Backing Up Facebook Profiles and Fan Pages – A Few Solutions
With the recent changes to Facebook that have made it more business-friendly, it has become essential to be able to back up your Facebook profiles and fan/like pages. These accounts can be a profit center for your business, and they need to be protected. Facebook has policies in place to try and prevent people from downloading their information, however, according to Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities:
“You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.”
There are a number of companies that are arguing that since the content and information is owned by the person or company that posts it, that they have the right to download and back up that information, and so are creating products to do just that. Some have been successful and some have not.
Here are a few of the resources I have found that will allow you to back up your Facebook data.
Facebook Profile Backups
There are a number of tools available for backing up your profile information:
Facebook’s Own Download Option
The recent updates to Facebook now provide an option that will allow you to download the following profile information:
- Your profile information (e.g., your contact information, interests, groups)
- Wall posts and content that you and your friends have posted to your profile
- Photos and videos that you have uploaded to your account
- Your friend list
- Notes you have created
- Events to which you have RSVP’d
- Your sent and received messages
- Any comments that you and your friends have made on your Wall posts, photos, and other profile content
In order to get this information – log in to your Facebook account, then
- Click on Account
- Select Account Settings
- Select Download Your Information
- Click on Learn More
- Click on Download
Facebook will then generate a zip file with your results. They will send you an email when it is ready. For security reasons, in order to retrieve your file – they have a verification system in place that you must go through in order to retrieve that file. They show you randomly selected photos from people in your friends list and ask you to identify the friends. I am not sure if they are using profile pics or any pics that may be in your friends’ photo albums – but I think they need to rethink this option. Some of the photos I was asked to identify were of flowers and outdoor shots, some were group shots that had more than one of my friends in them – so I didn’t know which friend to pick for those. I flunked Facebook’s photo verification system and wasn’t able to retrieve my file 
. Therefore, I don’t recommend this option 
Give Me My Data
Give Me My Data is a Facebook Application written by Owen Mundy that allows you to back up different aspects of your Facebook profile data. With the application you can download the following:
- Personal Information
- Status Updates
- Photos Tagged
- Photo Albums
- Links
- Pages that you have Liked
- Notes
- Notifications
- Friends
- Mutual Friends
- Groups
- Events
You will need to download each of these items one at a time. You have choice of saving each file as a plain text, CSV, XML, DOT or Nodebox. The information shows up in a box on your screen which you must then copy and paste into the appropriate program in order to view . For example, if you copy and paste the text you receive into Notepad++ and save it as an XML file – you can then view the file in Firefox.
Here’s the Step-By-Step:
- Click on http://givememydata.com/
- Click on Go To Application
- Allow Facebook Access
- Select the Data from the list above that you would like to save
- Select the Format you would like to save it in
- Click on Give Me My Data
- Copy the data that is displayed in the large window
- Paste it into your application of choice and Save it.
- Open the file with your program of choice in order to view it.
Social Safe
Social Safe is an application that currently allows you to save Facebook profile information in a very user-friendly format. It has a free version which allows you to download certain information, however if you want to be able to view or export all of it, you will need to get the paid version. It is only $6.99 though, so if you are not comfortable with the Give Me My Data option and want a very user-friendly interface, it’s well worth the cost.
The Free Version Includes:
Photo Albums
Friends
Status Updates
Profile
The Paid version includes:
Wall Posts
Tagged Photos
And the following items for your Your Twitter Account:
Tweets
Direct Messages
Mentions
Followers
Following
Bio
Facebook Fan Page Backups
I have only been able to find one site that offers Fan/Like page backups. This site is Backupify.com. This site allows you to do a full backup of 5 social media services for free. Information is stored on their site. They have a full menu of options that you can choose from for each account, letting you specify exactly which items you would like to save.
Backups are performed automatically once a week. If you would like a copy of your backups – click on Archives, then click on Export to Zip and a file will be emailed to you. Note: This zip file will contain ALL of the accounts that you have set to back up – not just the Facebook Fan Page. It may take a few hours for the file to arrive once you request it. I requested a zip file earlier today – as soon as I receive it I will let you know how it looks as far as readability and usability.
And as with all backups, I recommend that you keep one copy on your computer, and one copy off-site. I like to use Adrive.com for off-site backups.
