What a Digital Creator profile is and why you might want one
A Digital Creator profile on Facebook is a category designed for people who make content—videos, photos, writing, music, or any other creative work—and want to build an audience around it. When you switch to this profile type, Facebook gives you tools built for creators: the ability to earn money through ads and subscriptions, detailed analytics about who watches your content, and access to features like Reels and live streaming that are optimized for reach.
The main difference between a Digital Creator profile and a standard personal account is that a creator profile is public by default. Anyone can follow you, see your posts, and find your content through search and recommendations. A personal account lets you control who sees what. If you post regularly and want people to discover your work, a creator profile makes sense. If you mostly share with friends and family, stick with your personal account.
You can switch back to a personal account at any time, so this is not a permanent decision. However, some features—like certain monetization tools—only work on creator accounts, so if you plan to earn money from your content, you will need to make the switch.
Key Takeaways
- Digital Creator is a profile category in Facebook's settings that you can switch to in under a minute from your account settings.
- Once you switch, your profile becomes public and anyone can follow you, but you keep control of who can message you and comment on your posts.
- You must be at least 18 years old and have an account in good standing to switch to a creator profile.
- Switching to Digital Creator unlocks monetization features like ad breaks and subscriptions, but you must meet Facebook's Partner Monetization Policies to use them.
- You can change back to a personal account whenever you want, though some data and settings may not transfer back.
How to switch your account category in Facebook settings
Open Facebook on your computer or phone and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture. Look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines on mobile, or the down arrow on desktop) and select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, you will see a menu; click Personal information.
Under Personal information, look for the line that says Account type or Account category. Click on it. Facebook will show you a list of options: Personal, Public figure, Creator, and Journalist. Select Creator. Facebook will ask you to confirm; click the button to switch. The change takes effect when ready.
If you do not see the Account type option, your account may not be may be able to access yet. Facebook rolls out creator tools gradually, so you may need to wait a few days or weeks. You can also check if you are may be able to access by going to the Creator Studio (a separate tool for managing creator content) and looking for prompts to upgrade your account.
What changes when you switch to a Digital Creator profile
Your profile becomes public, which means anyone on Facebook can see your posts, photos, and videos without being your friend. People can follow you without your permission, and your content can show up in other people's feeds and in search results. You will get a Follow button instead of an Add Friend button on your profile.
You keep control over messaging and comments. You can still choose who can message you directly (friends only, followers, or everyone), and you can turn off comments on individual posts or require approval before comments appear. Your old posts do not automatically become public; Facebook applies the privacy settings you already chose to them.
You will see new tools in your menu: Creator Studio (where you manage content, schedule posts, and track analytics) and Monetization (where you set up ad breaks, subscriptions, and other ways to earn). You will also see more detailed statistics about your followers and how your content performs.
Requirements and may be able to access for switching
You must be at least 18 years old and have a Facebook account that follows the platform's Community Standards. If your account has been restricted, suspended, or flagged for violations, you will not be able to switch until the issue is resolved. Facebook does not publish a complete list of other may be able to access rules, but accounts that are very new (a few weeks old) sometimes cannot switch when ready.
If you want to use monetization features after switching, you will need to meet additional requirements. These vary by feature: ad breaks usually require at least 10,000 page followers and 600,000 total minutes viewed in the last 60 days. Subscriptions have different thresholds. Facebook publishes these requirements in the Monetization section of Creator Studio, and they change periodically.
You do not need to meet monetization requirements to switch to a creator profile. You can switch now and work toward monetization later. However, if you switch and then your account is found to violate Facebook's policies, you may lose the ability to monetize or be switched back to a personal account.
How to access creator tools after you switch
Once you are a Digital Creator, you can access Creator Studio by clicking the menu icon on your profile and selecting Creator Studio. This is where you manage all your creator features in one place. From here, you can schedule posts, upload videos, see analytics about your audience, and manage monetization settings.
You can also access creator tools directly from your profile. Look for tabs like Insights (which shows you data about your followers and post performance) and Monetization (which shows your earnings and lets you set up new revenue streams). These tabs only appear on creator profiles.
If you want to earn money, go to the Monetization tab and review which features you are may be able to access for. Facebook will tell you exactly what you need to do to unlock each one. Some features may say "Coming soon" if you do not yet meet the requirements.
Switching back to a personal account if you change your mind
You can switch back to a personal account at any time using the same path: Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information > Account type. Select Personal and confirm. The change takes effect when ready.
When you switch back, your profile becomes private again (though your old privacy settings explore to old posts). You will lose access to Creator Studio and Insights. If you were earning money through monetization, those earnings stay in your account and you can withdraw them, but you will not be able to earn new money until you switch back to a creator profile.
Some data does not transfer back. For example, your follower count may not convert to friends, and some analytics history may be lost. If you think you might switch back and forth, take screenshots of any data you want to keep.
Troubleshooting: What to do if you cannot find the option to switch
If you cannot see the Account type option in your settings, try these steps. First, make sure you are on the latest version of the Facebook app or using an up-to-date web browser. Log out and log back in. Clear your browser cache if you are on desktop. Wait a few days; Facebook rolls out features gradually and your account may not have access yet.
If you have been on Facebook for only a few weeks, you may need to wait longer. Facebook sometimes restricts new accounts from switching to creator profiles until they have been active for 30 days or more. Check back after that time.
If your account has any active restrictions or warnings, resolve those first. Go to Settings > Account > Account status to see if there are any issues. If you see a message about a violation, follow the steps to appeal or wait out any temporary restrictions. Once your account is in good standing, the option to switch should appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use my real name on a Digital Creator profile?
No. You can use a pen name, stage name, or brand name on a creator profile. When you switch, Facebook does not require you to change your name. If you want to use a different name, you can change it in your account settings at any time, though Facebook limits how often you can change it (usually once every 60 days).
Will my friends see that I switched to a creator profile?
Your friends will not get a notification, but they will notice if they visit your profile. Your profile will look different: it will have a Follow button instead of an Add Friend button, and your posts will be public. If you want to tell them, you can post about it, but Facebook does not announce the change for you.
Can I have both a personal account and a creator account?
No. Each Facebook account can only be one type at a time. However, you can create a separate Facebook account and make that one a creator profile while keeping your personal account as is. You would need a different email address or phone number to create the second account.
What happens to my old posts when I switch to a creator profile?
Your old posts keep the privacy settings you already chose for them. If a post was set to Friends only, it stays Friends only. If it was Public, it stays Public. Switching to a creator profile does not change the privacy of posts you already made. New posts will be public by default, but you can change that for each individual post.
Do I need to switch to a creator profile to use Reels or live video?
No. Personal accounts can use Reels and live video. However, creator profiles get better tools for these features, like detailed analytics and the ability to earn money through ads. If you just want to post videos for fun, a personal account works fine.