Facebook – Why Can’t I Use My Domain Name as Facebook Web Address?

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I'm trying to set up a Facebook page for my website, let's call it mywebsite.com.

I'm trying to use my domain name as web address:

Choose a unique Facebook web address to make it easier for people to find your Page. Once this is set, it can only be changed once.

When I enter mywebsite.com, I get the following message:

mywebsite.com is taken. Please choose another Facebook web address.

Too bad, I thought. Already reserved. So I tried with one of its subdomains:

fr.mywebsite.com is taken. Please choose another Facebook web address.

Basically, it looks like anything looking like a domain name (containing dots) is "taken":

dfsjkfdhkjsqhkjdfkqsdf.com is taken. Please choose another Facebook web address.

Is it a misleading error message to say that Facebook actually forbids dots in web addresses, or is there a specific place to create Facebook pages for websites?

Best Answer

From the Facebook Help-Center regarding your Facebook Web Address, this is the section that is relevant to your issue:

What are the guidelines around creating a custom username for my Page or profile?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you create a custom username:

  • You can't claim a username someone else is already using.
  • Choose a username you'll be happy with for the long term. Usernames are not transferable, and you can only change your username once.
  • Usernames can only contain alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) or a period (".").
  • Periods (".") and capitalization don't count as a part of a username. For example, johnsmith55, John.Smith55 and john.smith.55 are all considered the same username.
  • Usernames must be at least 5 characters long and can't contain generic terms or extensions (ex: .com, .net).
  • You must be an admin to choose a username for a Page.
  • Your username must adhere to the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.

In Summary

You are not allowed to use .com in your Facebook Vanity URL. Try entering just "mywebsite" instead.