For information on backing up your Twitter account – see my previous post Is Your Twitter Account Protected?
Feel free to leave any questions, ideas, and feedback below. I love to hear what you have to say. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your Twitter and Facebook friends by clicking on the share buttons, or if you have other bookmark accounts, please click on the any of the sharing icons below and share! I deeply appreciate it!! Thanks so much for your time and attention!
To Your Prosperity!
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This is such an extensive list. Thanks so much for the great review. I am eager to try your suggestions.
Debbie
Debbie Lattuga recently posted… Finding Yourself
Thanks Debbie – I hope you will find it helpful
Thanks for your comments. Lori
Hi Lori! What an entertaining way to post a serious subject! I love orangutans – one of my three favorites, next to elephants and camels. Loved the cartoons, too. This is great information. It’s not something I had thought of at all. It’s good to know how to prevent a bad thing from happening.
Wishing you a song in your heart,
Miss Leslie @ Music with Miss Leslie
Thanks Miss Leslie! I hope you will find it helpful! I love all animals, but especially cats and horses
I like to include some humor in my posts cuz they can get kinda techy at times 
I think it’s a nice way to lighten them up a bit 
Lori
Wow Lori, Great information. This is a post that I will be back when I have a break to re-read. Thanks so much for this great information. I was not aware that this could be done in Facebook. Keep up these great posts and YOU make it a great week.
Ross Joyner recently posted… Tips from a Search Engine Professíonal
Hi Ross – thanks so much for stopping by. I am glad I could provide information that you find useful
Always happy to help out! I appreciate your comments! Lori
Ok, first of all I have to say I LOVE that cute photo of the little monkey! And, secondly, YIKES! I never thought about backing up my FB information. I don’t actually sell anything on FB but of course there is a lot of history and data associated with the site so thank you so much for providing this important information.
Marquita Herald recently posted… Have you ever taken an instant dislike to someone
Thanks Marquita
At the very least it’s a good idea to back up your list friends – at this time there is no way to do an actual restore – but at least you will have the list, so you can recontact them if needed. Lori
Hi Lori,
Great Facebook tips here, I really haven’t heard about these great apps. Backing up data is always very important so thanks for this list, I’ll definitely bookmark this and come back to it!
George
George Tiganus recently posted… How To Find A Niche
Thanks, George – I am glad you found it helpful. I appreciate your comments! Lori
Lori:
This is a very valuable post. Thank you so much for the resources & step by step process you have provided for us. I intend to back up my Pages today!
Thanks again
Matt Geib The Great
Thanks Matt! I am so glad I could help. Your comments are greatly appreciated! Lori
What a great post. Thanks for sharing the great information and tips.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Maggie – I am glad you enjoyed it. Lori
Lori these are some great resources. I made sure I have shared them because honestly this is a topic not a lot of people think about. But I think they should thanks for sharing.
Steve
Steve Shoemaker recently posted… Stay EverFocused And Organized With EverNote
Thanks, Steve. I am glad that you found the information useful. Your comments are appreciated
Lori
Hi Lori
THX for this info.
I did not know about it so i will start to do it. I ones was there were FB
delete your acc and i was force to start all over again and that is not nice.
I will have a look at twitter also
Thanks
Theuns
Theuns recently posted… My Opus – vs My Goals and Dreams
Hi Theuns – wow – having to start over on FB would not be fun – sorry you had to go through that. I am glad I could provide information that helps you. Thanks for sharing your comments! Lori
Hi Lori,
Thanks for sharing.
These are some great tips and I really like the presentation and keeping with the humor. Great job.
Thanks for sharing your comments, Gary ! Lori
Nice site. Thanks for sharing the helpful information. I had never thought about a back up before. Regards, Bill
Bill T, recently posted… What Could Replace Facebook
Hi Bill – thanks for you comments! Deeply appreciated. Lori
That is a lot better for backups then even a year ago when I first started looking at backing up my Facebook account. Great info!
Hi Andy – glad I could help! Hoping the the methods will be able to improve even more in the future
Thanks for your comments! Lori
Definitely Lori! I was looking to Yahoo to download my info. Never seemed to work.
