There’s another potential change on the horizon and if your business relies on Meta (Facebook & Instagram) to send people to your website, it’s one worth knowing about. Reports have emerged that some Facebook business Pages & Instagram accounts are now being limited in the number of posts they can publish containing links to external websites.

The reported limit? Just two link posts per month for some Pages, unless the business pays for a Meta One for Business subscription. Before everyone panics, there is an important word in that sentence: Some.

This isn’t currently a blanket change affecting every Facebook business Page. Meta has been testing link restrictions since December 2025, and the test now appears to have been expanded to more Pages following the launch of Meta One for Business. So, what does this actually mean for small businesses? Let’s break it down.

Facebook has traditionally allowed businesses to create posts containing links to their own websites. You might use them to promote:

• A new blog
• A service or product page
• An event
• An online shop
• A special offer
• A booking page
• A lead magnet or download

For many businesses, that’s one of the reasons for using Facebook in the first place, attracting an audience on social media and encouraging some of those people to visit your own website. But according to Social Media Today, some Facebook Page managers are now seeing notifications telling them that their account is limited to two link posts per month unless they subscribe to Meta One for Business.

This isn’t completely new. Meta started testing the restriction with a limited number of Pages in December 2025. What is new is that the test now appears to be expanding and that makes it something small businesses need to have on their radar.

Not necessarily. Firstly, this is currently a test and doesn’t appear to apply to every Facebook Page. Secondly, the restriction relates specifically to posts containing links rather than saying businesses have to pay simply to publish content.

So don’t abandon your Facebook Page just yet! However, it does raise a bigger question.

Because that is the bit I think small businesses should really be thinking about. This might sound like a major blow to businesses that use Facebook to generate website traffic. But there’s another side to the story. According to Meta’s Q1 2026 Widely Viewed Content Report, 98.7% of Facebook post views in the US during that period were on posts that didn’t contain an external link. In other words, only 1.3% contained a link to somewhere outside Facebook.

So Facebook has already become a platform where keeping people on Facebook is generally the name of the game. This is where I think there’s a useful marketing lesson.

I’ve said this in various ways to clients over the years: Your social media audience isn’t really yours. You can spend years building followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok or another platform. But ultimately, somebody else owns the platform.

They decide:

• Who sees your content
• What type of content gets reach
• Which features are available
• What businesses have to pay for
• How the algorithm works
• And, increasingly, how easily you can send people elsewhere

That’s why social media should be a part of your marketing strategy,  not your entire marketing strategy.

First of all, don’t panic and don’t immediately start paying for another subscription. Instead, use this as an opportunity to review how Facebook actually contributes to your marketing.

1) Check whether the restriction applies to your Page

Don’t assume that because you’ve read about the change, your Page has automatically been affected. Check your Facebook Page and notifications first. If you’re still able to publish links normally, carry on, but keep an eye on future updates.

2) Look at whether your link posts actually work

This is something businesses should be doing anyway. Rather than thinking: “We always share our blogs on Facebook.” It is time to ask: What happens when we do? If external-link posts generate very little traffic or business for you, paying simply to publish more of them may not make commercial sense.

3) Create content for Facebook rather than just posting links

If Facebook wants users to stay on Facebook, work with that behaviour. Instead of: “We’ve written a new blog – click here to read it.” Take the useful ideas from that blog and turn them into a Facebook post. Or create:

• A short video
• A Ree
• A carousel
• An infographic
• A useful tip
• A customer story
• A question or discussion
• A behind-the-scenes post

Give people something useful before asking them to go anywhere else. One piece of content can often become several different pieces of social content. That’s good content marketing anyway, regardless of what Meta decides to do next.

4) Be more selective with the links you do publish

If your Page eventually gets restricted to a small number of link posts, those links become more valuable. Don’t waste them. Instead of linking to something simply because it’s Tuesday and that’s what your content calendar says, think strategically. What do you most want your audience to do this month?

• Book a consultation?
• Register for an event?
• Download a guide?
• Read an important piece of content?
• Buy a product?

Make those links count. But here’s the bigger solution: build your own audience. This is the bit I really want small businesses to take away from this news. Your website and your marketing database are assets you control. Your Facebook followers aren’t.

Building an email database gives you a direct way to communicate with people who have chosen to hear from your business. That doesn’t mean ditching social media. Far from it. It means making your marketing work together.

If this change reaches your business, you’ve essentially got a few choices.

Option 1) Pay for Meta One for Business

If Facebook generates significant leads, sales or website traffic for your business, the subscription may be worth considering. But look at the numbers first. Don’t subscribe simply because Meta tells you that you’ve unlocked another feature. Ask what that feature is actually worth to your business.

Option 2) Stay with the free version and adapt your content

If Facebook is mainly a brand-awareness or community channel for you, two external links a month may actually be enough. Focus the rest of your activity on native Facebook content and use those links strategically.

Option 3) Diversify your marketing

Look at where else you can reach your audience. That could include: Email marketing, SEO and Google, LinkedIn, Networking, Partnerships, PR, Events, Direct marketing, Video, Referral activity and your own website and content. The right mix will depend on your business and, most importantly, where your customers actually are.

My advice? Don’t let Meta make the marketing decision for you

Changes like this can feel frustrating, particularly for small businesses that already have to make every pound of their marketing budget work hard. But I wouldn’t rush into either. Look at your marketing as a whole.

If you’re relying heavily on Facebook or social media generally to generate enquiries and you’re wondering whether your marketing mix needs a rethink, let’s have a conversation.

Creationz Marketing helps small businesses make sense of their marketing, understand what’s actually working and build a practical strategy around their goals and budget.

Because your marketing strategy should belong to your business, not an algorithm.