Creating a Facebook event takes about five minutes and works the same way on desktop and mobile
Open Facebook and go to your profile or the page where you want the event to live. On desktop, look for the "Events" section in the left sidebar menu. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and scroll to find "Events". Click or tap "Create Event" — this button is usually near the top of the Events page.
Facebook will open a form asking for basic details: event name, date, time, and location. Fill in each field. The location can be a physical address, a venue name that Facebook recognizes, or "Online Event" if you are hosting virtually. Once you add these details, click "Create" or "Next" to move to the full event setup page.
On the full setup page, you can add a description, upload a cover photo, set privacy settings, and invite people. None of these are required to publish the event — you can create a bare-bones event with just a name and date, then add details later.
Key Takeaways
- Start from the Events section in your Facebook menu, then click "Create Event" to open the form.
- You need only a name, date, and time to publish an event; location and description can be added later.
- Choose "Public" if you want anyone to find and join the event, or "Private" if only invited people can see it.
- Invite people by typing their names or selecting from your friends list, and they will receive a notification.
- You can edit the event details, cancel it, or delete it at any time before or after the event date.
How to fill in the event details form
The event name should be clear and specific — "Book Club" is less useful than "Mystery Book Club — March Meeting". Facebook suggests event names as you type, so if you are creating a recurring event (like a weekly class), you may see templates that match your description.
For the date and time, click the date field and select from a calendar, then click the time field and enter the hour and minute. If your event runs multiple days or has no set end time, you can toggle those options on. For online events, you do not need to set a time at all — some people leave the time blank for events that are always available.
The location field accepts typed text or lets you search Facebook's venue database. If you type a street address, Facebook will map it. If the venue does not exist in Facebook's system, type the name and address anyway — people can still find it. For online events, type the meeting link (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) or just write "Online" and share the link in the description or comments later.
Setting privacy and deciding who can see the event
Public events appear in Facebook's event search and on your profile for anyone to find. Anyone can join without your permission. Use this for community events, classes, or anything you want to reach strangers.
Private events do not appear in search. Only people you invite can see the event exists. Use this for personal gatherings like birthday parties or family dinners. Even invited people cannot see the guest list unless you allow it in the settings.
Secret events are the most restricted. They do not appear anywhere on Facebook, and only people you directly invite can see them. The event will not show on your profile or in your friends' feeds. Use this for surprise parties or sensitive gatherings.
You can change the privacy setting at any time, even after people have joined. If you switch from Private to Public, existing guests stay invited, but the event also becomes searchable.
Inviting people and managing the guest list
On the event page, look for the "Invite" button or section. Click it and start typing names or email addresses. Facebook will show suggestions from your friends list. Select each person you want to invite — they will get a notification that you have invited them to the event.
People can respond with "Going", "Interested", or "Decline". You can see these responses on the event page under "Guest List". You can also remove someone from the guest list by clicking the three-dot menu next to their name and selecting "Remove".
If you want to invite people who are not on your friends list, you can share the event link directly with them via message, email, or any other platform. For public events, anyone with the link can join without needing an invitation.
Adding a description, photo, and other details
Scroll down on the event setup page to find the description field. Write what the event is about, what people should bring, parking information, or any other details guests need to know. You can use line breaks and emoji, but Facebook does not support bold or italic text in the description.
Upload a cover photo by clicking the camera icon or "Add Photo" button. The image should be at least 1200 pixels wide for best quality. Facebook will crop it to fit the event header. You can change the photo at any time.
Other optional fields include a category (Concert, Workshop, Class, etc.), a ticket link if you are selling tickets through another platform, and a website URL. These help people understand what kind of event it is and where to buy tickets if needed.
Publishing the event and making it live
Once you have filled in at least the name, date, and time, the "Create" or "Publish" button becomes active. Click it to make the event live. The event will appear on your profile and in the Events section immediately.
If you created a private or secret event, it will not be visible to anyone except invited guests. If you created a public event, it will start appearing in Facebook's event search and recommendations within a few hours.
You do not have to finish all the details before publishing. You can publish a basic event and add the description, photo, and other information later. Just go back to the event page and click "Edit Event" to make changes.
Editing, canceling, or deleting an event
To change event details after publishing, go to the event page and click the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Select "Edit Event". You can change anything — the name, date, time, location, description, photo, privacy setting, or guest list. Changes take effect immediately.
If you need to cancel the event, click the three-dot menu and select "Cancel Event". Facebook will notify all guests that the event has been canceled. The event page will remain visible but marked as canceled. You can uncancel it if plans change.
To delete an event entirely so it no longer appears on your profile, click the three-dot menu and select "Delete Event". This removes the event from Facebook completely. You cannot undo a deletion, so use this only when you are certain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create an event on someone else's page or profile?
You can create an event on a Facebook page you manage or administer. You cannot create an event on another person's profile unless they have given you admin access to their page. For group events, you can create an event within a group if you are a member or admin.
What happens if I change the event date or time after people have joined?
Facebook will send a notification to all guests telling them the event details have changed. The notification includes the new date and time. People who said "Going" will stay marked as going unless they manually change their response.
Can I require people to pay to join the event?
Facebook's native event tool does not handle payments directly. You can add a link to a ticketing platform (Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, etc.) in the event details, or ask people to pay through a separate method. Some third-party apps integrate with Facebook events to handle tickets, but they require setup outside of Facebook.
How do I see who is coming to my event?
On the event page, scroll to the "Guest List" section. You will see tabs for "Going", "Interested", and "Declined". Click each tab to see who responded with that status. If the event is private, only you and invited guests can see the full list.
Can I make an event recurring or repeat it every week?
Facebook does not have a built-in recurring event feature. You must create a separate event for each date. Some people create a series of events with similar names (like "Weekly Book Club — March 5", "Weekly Book Club — March 12") to show they are related.