Hi Lori,
I feel guilty, because back up is my weak point! You certaily provide compelling reasons and plenty of tools for backing up facebook. Now I am creating pages and groups, I am going to seriously consider this. Thanks for all the amazing informatoin.
John Gaydon recently posted… I Am Not One To Brag But…
Hi John – thanks so much for your kind comments – I am glad I was able to help
Lori
Hey Lori,
That’s an amazing list of resources you’ve so generously taken the time to compile. The exact thing I had been looking for to backup FB a/c and Fan Pages.
At least now I can backup critical info, which I wasn’t aware initially that it could be backed up. Thanks!
Yasser
Yasser Khan recently posted… Don’t Believe A Word You Read In This Post
Hello Yasser! I am glad I was able to help
Good luck with your backups 
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Lori
Hi Lori,
Wow, what a great list! Recently I read an article about the importance of backing up your social media account because these sites get hacked and you could lose updates that could be potentially important. Thanks for this great resource!
Janette Stoll
Janette Stoll recently posted… When Direct Sales Companies Discount Their Start-up Fees
Hi Janette – so glad I was able to provide some information you are able to use
I appreciate your comments! Lori
Several years ago I learned the hard way about backing up my online stuff. That was before Facebook. There was a huge problem on our server and all websites were lost. I had to rebuild everything, including a large members area with lots of files. That was over twelve years ago and I was new to online marketing.
Melodie Kantner recently posted… Do Realize The Power In The Social Media Revolution
Hi Melodie! Wow – so sorry you lost all your websites – what a blow! Sometimes we learn the hard way
Thanks for sharing your experience 
Lori
Hi Lori,
It is a very nice and interesting post.You explained serious topic in a very good way and I am thinking to try your suggestions,it looks great.
waterpearls recently posted… Heart Internet Discount Coupon
I hope you find the suggestions helpful
Thanks for your comments!
Hello Lori,
Sadie here in France thanks for sharing these resources, i’ll be passing them on too. The more I learn the more I share! I speak on Local, Mobile and Social topics here in France , look forward to a continued shared learning experience. Have a lovely weekend
Sadie-Michaela Harris recently posted… Why Mobile Users Aren’t Checking In – With Infographic
Thanks for stopping by! I hope the information will help you with your speaking engagements.
Holy Cow! Do I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN… I’m bookmarking this so I can find some more time to go through all these tips you have given me. I have to do things step by step, so this is like a manual for me. I cannot believe all the things I have ignored on this subject. Maybe it’s because I’m so caught up in social media. I’m not so good at the technical parts of my business.
Thanks for this wonderful information. I will use it as a step-by-step guide to improve.
Donna
Hi Donna! I’m glad you will find my instructions helpful! Let me know if you need any help with the technical side of your business – I’d be happy to help. Thanks for your comments
I remember the days when you inserted your 360BB floppy into your pc, used a dos batch file to do the copy and voila.
I still use dos batch files to backup across our network and I had this as near as possible to an art form.
Now you are raising the very important issue of the real need to back up facebook profiles which until now I had not even thought about.
So thank you very much of raising this important issue. More work ahead
Keep the Smiles
Stevie
Stevie Smith recently posted… Depression After Break Up
Hi Stevie! LOL I remember those days, too
And then there was the ZIP drive and all those disks 
Glad I was able to help 
Thanks for your comments.
Thanks for the suggestions on how to back up our Facebook stuff. It didn’t occur for me to do that. But it does make sense. I had a friend who lost his business account on Facebook. I remember him ranting about that. Backingup up is something most of us forget to do. I will take a look at some of your options. BTW, love the comic strips.
Lian recently posted… Little Known Ways To Get Your Preschooler Reading
Hi Lian:) Thanks for your comments – I hope you will find the information helpful!
Lori, this post shows me how MUCH I have yet to learn! Very well laid out, and simple enough to follow. I know all too well how it feels to lose a FB profile. Mine was shut down permanently, or so they said, 15 months ago… not long after our son died. I’m so grateful they gave my account back to me after I appealed several times… because there were so many messages of comfort and encouragement sent to me that would have been lost forever.
Thank you for posting! I love the comic strips too.
