How to send a friend request on Facebook
To send a friend request on Facebook, find the person's profile, look for the "Add Friend" button, and click it. The button appears near their name at the top of their profile or in search results. Once you click it, the button changes to say "Friend Request Sent" or "Pending", which means Facebook has recorded your request and the other person will see it in their notifications.
The exact location of the button depends on where you are looking. If you search for someone by name using the search bar at the top of Facebook, their profile appears in the results with the "Add Friend" button to the right of their name. If you visit their full profile page by clicking their name, the button sits near the top, often next to a "Message" button or a three-dot menu.
Facebook sends the request immediately when you click. You do not need to write a message or confirm anything else. The person you sent it to will receive a notification that you want to be friends, and they can accept, decline, or ignore it.
Key Takeaways
- The "Add Friend" button changes to "Friend Request Sent" or "Pending" right after you click it, confirming the request went through.
- You can send a friend request from search results, from someone's profile page, or from mutual friends' lists without writing a message.
- The person you sent the request to sees it in their notifications, not in a separate folder — they decide whether to accept or decline.
- If the button does not change or you see an error message, the request may not have sent, and you can try again after refreshing the page.
- You can cancel a pending request by clicking the "Cancel Request" button that appears in place of "Friend Request Sent".
Where to find the Add Friend button
The "Add Friend" button appears in three main places on Facebook. The fastest way is through the search bar: type the person's name at the top of any Facebook page, and their profile shows up in the results with the button right there. You do not have to open their full profile at all.
If you are already on someone's profile page, look near the top where their name and profile photo are. The "Add Friend" button usually sits to the right of their name, sometimes next to a "Message" button or a three-dot menu icon. On mobile, you may need to scroll down slightly to see it clearly.
You can also find the button on mutual friends' profiles. If you are looking at a friend's profile and scroll through their friends list, you will see "Add Friend" buttons next to people you are not yet connected with. This is a common way to discover and connect with people in your existing network.
How to tell if your friend request actually sent
After you click "Add Friend", the button immediately changes to show "Friend Request Sent" or "Pending" — this is your confirmation that Facebook recorded the request. If the button does not change and stays as "Add Friend", the request did not go through. Refresh the page and try again.
Sometimes you will see an error message instead, such as "Something went wrong" or "Try again later". This usually means a temporary connection problem. Wait a few minutes, refresh the page, and click the button again. If the same error keeps appearing, check your internet connection and try from a different browser or the Facebook app.
Once the button shows "Friend Request Sent", the request is in the other person's notifications. They will see it the next time they log in, though they may not see it right away if they are not active on Facebook. There is no way to know from your end whether they have seen it yet — you only find out when they accept, decline, or ignore it.
Checking pending requests you have sent
To see all the friend requests you have sent and are still waiting on, go to your Friends list. On desktop, click the Friends icon in the left menu, then look for a "Friend Requests" section or a tab that shows pending requests. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to Friends, and tap "Friend Requests".
Facebook shows you two separate lists: requests you have received from others, and requests you have sent that are still pending. Your sent requests appear under a tab or section labeled "Sent Requests" or "Pending Requests". From this list, you can see exactly who you have sent requests to and when you sent them.
If you change your mind about a pending request, you can cancel it from this list. Click or tap the "Cancel Request" button next to the person's name, and the request disappears. If they later send you a request, you can accept it then, or you can send a new request yourself.
What happens after you send a request
When someone receives your friend request, it shows up in their notifications and in their "Friend Requests" section. They have three choices: accept it, decline it, or leave it sitting there. If they accept, you both become friends immediately and can see each other's posts, send messages, and interact on Facebook. If they decline, the request disappears and you cannot send another one for a while.
If they ignore the request and do not act on it, it stays in their pending list indefinitely. You will not know whether they have seen it or simply have not decided yet. After a certain amount of time — Facebook does not publish an exact number — very old pending requests may disappear from both your lists automatically.
Once you are friends, you can interact with their posts, see their profile information, and message them directly. If you later want to unfriend them, you can remove them from your friends list at any time, and they will not be notified that you did so.
Troubleshooting when the button will not work
If you click "Add Friend" and nothing happens, or the button does not change, try refreshing the page first. Sometimes Facebook's interface lags, and a refresh will show you the correct status. If the button still does not work after refreshing, close the browser tab completely and open Facebook again.
If you see an error message, check your internet connection and make sure you are logged into Facebook. If you are on mobile, try switching between the Facebook app and the mobile website to see if one works better. Clear your browser cache or app cache if the problem continues — this removes temporary files that sometimes cause buttons to malfunction.
In rare cases, the person's privacy settings may prevent you from sending a request. If their profile is set to private or they have restricted who can add them, you will not see an "Add Friend" button at all, or the button will be grayed out. In that case, you cannot send a request unless they change their privacy settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a friend request with a message?
On Facebook, the standard "Add Friend" button does not include a message. However, once you send the request, you can message the person separately if you are not already friends. Some profiles allow you to send a message along with the request through a different method, but the basic button does not have this feature built in.
What if I accidentally sent a request to the wrong person?
Click or tap "Cancel Request" next to their name in your pending requests list, and the request disappears. You can send a new request to the correct person right away. The person who received the wrong request will see it disappear from their notifications, though they may have already seen it.
How long does it take for someone to see my friend request?
They see it in their notifications the next time they log into Facebook, but they may not act on it immediately. Some people check notifications regularly, while others may not look at them for days or weeks. There is no way to know from your end how soon they will see it or respond.
Can I see if someone declined my friend request?
No, Facebook does not tell you whether someone declined your request or simply ignored it. Once a request disappears from your pending list, you cannot tell which happened. You can send another request after some time has passed, but Facebook may limit how often you can do this.
Why does the Add Friend button appear grayed out?
A grayed-out button usually means the person's privacy settings prevent new friend requests, or you have already sent them a request that is still pending. It can also mean Facebook has temporarily restricted your ability to send requests due to unusual activity. Wait a few hours and try again.