To file a Facebook report, use the Report link built into the post, comment, photo, or profile you want to flag — tap the three-dot menu, choose “Report,” and answer the short set of questions Facebook uses to route your complaint. That in-app flow handles most everyday violations. Impersonation, underage accounts, non-consensual intimate images, a deceased user’s account, and copyright infringement each require a dedicated form in the Help Center with specific supporting documents, and using the wrong form is the most common reason a report stalls.
Reporting a Post, Comment, or Profile Directly
The fastest path is the Report link attached to the content itself. On a post, tap or click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and select “Report post.” Facebook then walks you through a short series of questions asking you to categorize the problem. Options include violence, harassment, spam, hate speech, false information, and suicide or self-injury. Your answers route the report to the right review team.
You do not need to upload documents or write an explanation, though you can add detail if you want to. This flow works well for a threatening comment, a spam ad, or a profile posting graphic content. It is not enough when the problem is someone pretending to be you, a child under 13 using the platform, intimate images shared without consent, an account belonging to someone who has died, or your copyrighted work being used without permission. Those go through the specialized forms below.
Which Specialized Form Fits Your Situation
Each specialized form lives in the Facebook Help Center. Search the Help Center for the violation type — “impersonation,” “underage,” “deceased account,” or “copyright” — and follow the link to the form. Every form is a single page with labeled fields; the difference between them is what proof they require.
Someone Is Impersonating You
Use the impostor-account form. You select whether the account is impersonating you personally or someone you represent, then provide your full name, a contact email, the impersonator’s profile URL, and a photo of your government-issued ID.1Facebook. Report an Impostor Account Facebook uses the ID to confirm you are the person being impersonated. The platform may store that ID for up to one year to train its fake-ID detection systems, though you can turn that off in your Identity Confirmation Settings and have the copy deleted within 30 days.
Only the person being impersonated, or their authorized representative such as a parent or legal guardian, can file this form. If you spot an account impersonating a friend, send them the link rather than filing on their behalf. Facebook will not act on a third-party impersonation report.
A Child Under 13 Is Using the Platform
Facebook requires users to be at least 13 years old.2Federal Trade Commission. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“COPPA”) If you believe a younger child is using the platform, you can report the profile through a specific underage-account form. The form asks for the profile’s URL and basic identifying details. Facebook reviews these reports and removes confirmed underage accounts along with their data.
Intimate Images Shared Without Consent
Facebook removes intimate images shared without the subject’s permission, including threats to share them.3Meta. Not Without My Consent – A Guide to Reporting and Removing Intimate Images Shared Without Your Consent If you have a Facebook account, tap the options menu on the image, select Report, and at the bottom of the form look for the “Reporting Specific Harms” section and tap “Fill in the Form” to provide additional details.4Meta. Report Non-Consensual Intimate Images (NCII) on Meta Platforms
If you do not have a Facebook account, you or an authorized representative can use a dedicated NCII reporting form that asks for your contact information, links to the violating content, and any context that helps reviewers identify the material.4Meta. Report Non-Consensual Intimate Images (NCII) on Meta Platforms For proactive protection, StopNCII.org lets you create a digital fingerprint of intimate images on your own device without uploading the images themselves. Partner platforms, including Meta, use those hashes to detect and block matching content before it spreads.5StopNCII. Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse
A Loved One Has Died
Families have two options: memorialize the account, which freezes it as a memorial page, or request permanent removal. Both go through a single special-request form. For memorialization, upload a scan or photo of the person’s obituary, death certificate, or memorial card. For full account removal, Facebook specifically requires a death certificate.6Facebook. Special Request for Medically Incapacitated or Deceased Person’s Account
One wrinkle catches families off guard. If the deceased person designated a legacy contact on their account, only that legacy contact can request removal. Everyone else can request memorialization, but the profile stays memorialized unless the legacy contact acts.6Facebook. Special Request for Medically Incapacitated or Deceased Person’s Account The same form also handles medically incapacitated users. You will need proof of guardianship, such as a power of attorney or court order, plus a doctor’s note describing the person’s condition.
Someone Is Using Your Copyrighted Work
File a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s notice-and-takedown system. An effective notice must include identification of the copyrighted work, a link to the infringing material, your contact information, a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is unauthorized, and a statement under penalty of perjury that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.7U.S. Copyright Office. Section 512 of Title 17 – Resources on Online Service Provider Safe Harbors and Notice-and-Takedown System The penalty-of-perjury declaration is a statutory requirement, and filing a false claim can expose you to legal liability.
What to Gather Before You Open the Form
Having your materials ready before you start reduces the chance of a rejected or incomplete submission. What you need depends on the form:
- Profile or content URL. Copy the direct link to the offending account, post, photo, or comment. On desktop, right-click the timestamp on a post to copy its permanent link. On mobile, tap the three-dot menu and select “Copy link.”
- Screenshots of the content. Capture it before reporting. The person may delete it once they see the report, and you will want a record for any follow-up or legal action.
- Government-issued ID, for impersonation reports. Facebook accepts a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, green card, or tax identification card. If you prefer not to send one of those, you can submit two alternative documents such as bank statements, credit cards, medical records, or military IDs, though Facebook may still ask for photo and birth-date documentation.8Identity Theft Resource Center. Facebook’s Real-Name Policy Asks for Personal Identification
- Death certificate or obituary, for deceased-account requests. Memorialization accepts an obituary or memorial card; full removal requires the death certificate.6Facebook. Special Request for Medically Incapacitated or Deceased Person’s Account
- Copyright registration details. Not strictly required to file a DMCA notice, but having your registration number strengthens the claim and speeds review.
Upload clear, legible files. A blurry scan of a driver’s license or an angled photo of an obituary will slow things down or get your submission kicked back. Fill in every field. Incomplete forms either get auto-rejected or land at the bottom of the review queue. When a form asks for a written description, keep it factual and specific: what the account or content is doing, when it started, and why it violates the rules.
After You Submit: Tracking and Appeals
Facebook sends a confirmation to the email address associated with your account and posts updates in the Support Inbox, accessible from your account settings under “Help & Support.” The inbox shows whether a report is still under review, whether the content was found to violate Community Standards, or whether the report was closed with no action. Facebook also uses the inbox to request additional documentation, sometimes with a deadline. Check it periodically rather than waiting for email; if you miss a follow-up request, the report may be closed.
If the ruling goes against you, use the appeal option that appears alongside the decision in your Support Inbox. That sends the report back for a second review, typically by a different reviewer. If the appeal also fails, you can escalate to the Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews Meta’s most contested content decisions and issues rulings that are binding on Meta.9Oversight Board. Oversight Board The Board is available only after you exhaust Meta’s internal appeals, and it selects cases with broader significance rather than reviewing every submission.
When Facebook Is Not Enough
Facebook’s reporting system handles policy violations, not crimes. If someone is threatening physical violence, sharing child exploitation material, extorting you with intimate images, or stalking you across the platform, report the content to Facebook and contact local law enforcement separately. A Facebook report does not substitute for a police report, and a police report does not substitute for a Facebook report. You need both.
Preserve your own evidence regardless. Screenshot threatening messages, note dates and times, and save URLs. If Facebook removes content before law enforcement can review it, your personal records may be the only documentation available for a criminal case or protective order.