Willena Flewelling
Willena Flewelling recently posted… The Starting Point of All Achievement
OH Willena, so sorry to hear about your son. I am glad that FB finally gave you your account back. I hope you will find the information here useful. Thanks for your comments! Lori
Hi Lori,
LOL that cartoon is a giggle!
On a serious note this is a very important topic and I wish I’d known about it before accidentally losing my facebook profile because since then I’ve had to start over!
I will certainly be backing up my new one. Thank you so much.
Emma
Emma recently posted… 6 reasons why chickens make the perfect pets – yes- really!!
Emma:) Sorry to hear you lost your profile! Hope you find the information helpful
Thanks for you comments! Lori
Interesting, I had no idea you could actually export that kind of info much less anything from FB. And who ever would have thought there were companies or apps that allow you to do it either. But no matter what it is if there is money to be made someone will think of it for sure.
FB allows you to download/export your info but I have to wonder what good is this if by some strange fluke their servers go caput or just whatever, how would you upload your exported info, hmmm who knows it may just be a matter of time before they think of it.
Hi Lori,
Great post and info. An i like your cartoon there
Well, sometimes I’m losing my data, too and for just in case, I back up all of them in the other drives. But for the Facebook, I barely know it. Thanks for sharing it.
Andrew Walker recently posted… Omnis Coupons
Hi Lori!
Very interesting post. We haven’t backed up any of our social media accounts so both this post as well as your older twitter post will come in handy when we do our backups.
Thanks for the valuable info!
Tim & Sole | Making your Social Media Dance recently posted… Is Your Business Code A Secret
Hi Tim and Sole! Glad I could help ! Thanks for commenting ! Lori
Hi Lori
Thx for the good info you give us all
This will help a lot if you need to use some of the comments
on your posts for other use.
Back up is not something that a lot off people do but it save you a lot of tears on the end.
Regards
Theuns
Thanks for your comments, Theuns – deeply appreciated ! Lori
Hey Lori, thanks so much for the great info in this article. I had no idea that I could back up all my stuff on facebook. You made a great point in that facebook information is a lifeline and income stream for many marketers.
Steve Dooley recently posted… Why Are We In Business We Must Keep Things In Perspective
Hi Steve – thanks for commenting – I am glad you found the information helpful! Lori
Hi Lori,
Wow I never knew about these services that you mention in the post. This must not be overlooked by anyone who has a facebook business page. Very informative post!
Thank you very much! By the way I have just sent you a message on twitter.
Aidan Gibson
Aidan Gibson recently posted… Send Free Video Emails With iWowWe
Hi Aidan! Glad you found the information helpful! Thanks for the tweet and for your comments. Lori
Hey Lori,
Thanks for these detailed list of options and approaches. It is best to be proactive in this areas as most people tend not to even think about this possibility until it is too late
Keep your dreams alive!
Make it a great day!
God Bless,
The GREAT Edward!
The GREAT Edward recently posted… Hammock Wisdom – Living A Fear-less Life!
Hi Edward! Thanks so much for commenting! Lori
You mean I have to do more than just step back and hope for the best so I won’t look like the orangutan? Well I better get busy then backing up the way you so expertly and entertainingly pointed out here. If I don’t I have only myself to blame.
LOL – Hi Monika – we all want to avoid looking like the orangutan if possible
Thanks for your comments 
Lori
Great Article Lori! Its amazing to learn how I can back up my account information. I’d love to see what kind of a personality I am communicating over the internet through my facebook account
. Thank You
Hazel-Ann La Fortune recently posted… Resilience- Walking Through The Rain
Thanks, Hazel-Ann – I am glad I could help
Thanks for commenting 
Lori,
Thanks for all the great information. I have never thought about backing up my facebook profile. I probably wouldn’t have thought about it until it was hacked or something. Thanks for people like you that stay on top of things.
I am going to try each resource and let you know the one I like the best. I will let you know which one I choose.
Jaden
Jaden Daniels recently posted… Magical Creation Box To Manifest Your Desires
Glad I could help, Jaden! Let me know what you decide. Thanks for your comments! Lori
Hi Adrian – hope you were able to get things backed up ok – Thanks for your comments! Lori
Hi Lori,
This is an excellent post. Thanks for providing those information to us. I didn’t actually know that we can backup our facebook profiles. I don’t really like using facebook apps so I might as well try downloading it from my account.
