To turn off comment ranking on Facebook, you need to adjust your public post settings, which will stop comments from being ordered by perceived relevance and instead display them chronologically.
Understanding Facebook Comment Ranking
Facebook's comment ranking feature, often labeled "Show most relevant comments first," is designed to prioritize comments that are deemed most engaging or important. This usually means comments from friends, verified profiles, or those with many likes and replies appear at the top. While this can help cut through noise, some users prefer to see all comments in the order they were posted to follow the conversation chronologically.
How to Turn Off Comment Ranking
Disabling comment ranking is a straightforward process within your Facebook settings. Follow these steps:
- Access Your Settings:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- At the top right corner of your Facebook page, click on your profile picture (or the down arrow icon) to open the account menu.
- Navigate to Settings & Privacy:
- From the dropdown menu, select
Settings & privacy. - Then, click on
Settings.
- From the dropdown menu, select
- Find Public Posts Settings:
- In the left-hand menu of the Settings page, look for and click on
Followers and Public Content(it might also be labeled asPublic Postsdepending on your interface).
- In the left-hand menu of the Settings page, look for and click on
- Toggle Comment Ranking:
- Scroll down to the section titled "Comment Ranking."
- Locate the option
Show most relevant comments first. - Click the toggle switch next to this option to turn it off. When it's off, the switch will typically be gray or in the "off" position.
By turning this setting off, you will no longer see comments sorted by relevance. Instead, comments on public posts will appear in chronological order, with the newest comments typically appearing first or last, depending on the specific post's display.
What Happens When Comment Ranking is Off?
When you disable comment ranking:
- Chronological Order: Comments on public posts will generally appear in the order they were posted, allowing you to follow the conversation's natural progression.
- No Prioritization: Facebook will not prioritize comments based on their popularity, the poster's relationship to you, or other relevance factors.
- Full Context: This can be beneficial for understanding the complete discussion thread, as even less popular comments are visible in their original context.
| Feature | Comment Ranking ON (Default) | Comment Ranking OFF |
|---|---|---|
| Comment Order | Most relevant comments displayed first. | Comments displayed chronologically. |
| Visibility | Popular/engaged comments prioritized. | All comments visible in posting order. |
| Engagement Focus | Highlights key discussions or influential users. | Emphasizes the full timeline of discussion. |
Practical Considerations
- Personal Preference: Turning off comment ranking is a personal preference. Some users find chronological order overwhelming on very popular posts with thousands of comments, while others prefer it for an unfiltered view.
- Consistency: This setting applies to your personal view of comments across Facebook public posts. It does not change how others view comments unless they also adjust their settings.
- Mobile vs. Desktop: While the steps are generally similar, the exact layout and menu names might slightly vary between the Facebook website on a desktop and the mobile app. However, the core principle of finding "Settings," then "Public Posts" or "Followers and Public Content," and finally the "Comment Ranking" toggle remains consistent.
For more information on managing your Facebook settings, you can visit the Facebook Help Center.
