8 Links: The monthly limit forcing cities and charities to pay Meta

Verified government and nonprofit Facebook pages are being limited to eight links per month unless they pay for a subscription. This restriction is part of a Meta One test that company representatives said should not affect these groups. The change forces public entities to pay up to $50 for basic functionality that previously cost nothing.

Daniel Starks, communications manager for Greenville, Texas, oversees nearly a dozen city pages. The city has about 35,000 residents. His staff received a notice that the city library page could add links to only two posts per month. Both slots were already used. To post more, the city would need a Meta One subscription costing at least $50 per month.

Starks said more than half of the city's communication involves directing residents to website information. He told staff to stop putting links in posts and instead place URLs in comments. He created a graphic to explain the change to followers. He noted that an official governmental entity trying to share important information is being paywalled for posting a link.

Nonprofits are facing similar issues. Bethany English, co-president of the East Side Pawject in Indianapolis, found she could not add a website link to an event post last week. The group organizes pet food pantries. Her page has just under 1,000 followers. An expert plan allowing 20 links a month would cost her $150. She is considering using Facebook events or having board members add links from personal profiles.

Meta has tested paid linking for nearly a year. The feature was first part of Meta Verified and is now a benefit of Meta One plans. The $14.99 monthly tier includes no extra Facebook link sharing. The $49.99 tier allows eight links, the $149.99 tier allows 20, and the $499.99 tier offers unlimited links.

Jeff Bannister, marketing manager at SparkPoint in North Carolina, called the $50 price for eight links crazy. He said the return on investment seems almost negative. He is exploring ways for local nonprofits to share information to rely less on Facebook. However, much of Transylvania County remains active on the platform.

David Diskin, president of California Freethought Day, was told of the limit earlier this month. The group holds an annual civic engagement event in Sacramento. He was quoted $40 for eight links, $119 for 20, or $399 for unlimited. The restriction was lifted this week without explanation. He said the problem was fixed only after their big fundraiser had passed.

A Meta spokesperson said the company is testing whether sharing links should be part of the Meta One subscription. On October 23, 2026, the spokesperson noted that pages must list nonprofit in the category section for Meta's systems to recognize them. It remains unclear why organizations that state their status elsewhere are not identified.