Thanks Ira – I hope you find it useful. Thanks for your comments! Lori
Lori,
I have thought of backing up my blog or course and when my computer gave me a scare the other day I thought of an external hard drive to back up my entire computer but even with all that scare, I didn’t even think of backing up my pages on Facebook! Thank you for this information!
Linda
Linda G. Cox @ Multiple Sclerosis recently posted… Step In Front with iWowWe Video Email
Thanks for your comments, Linda!
Hi Lori! Thanks so much for the excellent FB backup information. Love that it’s step by step, so easy to follow and I can hardly wait to get it done. I’m so big on back up but hadn’t thought about FB backup so really appreciate that you brought it to our attention! Great solutions and thanks too for the links!
Hi Loren – I’m glad I was able to provide you with something that you find helpful! Thanks for your comments! Lori
Hi Lori,
you have provided an abundance of information and options for how to do the Facebook backup.
I really appreciate the detailed instructions and explanations of each one of the options. It is good to have choices and make them being iformed.
Thank you for the great post and links.
Cheers
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted… Living in Cruise mode
Hi Lori:
This post was very helpful! I did not know that backing up my FB profile and page was even an option. I am going to go and check some of these options out.
Thanks!
Kevin
Lori,
Thank you for the great information. I had been wondering if it were possible to back up FB info and how to go about it. You brought me the answers I needed.
I’m sure many of your viewers share my gratitude for the information you bring to us.
Great job-
Terrific Tonya Heathco
National Seizure Disorders Foundation
Terrific Tonya Heathco recently posted… NSDF- Our Position in a World of Ignorance
Hi Lori,
Thanks for the great backup information! You’ve done a thorough job of reviewing these different options. I agree that FB’w own solution is arduous at best. I didn’t know about backupify and may have to go check that one out myself. Looking at the checklist however, I wonder if you are able to backup more of page content than just the albums and events. Thanks for this great post!
Linnea recently posted… Facebook “Send”
Thanks for a great post with some wonderful resources.
I didn’t even know that Facebook could be backed up.
Looking forward to your next post
Ben
Ben recently posted… Finding Balance Part 2
I was not aware that we have an option to back up our facebook files. I wasn’t a fan of games and some applications but I guess I have to give this a try. I can use it if it is working for me.
Hi Lori,
This is a practical, informative article teaching how to back up Facebook. I’m going to admit that I really didn’t know there is a way to back up Facebook. Thanks for providing this because I will waste no time getting a backup! I appreciate the logical clear instruction on how to perform this task. This is sweet!
Raena Lynn
Lori, you did your due-diligence on this one. I have a fantastic Fan page and I will need to restore all the information as you have given me the motivation to due. You know, I usually would back up data. Yet, never thought of doing it for facebook fan page.
Great find Lori, and please keep us up on the next fantastic find. Your amazing and very resourceful. I love your site and will be back soon.
It is good to know that you can actually backed up your profile on facebook, with all threats in the internet. I feel more secure now, knowing I can backed up my profile on facebook, Thank you for sharing this information.
I did not know we could back up our Facebook stuff. I wonder how many people actually know this? I love all of the resouces you listed to do this with. I am glad there are people out here that help me so much!
To Much Success,
Barbara
Wow, Lori, This is sensational! I never considered backing up this information. You have done exceptionally well researching all this information. I really thank you and appreciate all your hard work!
Bless you abundantly!
Lynn
Lynn Jones recently posted… Seven Simple Secrets to Help You Eat That Frog!
thanks so much for the great info in this article. I had no idea that I could back up all my stuff on facebook. You made a great point in that facebook information is a lifeline and income stream for many marketers.
Hello Lori, after backing up the data, do you have any idea how can i restore the data back to my facebook profile?
Hi Tal,
Thanks so much for your comments. At the present time there is no way to do a restore, although Backupify is working on that. You would have to go back in to your account manually and re-add the information you had before. The backup file they supply simply gives you a list of what you had in your account. You would need to recontact and re-add friends, groups, etc. As far as I know, Backupify is only able to do a restore on Gmail.
Lori