How to Get Alerts When Someone Posts on Facebook
Set up Facebook’s available post related alerts and understand what following, SMS and live video notifications do—and what they don’t guarantee.
If you want to know when someone posts on Facebook, start by following their profile or Page and review the notification controls Facebook offers for that account and event type. Facebook describes following as a way to see public updates; that does not guarantee a push or text alert for every ordinary post. Its help documents SMS alerts for selected events, including comments on your own posts, and separate alerts for a Page’s live videos. The sources reviewed do not establish an alert for every post by any person or every post in a group.
1. Choose the kind of alert you need
These controls cover different events. Decide which one matches your goal before changing settings:
| What you want to know about | What Facebook documents | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Public updates from a profile or Page | Following lets you see public updates from people and Pages you are interested in. | A guaranteed notification for every ordinary post. |
| Comments on your own status updates and posts | Facebook’s SMS notification settings list this as an example of a text alert. | Texts whenever a followed person publishes a post. |
| A Page starting a live video | Page-specific live video options include All notifications, Highlights, or Off. | Alerts for that Page’s ordinary posts. |
| Every new post in a group | The sources reviewed here do not document a control that guarantees this. | Do not rely on group membership alone as an every-post alert. |
Menu names and available controls can vary by device, account, and Facebook interface version. Confirm the options shown in your account.
2. Follow the profile or Page
- Open the person’s profile or the Page.
- Select Follow if the option is available. You may already be following it.
- Use the account’s feed and Facebook’s notification settings to check which update controls are currently available.
Facebook describes following as a way to see public updates. A person may share posts with a limited audience, and following does not turn those posts into public content or ensure that every update is delivered as a notification. See Facebook’s Follow guidance.
3. Set up SMS alerts for supported events
To choose which eligible Facebook notifications can arrive by text, use Facebook’s documented route:
- Select your profile picture.
- Open Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- Open Notifications.
- Expand a notification type under What notifications you receive.
- Turn on SMS for the types you want, if that option is available.
Facebook gives comments on your status updates and posts as one example of an SMS alert. That example is about activity on your posts, not an alert for every post by someone you follow. The same help page says the Mobile settings can restrict the hours when Facebook texts you or limit how many texts you receive. Read Facebook’s SMS notification instructions.
4. Set alerts for a Page’s live videos
If the event you care about is a Page going live, Facebook documents a specific setting:
- Open the Page.
- Select Following.
- Open Options below the cover photo.
- Choose Live video.
- Select All notifications, Highlights, or Off.
Facebook says All notifications or Highlights delivers live video notifications from that Page; Off disables them. While watching a live video or its replay, Facebook also describes selecting Follow and then Notifications to hear about that person or Page’s next live broadcast. These instructions are specific to live broadcasts. See Facebook’s live video notification help.
5. Check device and account notification delivery
Turning on a Facebook preference and receiving an alert are separate steps: Facebook must have the event enabled for your account, and your device or carrier must allow that delivery route. If the in-app controls look correct but you receive no alert:
- Reopen Facebook’s Notifications settings and confirm the relevant event and delivery method are enabled.
- Check your phone’s system notification settings for the Facebook app and allow the notification types you want.
- For SMS, verify that Facebook texts are set up for your account and review the Mobile controls for quiet hours or message limits.
- Check whether you are following the correct profile or Page and whether its posts are visible to you.
- Compare what you expect with the actual event: a comment on your post, an ordinary public update, and a live broadcast use different controls.
Facebook’s help center links to separate mobile push and general notification guidance, and its Page settings index points to Page notification settings. Available routes can change; use the settings visible in your current app or account. See Facebook’s Page settings index.
6. Groups and ordinary posts: know the limit
The documentation reviewed for this guide does not establish a setting that guarantees a notification for every new post in every group, or for every ordinary post from a followed profile or Page. Group controls and account options may vary. Open the relevant group’s notification controls and review the choices Facebook currently presents, but do not treat them as a guaranteed complete feed unless Facebook explicitly describes that behavior for your account.
If you need dependable coverage for a public Page or profile, check Facebook itself regularly in addition to enabling the available alerts. Do not assume that an alert preference changes a post’s audience or grants access to content you otherwise cannot view.
7. Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely reason | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No alert for a followed person’s ordinary post | Following is described as a way to see public updates, not a guarantee of a notice for every post. | Check the feed and current notification options; distinguish a post alert from a live video alert. |
| No SMS for a comment on your post | The event’s SMS toggle may be off, or account-level Mobile limits may apply. | Recheck Notifications, the SMS toggle for that event, text setup, and quiet hours or limits. |
| No alert when a Page goes live | Live video notifications may be Off, or the Page-specific choice may not be enabled. | Open the Page’s Following > Options > Live video controls. |
| No phone push notification | Facebook’s event setting or the device’s app notification permission may be disabled. | Check both Facebook notification preferences and the phone’s system settings. |
| Some group posts trigger alerts, others do not | The sources reviewed do not establish an every-post guarantee for groups; available options and delivery can differ. | Inspect the group’s current controls and use the group feed for posts that must not be missed. |
| A menu or option is missing | The interface, device, account, or Page experience may differ. | Try the current Facebook app or desktop settings and consult the linked Facebook Help page. |
8. Can a screenshot API create Facebook post alerts?
No. A screenshot API captures a page when requested; it does not subscribe you to Facebook events or send an alert when someone posts. Facebook’s own notification settings are the right place to configure supported alerts. ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API for developers, useful when you need to capture an accessible page on demand, rather than monitor Facebook posts. Its options include full-page screenshots, element capture, PDF output, custom waits, and signed asynchronous jobs. See ScreenshotNeo and its API documentation. A page that requires login, blocks automated access, or shows a bot check may not yield the content you want; a screenshot is not a substitute for Facebook’s notification system.
Or skip the browser setup
For a developer who needs an on-demand capture of a page they can access, ScreenshotNeo takes one GET request. This does not set Facebook alerts; use it for screenshot capture. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed; an MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots; and 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card, with paid plans starting at $5 for 3,000.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpUse your API key and replace the example target with a page you are authorized to access. See the ScreenshotNeo docs. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, no card required.
FAQ
Can I get a text every time a particular person posts?
The reviewed Facebook help documents SMS choices for selected notifications, including comments on your own posts. It does not establish SMS for every ordinary post by a followed person.
Does following someone guarantee that Facebook will notify me about every update?
No such guarantee is established by the cited guidance. Facebook describes following as a way to see public updates.
Can I get notified when a Page starts a live video?
Facebook documents Page-specific live video settings with All notifications, Highlights, and Off options.
Will ScreenshotNeo watch Facebook and alert me about new posts?
No. ScreenshotNeo captures pages on request; Facebook’s notification controls handle supported post and live video alerts.
