How to change your Facebook Vanity URL for a second time!
In 2009, when Facebook introduced custom URLs (also known as vanity URLs) for your profile and fan pages, Facebook claimed that the custom URL you choose can be only set once. Once the custom URL (example http://facebook.com/techthinker) has been set, it cannot be changed to another URL. But it looks like Facebook is giving a second chance to people who didn’t wisely choose their custom URLs for their profile page.
To change the custom URL of your profile page, simply go to Account –> Account Settings –> Username and click the link change. You will be now able to change your username for your profile page.
If you want to change the custom URL for your fan page for a second time, then you may be out of luck. I haven’t figured out how to do it.
Transferring the Profile Page URL to Fan Page URL
When Facebook introduced custom URLs last year, I secured the custom URL (techthinker) for my profile page as I couldn’t secure it for my fan page. In 2009, you should have at least 100 fans in order to get a custom URL for your fan page. Now this number has been reduced to 25.
Given that Facebook allows me to change the username for a second time, I was able to change my existing username (techthinker). By changing my username, I was able to release the URL techthinker.
Soon after I changed my username, I went to http://facebook.com/username and set the URL techthinker as the URL for my Facebook fan page!
The ability to change username for a second time gives you a chance to trade usernames with others. It also gives you a chance to transfer your profile page URL to your Fan Page URL.
Join me on Facebook.com/TechThinker
` i cant change my URL anymore? how sad. i hope soon i can change it.
i thought before i can change my URL anytime but i failed. huhu. ;’( better luck nxt time
Transferring the Profile Page URL to Fan Page URL
Great tip thank you. Worked like a dream.
judging from other sources as of feb 2011, this does not seem possible anymore, so I dare not risk it.
Facebook is a disaster when it comes to this sort of thing. There must be hapless thousands of ill conceived URL and dead profiles just sitting on names that are inactive, that are no longer mangeable by people now assigned to managing FB pages.
I accidentally used the custom url on my profile username instead of the fan page. Thank God I was able to change the profile username one more time. Now, I’m trying to use the same url for my page and it’s saying the url is unavailable. Is there a time frame I need to wait for the custom name to become available?
@Children’s Museum, how did you change it? I don’t have “Username” on my “Account Settings” list!
I no longer have it on my account setting either because I have already changed my profile name a second time. On other profiles, it would be the second listing on “account settings” below “name”. You may have changed the name twice already. That is the only thing I can think of.
The url was finally released after 2 weeks. It is now my fan page url. The helpful peeps from TechThinker mentioned that the names seem to be released back into the pool after about 2 weeks.
Thanks for that, exactly what I was looking for. I also changed my profile name instead of my page, will just have to wait 2 weeks now!
OMG I am freaking out!! I did the same thing!! Now it is saying the url is unavailable! I am NOT DOING A THING for two weeks and praying that it becomes available again. It’s the name for all of my business branding!!!!!!!!!
Just what I needed! I looking all over on information if I could transfer my profile username to my fan page username. Decided to make a fan page because many said that fan page is better than having a profile page. And you can have multiple fan pages in one account. Very helpful! Thanks so much!
PHEW!! It worked! I waited and in less than two weeks facebook had released it and I was able to set it. Thanks Jason for reminding me to post that it was fixed. I hope this helps!
Great info, thank you SO much!
I had the same happen yesterday when a client was adding a custom URL to her Fan Page & it went to her personal page, 110% my fault.
I felt really terrible.
I’m hearing it can take up to 14 days for the user name to be freed up as Facebook servers delete old files every 14 days, it all depends on where you fall between cycles…
could someone explain how they changed their Facebook Username so that it links to their Business/Fan Page and not their profile page?
When I chose and set my username, i thought it was going to link to my Business/Fan Page which is what I want, but it doesn’t! It links to my Profile page..
I can’t see how to change this..
Iknow you can only change the username once.
I haven’t changed it at all yet.
I don’t want to Change the username, I just want to assign it to a different page! If I try and assign it to my Fan page, it says: name not available.
I don’t see an option to delete it either so i can retry later as some people above have..
Any help would be appreciated.
Why does Fb offer these things and make them so impossible to change/use! Grrrrr!
I was hoping you guys could help me. I accidentally set my Facebook fan page the wrong url. I need to change it ASAP. How is this possible?
My personal page is still open. Is there a secret to changing or swapping them?
HELP!