Differences in Facebook Followers
This article explains why follower and like counts for Facebook can differ between Meta surfaces and the platform.
How are data synchronized?
We synchronize Followers and Likes daily through Meta's API. Meta consolidates data in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT-8), while the platform uses the time zone configured in your account. Because of this, some differences may appear. This does not mean data is missing, but it can shift the consolidation to different days.
Temporary drops in follower metrics
Sometimes, you might notice a sudden drop in the follower chart that creates a visible spike. This is usually caused by a temporary issue in the data provided by Facebook. In most cases, Meta corrects the metric over time, and once updated, the chart in the platform reflects the actual data again.
Insights on New Experience Pages
Statistics on New Experience Pages are less detailed than in the classic version. It is no longer possible to see the evolution over time of Followers or Likes. In June 2023, Meta disabled classic pages, making all Facebook pages New Experience Pages.
Until then, the information Facebook provided to third-party tools was the same as what was offered for classic pages.
Facebook has historically shown differences between the number of Followers or Likes displayed publicly on the page and the numbers available in statistics.
Below is an example using our own Facebook page.
In the second image from Facebook statistics for the classic version, the consolidated follower data in the solid graph is 4089. That is significantly different from the public number. The public follower count is very close to the non-consolidated data shown in the dashed graph, which is only a projection. In practice, that increase never becomes final.
Global pages
We are currently tracking changes in how Facebook shows followers and likes for pages that use a global page. Learn more about these pages in this article from Facebook's help center.
The platform syncs the information that Meta provides through its API. You can compare the data with the statistics in Business Manager:
Access Business Manager insights.
Select Facebook and the period you want to analyze.
In the performance section, click Followers.
The Likes and Followers detail provided by Meta is the data shown in the platform. There may still be a slight difference due to the time zone used for data consolidation. Meta works in the San Francisco time zone, while the platform uses the time zone set in your account settings.