Facebook to Auto-Delete Live Videos After 30 Days

For years, businesses and creators have relied on Facebook Live as a seemingly permanent archive for their video content. That assumption is now fundamentally changing. Effective February 19, 2025, Facebook has implemented a new policy: all live videos will be automatically deleted 30 days after their initial broadcast. This significant shift moves away from indefinite storage and brings Facebook's retention policies in line with broader industry trends, reflecting an understanding that the vast majority of live video engagement typically occurs within the first few weeks of its air date.

Impact on Existing and Future Content

This revised policy isn't just about new broadcasts; it retrospectively impacts existing content. Any live videos currently older than 30 days will be systematically removed in phases over the coming months. To prevent the permanent loss of valuable archives, Facebook will issue notifications via email and within the app. These alerts provide a crucial 90-day window during which users can download their videos or transfer them to other storage solutions. For all new live broadcasts moving forward, the 30-day retention countdown will commence immediately after the broadcast concludes.

Tools for Downloading and Preserving Content

Recognizing the potential disruption this policy change could cause for content creators and businesses, Facebook has proactively rolled out a suite of tools designed to facilitate the preservation of live video assets. Users now have several direct options to manage their content before it's automatically purged:

• Individual Video Download: For specific high-value broadcasts, users can directly download single live videos. This is done by navigating to the desired video on their profile or page, opening it in full screen, and then selecting the "Download video" option.
• Bulk Download Functionality: To streamline the process for accounts with extensive live video archives, Facebook provides a bulk download feature. Users can access the "Your live videos" section within their Activity Log, specify a date range, and then request a comprehensive downloadable archive containing all relevant videos from that period.
• Direct Cloud Transfer Integration: To address concerns about local storage capacity and simplify archiving workflows, Facebook has also integrated direct transfer capabilities to popular cloud storage services. Users can seamlessly move their live videos to platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive, ensuring off-platform redundancy and accessibility without consuming valuable device storage.

Conversion to Reels and Extended Deletion Postponement

While the 30-day deletion might seem restrictive, Facebook has also introduced options to ensure valuable content isn't permanently lost. For moments worth preserving indefinitely, users can now convert shorter segments of their live broadcasts into Facebook Reels. These Reels, by nature, are designed for long-term presence on a user's profile, ensuring that key highlights and impactful clips continue to engage audiences beyond the initial 30-day window. Furthermore, for users needing more time to organize their content, Facebook offers a one-time postponement of deletion for up to six additional months. This grace period provides ample opportunity to download, transfer, or otherwise repurpose videos without immediate pressure.

Implications for Marketers and Content Creators

This policy shift fundamentally redefines how marketers and content creators should approach their Facebook Live strategy. No longer can live broadcasts be viewed as evergreen assets that reside indefinitely on the platform. To maximize the impact and longevity of live content within this new 30-day window, a more proactive and strategic approach is essential. Here are key best practices to consider:

Pre-Broadcast: Build Anticipation and Secure Your Audience

The ephemeral nature of live video now places a greater emphasis on attracting a robust live audience. Instead of relying on post-live organic reach, focus on drawing viewers in when the broadcast is happening.

• Strategic Planning & Promotion: Treat your live sessions like mini-events. Announce them well in advance across all your marketing channels—email newsletters, other social platforms, website banners, and even paid ads if the content warrants it. Clearly communicate the topic, key takeaways, and the exact date and time. Building anticipation ensures a larger initial audience, which is critical for engagement.
• Compelling Titles & Descriptions: Craft intriguing titles and concise descriptions that clearly articulate the value proposition of your live session. What problem will you solve? What insights will you share? Use keywords naturally to attract relevant viewers.

During Broadcast: Foster Real-Time Engagement

Given the limited lifespan of the raw live video, the immediate interaction and value delivered during the broadcast become paramount.

• Real-time Interaction: Actively engage with your audience throughout the live session. Address comments and questions directly, call out viewers by name, run polls, and encourage discussions. This fosters a sense of community and keeps viewers watching longer, increasing the immediate impact of your content.
• Clear Calls to Action: Don't wait until the end. Integrate clear calls to action (CTAs) naturally throughout your broadcast. Direct viewers to relevant landing pages, product listings, or other platforms where they can continue their journey with your brand.

Post-Broadcast: Repurpose for Lasting Value

The 30-day deletion policy makes repurposing live content not just a good idea, but a necessity for long-term content strategy and SEO.

• Strategic Repurposing: Immediately after your live session, identify key segments, highlights, or valuable takeaways. Edit these into shorter, engaging video clips, perfect for Facebook Reels, Instagram, TikTok, or even YouTube Shorts. These shorter, repurposed assets can live on your profile indefinitely and continue to drive engagement and discoverability. Consider creating blog posts, infographics, or even podcast episodes based on the content of your live session to extend its reach across different formats and platforms.
• Prompt Archiving and Diversification: Do not delay in downloading and archiving your full live videos. Utilize Facebook's download and cloud transfer tools to secure your content to your own servers or cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) well before the 30-day auto-deletion. For critical, evergreen content, consider cross-posting or multi-streaming to platforms like YouTube, which are designed for long-term video archiving and searchability. This diversification ensures your valuable content remains accessible and searchable beyond Facebook's immediate ecosystem.

Comparisons with Other Platforms

Facebook's new 30-day retention policy for live videos marks a significant departure from its previous indefinite storage, bringing it more in line with certain industry norms while still differing notably from others.

For context, platforms like Twitch have always operated with a more limited retention model for past broadcasts (VODs). Standard Twitch users see their VODs deleted after 14 days, while partners and subscribers benefit from an extended 60-day window. This model encourages creators to actively manage their archives, often prompting them to export or highlight content they wish to preserve long-term.

In stark contrast, YouTube continues to offer indefinite archiving for live streams under 12 hours. This positions YouTube as a robust platform for creators seeking a permanent, searchable repository for their live content, often leveraging its strong SEO capabilities to drive long-term discoverability for their archived broadcasts. This fundamental difference in archiving philosophy directly influences content strategy, with YouTube favoring evergreen live content and Facebook (and Twitch) leaning towards more immediate engagement and proactive repurposing.

Final Thoughts

Facebook's implementation of a 30-day retention policy for live videos signals a clear strategic pivot: to optimize its vast storage infrastructure and align with observed user engagement patterns, where the vast majority of views occur within the initial weeks of a broadcast.

While this change undeniably shifts the burden of long-term content management onto the user, Facebook has proactively introduced a suite of tools and options designed to mitigate potential disruption. The ability to download individual videos, perform bulk transfers to cloud storage, convert highlights into persistent Reels, and even request a six-month postponement of deletion provides a robust framework for content preservation and repurposing.

For marketers and content creators, this necessitates a fundamental adaptation of their Facebook Live strategies. No longer can these broadcasts be treated as passively archived assets. Instead, the focus must sharpen on maximizing immediate impact during the live session and implementing a disciplined post-broadcast workflow for content repurposing and archiving. By leveraging the provided tools and adopting a proactive approach, businesses can continue to harness Facebook Live as a dynamic and engaging platform, ensuring valuable content isn't lost but rather transformed for sustained reach and evergreen value across their digital ecosystem.