Where Facebook stores your activity and how to reach it
Facebook keeps a record of almost everything you do on the platform — posts you've made, photos you've uploaded, comments, likes, searches, and pages you've visited. You can see this history yourself by going to your Settings, then clicking "Your Facebook Information" in the left menu, and selecting "Off-Facebook Activity" or "Activity Log" depending on what you want to review.
The Activity Log shows your own posts and interactions on Facebook itself. Off-Facebook Activity shows you websites and apps outside Facebook that have sent information about your browsing back to Facebook — this is separate from your on-platform history but uses the same Facebook tracking technology.
Both tools are free to access and take only a few minutes to find. You don't need special permissions or to contact Facebook support. The main difference is scope: Activity Log is what you did on Facebook, while Off-Facebook Activity is what Facebook knows about you from other places on the internet.
Key Takeaways
- Your Activity Log is in Settings under "Your Facebook Information" and shows every post, comment, like, and search you've made on Facebook.
- Off-Facebook Activity shows websites and apps that have sent your browsing data to Facebook, and you can disconnect some of them from there.
- You can download a complete copy of your data, including messages and photos, by requesting it in Settings under "Download Your Information."
- Facebook keeps deleted posts in your Activity Log for 90 days before permanently removing them, so you can restore them during that window.
- Clearing your search history on Facebook does not delete it from Facebook's servers — it only hides it from your own view.
Accessing your Activity Log step by step
Open Facebook and click the downward arrow in the top right corner. Select "Settings and Privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, look for "Your Facebook Information" — this section may be near the bottom of the menu. Click it, then select "Activity Log."
Once you're in Activity Log, you'll see a timeline of your recent activity. At the top, you can filter by type — choose "Posts" to see only what you've posted, "Comments" to see replies you've made, "Likes" to see what you've liked, or "Search" to see what you've searched for. You can also filter by date range using the calendar icon.
Each item in your Activity Log has a three-dot menu next to it. Click those dots to see options like "Delete" (which removes the post from Facebook entirely) or "Edit" (which lets you change the post's privacy settings or content). Deleted posts stay in your Activity Log for about 90 days before Facebook permanently removes them, so you can restore them if you change your mind.
Understanding Off-Facebook Activity and what it means
Off-Facebook Activity is a separate tool that shows you websites and apps you've visited that have sent information about your activity back to Facebook. This happens through Facebook's tracking pixel — a piece of code that websites install to monitor visitor behavior. When you visit a shopping site, news outlet, or app that uses Facebook's tracking tools, Facebook records that you were there, even if you don't have Facebook open.
To see this history, go to Settings, select "Your Facebook Information," then click "Off-Facebook Activity." You'll see a list of websites and apps grouped by how recently they've sent data about you. The list shows the name of the site or app and roughly when the data was sent, but not specific details about what you did there.
You can disconnect individual websites from this tracking by clicking them and selecting "Disconnect." This tells Facebook to stop accepting data from that site going forward, though Facebook keeps the historical data it already collected. Disconnecting does not delete your browsing history from Facebook's records — it only stops future tracking from that particular source.
Downloading a complete copy of your Facebook data
If you want to see everything Facebook has about you in one place — including messages, photos, friend lists, and data from third-party apps — you can request a download. Go to Settings, click "Your Facebook Information," then select "Download Your Information."
Facebook will ask you to choose a date range (you can select all available data) and a file format (HTML is easiest to read, JSON is better for technical analysis). Click "Request Download" and Facebook will prepare your file, which usually takes a few hours to a few days depending on how much data you have. You'll get a notification when it's ready, and you can download it from the same page.
This download includes posts, comments, photos, videos, messages, friend requests, and information from apps and websites that have shared data with Facebook. The file is compressed and can be large — sometimes several gigabytes if you've been on Facebook for years. You'll need to unzip it to view the contents.
Clearing your search history versus deleting it
Facebook offers two different actions for your search history, and they do different things. "Clear Search History" removes the searches from your own view — when you click the search bar, you won't see your past searches listed anymore. But Facebook still has the record of what you searched for. This is purely for your privacy on your own device.
To clear your search history, click the search bar at the top of Facebook, then click the three dots next to "Recent Searches" and select "Clear All." Your searches disappear from that dropdown immediately, but Facebook's servers still contain the data.
If you want to actually delete individual searches from Facebook's records, you have to go to your Activity Log, filter by "Search," find the specific search, click the three-dot menu, and select "Delete." This removes it from your Activity Log, and Facebook stops using it for ad targeting and recommendations. However, Facebook may still retain some metadata about your search patterns for security and legal reasons.
What Facebook keeps even after you delete something
When you delete a post, comment, or search from your Activity Log, it disappears from public view and from your own timeline. But Facebook's backup systems may keep copies for a limited time. Deleted posts are typically removed from Facebook's active servers within 90 days, though Facebook has stated it may retain some data longer for legal, security, or operational reasons.
Messages are handled differently. Deleting a message from your inbox removes it from your view, but the recipient still has it unless they delete it too. If you delete a message, Facebook may still have a copy in its backup systems, though you won't be able to access it.
Facebook also keeps aggregate data about your behavior — patterns of what you like, search for, and interact with — even if you delete individual items. This data is used for ad targeting and recommendations. Clearing your Activity Log or deleting posts does not reset these behavioral profiles.
Controlling what Facebook tracks going forward
While you can't stop Facebook from recording what you do on Facebook itself, you can limit what it collects from other websites. In Off-Facebook Activity, you can disconnect websites one by one, but a faster approach is to limit Facebook's tracking at the source.
On iPhone, go to Settings, scroll to Facebook, and toggle off "Allow Tracking." On Android, open the Facebook app, go to Settings, select "Apps and Websites," then review the apps and websites listed and remove the ones you don't want sharing data with Facebook. In your web browser, you can install privacy extensions like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger that block Facebook's tracking pixel on most websites.
You can also adjust your ad preferences in Facebook Settings under "Ads." Click "Ad Preferences" and you'll see categories Facebook thinks describe you based on your activity. You can remove categories you don't want used for targeting, though Facebook will still collect the data — you're just telling it not to use that specific category for ads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see what other people have posted about me?
Your Activity Log only shows your own posts and actions. To see posts others have made about you, go to your profile and look at your timeline, or search for your name in Facebook's search bar to see public posts mentioning you. You can also check your "Posts You're Tagged In" section in your profile to see photos and posts where someone has tagged you.
Does Facebook delete my data if I deactivate my account?
Deactivating your account hides your profile but does not delete your data — Facebook keeps everything. If you reactivate within a certain period, your account and all your posts return. To actually delete your account and your data, you must request permanent deletion in Settings under "Deactivation and Deletion," though Facebook may retain some data for legal or security reasons.
Can I see when someone viewed my profile?
No. Facebook does not show you a list of people who have viewed your profile. Third-party apps claim to offer this feature, but they don't work — Facebook's privacy settings prevent this information from being shared. If someone tells you they can see who viewed your profile, they're using a scam.
What does "This action isn't available right now" mean when I try to delete something?
This usually means Facebook's servers are temporarily overloaded or you've hit a rate limit by deleting too many items in a short time. Wait a few minutes and try again. If it persists, try using a different browser or device, or contact Facebook Support through Settings.
Can I export my Activity Log to a file?
The Activity Log itself cannot be exported directly, but your complete data download (requested under "Download Your Information") includes all your posts, comments, and interactions in a structured format. This is the closest equivalent and gives you everything in your Activity Log plus much more.