.” You can also report the conversation to Facebook. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile or contacting you again.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →