Greenville Library Limited to Two Facebook Links Per Month Under Meta Trial

The Greenville, Texas, public library recently discovered its official Facebook page had hit a hard limit on sharing external websites. The page, which serves a city population of approximately 35,000, could only include links in two posts per month. That allowance had already been used. To post a third link, the library would need to purchase a Meta One subscription starting at $50 per month, according to Daniel Starks, the city’s communications manager.

Starks noted that more than half of the city’s digital communication involves directing residents to specific pages on the municipal website. Fearing the same restriction would apply to the city’s other Facebook accounts, he instructed staff to stop placing URLs in the main body of posts. Instead, staff now embed links in the comment sections. Starks also created a graphic to inform followers of this procedural shift. He described the situation as a problem because a government entity trying to distribute important information is being forced to pay a fee for a basic function.

Bethany English, co-president of the East Side Pawject in Indianapolis, faced a similar hurdle last week. Her organization runs pet food pantries and maintains a Facebook page with just under 1,000 followers. When she attempted to share a link to an upcoming event, the system blocked her because the two free monthly links had been consumed. An upgraded plan allowing 20 links costs $150 per month. English is now considering using dedicated Facebook events or asking board members to post links from their personal profiles, which are exempt from the restrictions, to keep information flowing to the community.

Meta has tested paid link sharing for nearly a year. The feature is currently bundled into Meta One plans. The entry-level tier costs $14.99 per month and does not include extra Facebook links. The $49.99 tier permits eight links per month. The $149.99 tier allows 20 links, while the $499.99 tier provides unlimited access. Jeff Bannister, marketing manager at the North Carolina nonprofit SparkPoint, called the $50 price point for eight links crazy. He said the return on investment feels almost negative for a small organization, though he acknowledged that many residents in Transylvania County still rely on the platform for news.

Confusion has surrounded the implementation of these limits. Some users can post links in comments while others cannot. Meta’s help center pages do not explicitly state that the link restriction is a test. A Meta spokesperson said the company is testing whether link sharing should be part of the Meta One subscription. On October 23, 2026, the spokesperson clarified that pages must list “nonprofit” in their category section for Meta’s systems to recognize their status. It remains unclear why organizations that use Meta’s fundraising tools or state their status elsewhere are not automatically exempt.

David Diskin, president of California Freethought Day, learned of the limit earlier this month, days before his organization’s annual civic event in Sacramento. He was quoted monthly rates of $40 for eight links, $119 for 20, or $399 for unlimited access. The restriction was lifted this week without an explanation from Meta. Diskin noted that the fix came only after his organization’s major fundraiser had already taken place.