To hide spam comments on Facebook ads, open the comment under the ad and choose Hide. Hiding is the right move for most spam: the comment disappears for the public but stays visible to the person who wrote it and their friends (Facebook Help Center). The spammer usually doesn't notice, and you can undo it. Delete, block and restrict are for rarer cases.
On Instagram, you use Hidden Words, Restrict and manual hiding. Below: the spam types, each action compared, Meta's filters and their limits on ads, and a ten-minute daily routine.
Key Takeaways
- A hidden Facebook comment stays visible to its author and their friends, and is hidden for everyone else (Facebook Help Center).
- Hide spam. Delete personal data and threats. Block repeat offenders.
- Meta's keyword filters help, but some automation does not cover paid ads.
- Never hide a real complaint. Answer it.
What kinds of spam and scams show up under ads?
Ads reach many people who don't follow you, so they attract more spam than normal posts. In May 2026, Bitdefender described how fake accounts copy a brand's help page and watch public comments for frustrated customers, then reply or send a DM (Bitdefender, Instagram impersonation scams).
Here's what an e-commerce shop usually sees:
- Fake giveaways. "Congratulations, you won! Click the link to claim your prize." The account often uses your logo.
- Crypto and "investment coach" scams. "I made $3,000 in a week thanks to this expert, message him on WhatsApp."
- "DM me" bait. Short comments that push people to a private chat, where the real scam happens.
- Impersonation of your shop. A profile with your name and photo replies to buyers: "Send us your order number and pay the delivery fee here."
- Competitor links. Another seller drops their page, link or phone number under your ad.
- Bots and trolls. Repeated emojis, off-topic text, accounts created yesterday with no photo.
Impersonation is the most dangerous. Bitdefender notes these fake accounts ask victims to share an order number, click a link or pay a small fee. If your customer gets robbed under your ad, they'll blame your shop. Hide these fast and report the account to Meta.
Hide, delete, block or restrict: what's the difference?
According to the Facebook Help Center, a hidden comment stays visible to the author and their friends but is hidden for everyone else, while a deleted comment is removed from the post. Blocking acts on the person, not the comment. On Instagram, Restrict sits in between: the person can still comment, but only they can see it.
| Action | Platform | What happens | Can you undo it? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hide | Facebook and Instagram | Hidden from the public. On Facebook, still visible to the author and their friends | Yes | Spam, scam links, competitor ads, trolls |
| Delete | Facebook and Instagram | Removed for everyone | No | Personal data (a customer's phone or address), threats, illegal content |
| Block (once called "ban" on Pages) | Facebook Page | The profile can no longer see your Page's posts, message your Page or find it in search | Yes, unblock | Repeat spammers, fake accounts copying your shop |
| Block | The account can no longer interact with your profile | Yes, unblock | Same as above | |
| Restrict | Their new comments are visible only to them until you approve | Yes | Annoying accounts you don't want to block openly |
Older guides say "ban from Page." Facebook now calls it blocking a profile from your Page: the blocked profile can no longer see your Page's posts, message it or find it in search (Facebook Help Center, block profiles from your Page). Meta says a block also covers new accounts the person may create (Meta for Creators, comment moderation).
Restrict is Instagram only. A restricted person's new comments are visible only to them, you can approve, delete or ignore each one, and you get no notifications for them (Instagram Help Center, Restrict).
Why hide instead of delete? A spammer whose comment vanishes often posts again. If nothing changes on their side, they move on. And a real buyer hidden by mistake comes back with one tap. Delete only when even a small audience is a problem, like a customer who posted their full address.
How do Meta's keyword filters and Hidden Words work?
Meta's keyword blocking hides comments that contain words you choose, and it now also catches variants written with numbers, symbols or different spellings (Meta for Creators). On Instagram, the same idea is called Hidden Words. Both are free.
On Facebook
In your Page settings, find the moderation section. Add words, links or emojis you want hidden. Meta is also testing Moderation Assist, which hides comments that match rules you pick from a list, such as comments with links or images (Meta for Creators).
On Instagram
Hidden Words has a default filter for offensive comments and a custom list where you add words, phrases, numbers and emojis, separated by commas. The person who wrote a hidden comment is not told (Instagram Help Center, Hidden Words).
