What is a Facebook dark post?
A Facebook dark post, also known as an unpublished post, is a type of targeted advertisement that does not appear on your main Facebook Page timeline. Instead, it shows up in the feeds of specific users you’ve chosen through Facebook Ads Manager. This allows businesses to create multiple dark posts—or Facebook dark ads—targeted at segmented audiences without cluttering their public page.
In essence, dark posts on Facebook are a stealthy yet strategic way to advertise. They can appear in the form of photos, videos, carousel posts, or links and are marked as “sponsored.” They are not visible to the general public or your followers—only the users you target will see them.
Why Use Facebook Dark Posts in 2025?
With over 3 billion monthly active users on Facebook (Meta, 2025), brands are looking for more sophisticated ad strategies. Dark posts offer several advantages:
1. Advanced Audience Targeting
You can target very specific audience segments using Facebook’s ad platform. This includes demographics, interests, online behavior, and even retargeting users based on past website visits.
2. A/B Testing with Precision
Want to test different messaging, creative formats, or calls-to-action? Create dark post Facebook ads for each variation and see which performs best without spamming your main feed.
3. Cleaner Feed
Facebook dark posting ensures your followers don’t see every version of your ad. This keeps your page clean and focused while you run multiple ad variants behind the scenes.
4. Enhanced Performance
Dark posts on social media, especially on Facebook and Instagram, are known to generate higher conversion rates due to their tailored and hyper-targeted nature.
Facebook Dark Post vs Boosted Post
| Feature | Facebook Dark Post | Boosted Post |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Only to targeted audience | Visible to your followers and extended target audience |
| Location | Created through Facebook Ads Manager | Boosted from an existing post on your Page |
| Customization | Fully customizable for different audiences | Limited targeting and creative options |
| Use Case | A/B testing, precise targeting, campaign optimization | Broad reach, increase post engagement |
Dark post vs organic post: Organic posts reach your followers naturally, while dark posts are entirely paid and unpublished.
Dark post vs boosted post: Boosted posts are easier to set up but less flexible. Dark posts allow deep segmentation, creative variation, and better performance tracking.
How to Create a Facebook Dark Post in 2025
Creating a dark post on Facebook is straightforward via Facebook Ads Manager:
Step-by-Step:
- Log in to Facebook Ads Manager.
- Click “Create” to start a new campaign.
- Choose your campaign objective: (e.g., traffic, conversions, video views, or lead generation).
- Name your campaign.
- Set your budget and schedule.
- Define your target audience: Use custom or lookalike audiences if available.
- Choose ad placements: Facebook News Feed, Instagram Feed, Stories, etc.
- Build your ad: Select media, add headlines, CTAs, and links.
- Review and publish.
Want to do it fast? Use the Post ID feature:
- Create a post via the Page Post tool in Ads Manager.
- Use the Post ID to promote it across different ad sets.
Common Questions About Facebook Dark Posts
What is a dark post on Facebook?
A dark post is a Facebook ad that is not publicly posted on your Page’s timeline. Only the targeted audience will see it.
What are Facebook dark posts used for?
They are mainly used for advertising, especially when you want to target different messages to different segments without publishing everything on your public page.
How to see dark posts on Facebook?
Use tools like Facebook Ad Library to search for ads by brand name. However, you’ll only see active or recently run ads, not all variations.
What is Facebook dark post vs ads?
A dark post is a type of Facebook ad. While all dark posts are ads, not all Facebook ads are dark posts. For example, boosting a published post is still an ad but not a dark post.
What is dark posting on Facebook?
Dark posting refers to creating unpublished posts (ads) targeted at specific users.
Facebook Dark Post Examples
Here’s a quick dark post example: A company selling running shoes may create three different video ads—each with a different headline, targeting users interested in fitness, marathons, or fashion sneakers, respectively. None of these posts appear on the company’s Facebook page, but each audience sees the one crafted just for them.
Related Terms and Variants
- Dark post Facebook ads
- Facebook dark post meaning
- Dark posts social media
- Black post Facebook (a user term for hidden ads)
- Dark ads Facebook
- FB dark post
- Facebook darkpost
- Dark posting social media
- Dark post social media
- Darkpost vs boosted post
- Facebook dark post vs ads
- Dark post meta
Final Thoughts
Facebook dark posts are a powerful tool in 2025’s social media advertising landscape. They offer superior targeting, customization, and performance testing options for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re running ecommerce ads, promoting content, or just testing a new idea, dark posting can help refine your messaging and maximize ROI.
Need help with Facebook dark posting or want to understand how to create a dark post on Facebook for your campaign? Contact us today or leave a comment below.
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