If you’ve ever wondered what the best time to post on Facebook is, you’re not alone. The question of when to post on Facebook is a common one, but the answer is not so simple.

So, when is the best time to post on Facebook? If you want to achieve the highest engagement on your Facebook page, read on!

The Best Time to Post on Facebook

Two factors determine when the best time to post on Facebook is for you: your audience and the type of content that you publish.

You want to make sure that you post when your audience are most likely to be online so you can take advantage of the Facebook algorithm's "recency" bias.

Our findings showed that people are more likely to check their Facebook app while commuting to the office, during lunch breaks at work, when they're losing focus due to afternoon slumps at work, and when they're winding down for the day after dinner. This means you should consider posting in hours that coincide with these times.

We also found that posts shared on Thursdays and Friday have higher engagement as most people tend to use Facebook more as we approach the weekend and they begin to wind down from their working week.

So, from what we found, these are the best times and days to post on Facebook:

  • Time(s): 9am, 11am-3pm, and 8pm.
  • Day(s): Thursday and Friday.

Posting at these days and times has been proven to increase post reach and engagement.

However, you shouldn't take them as the definitive best times as there isn't any universal best time to post on Facebook. Nor is there a best time to post on Instagram, for that matter.

Related: How to Create a Poll on Facebook

The most reliable way to find the best time to post on Facebook for you is by looking at your page’s Insights.

The Most Reliable Way to Know When's the Best Time to Post on Facebook

facebook opened on a phone

Taking a careful look at the Insights on your Facebook page will give you insight into the times of peak engagement.

You can tell the best time to post on your page by looking at the times when most of your followers are online, along with the time that your posts with the highest engagement were published.

How to View Your Facebook Page Insights

You can access your page insights through the Facebook app, as well as through its Page Manager app.

But doing so is also possible on the desktop version, and that's where we're going to show you how to access your page insights. Here’s how to view your Facebook page insights on the web.

  1. Go to facebook.com on your web browser.
  2. Log in and navigate to your page.
  3. Scroll down the left-hand sidebar to reveal more options.
  4. Click on Insights.
  5. Click on Posts in the navigation bar on the left.

These will reveal the days and times when most of your followers are online. You can hover anywhere in the graph to see the time of the day, as well as the number of followers that are online at that time.

Facebook page insights

Scroll down to All Posts Published to see the engagement on all your posts. You may find engagement patterns at certain times, which gives you insight into the times that your audience is most likely to engage with your content.

facebook page insights showing all posts published

Note: Insights for the time of day are shown by default in the Pacific time zone. So, you may need to convert this to your time zone if you live somewhere else.

Moving forward, if improving your reach is the reason you’re looking for the best time to post on Facebook, there’s another strategy you can implement.

How to Post on Facebook: Do It Consistently

Sticking to a consistent posting schedule is essential if you're looking to grow your reach.

Publishing regular content improves predictability; your followers will be able to tell when you’re most likely to post next so they can visit your page.

Related: How Can You Verify Your Facebook Business Page?

Posting regularly will also help you show up more in your followers’ news feeds.

The key here is to make sure that your posts are entertaining, educational, inspiring, and—most importantly—relevant to your brand. Posting the same picture six times a day won't work, and will likely annoy most of your followers.

We also have a guide on the best time to post on Instagram, which you can check out if you're active there too.

The Best Time to Post on Facebook Depends on You

So, when is the best time to post on Facebook? The answer to that question will depend on your specific page.

But finding out when it is will help you get more engagement, along with increasing your reach. If you're serious about growing your Facebook page, blend your posting times with consistent and valuable content.

Choose the best days and hours from your insights, and schedule posts to go live at those times. Over time, you'll achieve success—as long as you're willing to adapt to any changes.