Which words should you add?
- Words from scams you already see: "won", "prize", "crypto", "investment", "message him".
- Link shorteners and suspicious domains.
- Names of competitors who spam your ads.
- The same words in every language your buyers use: Arabic script, Latin-letter Darija or Dziri, French and English.
Watch out for one trap. Never add "price", "delivery", "COD" or "WhatsApp" to the list. Those are your buyers' words. A filter that's too wide hides your sales.
Do Meta's tools work on paid ads?
Not fully. Agorapulse states that "Moderation Assist does not work on paid ads," so those comments still need manual review (Agorapulse, Facebook comment moderation, updated October 2025). Meta's own page doesn't say whether the feature covers ads, so test it on your account.
The bigger limit: filters match words, not meaning. Spaced-out letters, dots, numbers used as letters and styled Unicode can still slip past Hidden Words (SuperProfile, Hidden Words not working). A scammer writing "rb7t bzaf m3a had lcoach" in Latin-letter Darija will pass a list built in English.
The opposite problem is just as real. A buyer asking "is this a scam?" gets hidden if "scam" is on your list, and you never see the lost sale.
That gap is what Tact was built for. It reads the meaning of each comment under your Facebook and Instagram ads, in Darija, Dziri, Khaleeji, standard Arabic, French or English, hides spam and scams, and logs every action so you can undo it. It connects through Meta's official login.
How do you avoid hiding real unhappy customers?
Hiding a complaint is tempting, but the customer still sees it and notices nobody answered. In the Sprout Social Index 2025, 73% of consumers said they'll buy from a competitor if a brand doesn't respond on social (Sprout Social, 2025 Index).
A complaint handled well in public reassures other buyers. Here's a simple rule set:
- Separate spam from criticism. "Scam, contact this number" is spam. "I ordered 10 days ago and got nothing" is a customer.
- Reply in public, short and calm. "Sorry for the delay, we just sent you a message to fix this."
- Fix it in private. Order number, tracking, a clear answer.
- Hide only if the complaint has insults or personal data. Then still contact the person.
- Warn buyers about fake accounts. Pin a reply like "We only reply from this account. We never ask for payment by DM."
This is also why Tact doesn't hide complaints. It holds them, with unclear comments, for the shop owner. For the reply side, read how to reply to Instagram ad comments automatically and how to turn ad comments into COD orders.
What's a simple daily routine for ad comment spam?
Do it every day, because spam left for a few hours already reaches buyers. Here's a ten-minute version:
- Morning: check every active ad. Open comments from Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager, not only the Page feed, because ad comments don't always show there.
- Hide spam, scams and competitor links. Report and block any account that copies your shop.
- Answer real questions and complaints before you touch anything else.
- Review the hidden list. Unhide any real buyer the filters caught by mistake.
- Update your word list. Add new scam phrases you saw today, in every script and language.
- Evening: a quick second pass on the ads with the most spend.
Once a week, note which ads attract the most spam. A sudden wave on one ad often means it's reaching a new audience.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hiding and deleting a Facebook comment?
A hidden comment stays visible to its author and their friends, and disappears for everyone else (Facebook Help Center). A deleted comment is gone for everyone, for good. Hiding is quieter and you can undo it.
Can I hide comments on a Facebook ad?
Yes. Open the ad post from your Page, Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager and choose Hide. Keyword filters help, but check ads by hand too: Moderation Assist has been reported not to work on paid ads (Agorapulse).
How do I stop spam comments on Instagram automatically?
Turn on Hidden Words. It filters offensive comments and hides your own list of words, phrases, numbers and emojis, without telling the author (Instagram Help Center). Check the hidden list often, because exact-word filters can catch real buyers.
Should I hide negative comments from customers?
No, not if they are real customers with a real problem. Reply in public, then solve it in private. Hide only spam, scams, insults and personal data.
What does Restrict do on Instagram?
A restricted person's new comments are visible only to them until you approve them (Instagram Help Center). You get no notifications for their comments. It's useful for annoying accounts you don't want to block openly.
Try it on your own ads
If spam under your ads is eating your time, you can try Tact free for 3 days, no card needed. See how it works, check pricing, or create your account.