Too Many Admins, One Big Mess: The Hidden Risks of Your Facebook Business Page

In the rush to stay active on social media, many businesses make the mistake of granting admin access to “just one more person.” A new staff member joins? Give them access. Someone helps with one post? Give them access. Before you know it, your Meta Business Manager or Facebook Page has more admins than a group chat—and far less oversight.

But more users don’t equal more success. They often create chaos, reduce security, and lead to the kinds of mistakes that can damage your brand in seconds.

The Real-World Risk: When Personal Meets Professional

In one workplace I was part of, too many people had access to our Facebook business page. One afternoon, a staff member—intending to update their personal Story, accidentally posted a series of personal photos to the business’s

Facebook Story. But it was a mistake that cost us credibility and demonstrated one clear truth: not everyone needs access.

Why Does Everyone Need to Be On the Account?

The short answer is: they don’t.

Here’s what often happens:

• Someone helps with one campaign and stays on indefinitely.

• A former employee was never removed.

• Freelancers or interns are added “just in case.”

• There’s no formal offboarding process.

• No one audits roles or reviews who has access.

This creates a patchwork of permissions that can’t be tracked, opening the door to security breaches, miscommunications, and reputational damage.

What Does Best Practice Look Like?

Let’s look at how smart companies manage their Facebook accounts:

Use Role-Based Access

Meta Business Manager allows different access levels: Admin, Editor, Moderator, Advertiser, and Analyst. Best practice: Assign the lowest level necessary to do the job. Only trusted, trained staff should have full admin rights.

Limit Admins

According to a 2023 Hootsuite article, keeping your social team lean and defined is essential to social media security. Most companies recommend:

• 2-3 admins max

• One “owner” of the account (often Marketing or Comms Lead)

• Audits every 3–6 months to remove inactive users

Set Up Internal Approvals

Some organisations (like government departments or NGOs) operate with a content creator who drafts the post, but only a manager hits publish. This helps catch errors and keeps messaging consistent.

Formal Onboarding/Offboarding

When someone leaves the organisation—or even changes departments—they should be removed from all Meta assets the same day. No exceptions. Passwords and 2FA codes should also be updated if shared.

Removing People Isn’t Easy—But It’s Essential

Unlike changing a password, removing someone from a Meta Business Account involves internal navigation as much as technical process. Here’s what usually needs to happen:

1. You must make a business case for the change.

2. You need to notify the individual, often formally.

3. You’ll likely have to speak with their manager, especially if they’re in another department.

4. You need to explain the new process or policy and why it requires reduced access.

5. You may get pushback or emotional responses, especially if someone sees it as a loss of trust or status.

In one organisation I worked with, removing two long-standing staff members from the Page required three meetings, a written rationale, and senior sign-off. It wasn’t about trust, it was about tightening systems, but optics still mattered.

The Bigger Risk: Cybersecurity

Facebook accounts are increasingly targeted for scams and phishing. According to Cybernews, over 100,000 Facebook accounts were compromised in just one campaign in 2023. Each additional user is a potential vulnerability—especially if they reuse passwords or fall for phishing attempts. The fewer people who have access, the fewer doors you leave open to threats.

Check out another article I wrote: Why Two-Factor Authentication Is a Must for Your Business Facebook Page

Checklist: Are You Oversharing Your Admin Rights?

✅ Have you reviewed your page roles in the last 3 months?

✅ Can you name every person with access to your Facebook page?

✅ Are any former employees still listed?

✅ Do you know who created your Facebook Page and who owns the Business Manager?

✅ Have you limited who can publish Stories, Reels, and Ads?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, now’s the time to audit.

Your Facebook Business Page is a digital front door to your organisation. Letting too many people hold the keys means that door might swing open at the wrong time, or worse, be hijacked altogether.

Grant access carefully. Remove it when it’s no longer needed. Review it regularly.

Your reputation, security, and sanity will thank you.