You’re scrolling through Facebook Marketplace, hunting for a mid-century modern dresser or maybe a used mountain bike that isn’t beat to hell. You find the perfect listing. The price is right. You click "Message Seller" or scroll down to check the description, and there it is—that annoying gray block of text that simply says [hidden information]. It’s incredibly frustrating. You just want the person's phone number or the address for the pickup, but Facebook's algorithm has decided to play gatekeeper.
Honestly, it feels like a glitch. It isn't, though. Not exactly.
Facebook uses automated scrapers and safety filters to "protect" you, but these bots are often about as precise as a sledgehammer. They see a string of numbers or a specific keyword and instantly redact it. They're trying to stop scammers from harvesting data, but they mostly just stop people from actually buying stuff.
What's actually behind the hidden information Facebook Marketplace filter?
Most of the time, that grayed-out text is a phone number. Facebook really hates it when you take the conversation off their platform. Why? Because if you move to text or WhatsApp, they lose the ability to track the transaction or "protect" you via their internal reporting tools. If a scam happens on their messenger, they have a record. If it happens on your iPhone's native texting app, they're out of the loop.
But it isn't just phone numbers. Sometimes it’s an email address. Other times, it’s a physical street address. I’ve even seen it hide things like "10th Street" or "400 dollars" if the formatting is weird enough to trigger the spam filters. The AI thinks it's being helpful. It's really just getting in the way.
The algorithm is looking for specific patterns. It searches for:
- Phone number formats like (555) 555-5555 or 555.555.5555.
- Email strings containing the @ symbol.
- Certain keywords that imply a "gray market" sale or off-platform payment like Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle.
- Zip codes or house numbers followed by street names.
It’s an automated safety net. If you've ever dealt with the "Is this still available?" bots, you know how messy Marketplace can get. Facebook is trying to reduce the surface area for those scammers to operate. The problem is that the filter doesn't know the difference between a legitimate seller sharing their contact info and a bot trying to steal your identity.
How to get around the [hidden information] block right now
If you’re the buyer and you can't see the info, don't just keep refreshing the page. It won't work. The data is stripped at the server level before it ever reaches your browser or app.
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Try the desktop trick first.
Kinda weirdly, the Facebook mobile app is much more aggressive with redaction than the mobile browser version. Open your phone's web browser (Safari or Chrome), go to facebook.com, and log in. Sometimes the information appears there when it won't show up in the app. If that fails, go to a laptop or desktop computer. The "Full Site" version of Facebook Marketplace often bypasses the automated redaction that plagues the mobile interface. It’s a classic case of the mobile app having "safety features" that the legacy desktop site hasn't fully integrated yet.
What if you're the seller and your info is getting hidden? Stop typing numbers like a normal person. Seriously.
If you need to share your phone number, you have to trick the bot. Write it out in words. "Five five five, four two one, zero zero zero zero." Or, use periods between every single digit. Some people use screenshots. They’ll type their phone number in the "Notes" app on their phone, take a screenshot, and upload it as the third or fourth photo in the listing. Facebook’s OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is getting better at reading text in images, but it usually misses numbers scribbled on a piece of paper or typed in a weird font.
The safety reasons (and why you should actually care)
Look, I get it. The hidden info is a pain. But there is a reason Meta does this.
Phishing is rampant on Marketplace. A common scam involves a "buyer" asking for your phone number so they can send you a "Google Voice verification code" to prove you're real. In reality, they're using your number to set up a fraudulent account. By hiding phone numbers by default, Facebook makes it one step harder for these scripts to scrape thousands of listings in seconds.
Also, there's the Zelle/Venmo issue. Facebook wants you to use Meta Pay. They want the transaction to stay within their ecosystem. When the system sees a "hidden information" trigger, it’s often because the seller is trying to direct the buyer toward a non-protected payment method.
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You’ve probably noticed that Marketplace doesn't have a "Buy Now" button for everything. Most stuff is local pickup. For local stuff, Facebook doesn't make a dime. Their only "value" is keeping you on the app so you see more ads. Hiding contact info forces you to stay in the Messenger chat, which keeps their "Time on App" metrics high.
Real-world workarounds for sellers
If you are tired of your listings being flagged, change your approach to the description. Instead of putting your address or phone number in the main body, tell people to "Message for details."
Wait.
Even in Messenger, the hidden information Facebook Marketplace bug can strike. If you send your address in a DM and it gets blocked, try sending it as a map pin. Click the "location" icon in the chat and drop a pin on your house or a nearby parking lot. The algorithm almost never blocks a GPS coordinate or a map share, even though it will block the text "123 Main Street."
Another trick? Break the info across multiple messages.
Message 1: "Hey, my number is 555"
Message 2: "then 867"
Message 3: "then 5309"
By breaking the pattern of a standard 10-digit number, you fly under the radar of the automated filter. It’s annoying for the buyer to piece it together, but it’s better than them seeing a wall of gray text.
Why some listings are "shadowbanned" because of this
There is a deeper level to this. If you repeatedly try to bypass the filters by typing your phone number in the description, Facebook might "shadowban" your listing. This means your item won't show up in search results, or it will be pushed to the very bottom of the feed.
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Facebook’s Commerce Policies are strict about "Off-Platform Transactions." If the AI thinks you’re a professional dealer trying to bypass their system, they’ll throttle your reach. This is why you see so many people listing cars for "$1" or "$1,234"—they’re trying to gank the system, but often it backfires when the filter decides the whole listing is "suspicious."
If your listing says "hidden information" right where the price should be, you’ve probably used a currency symbol or a format the bot doesn't like. Stick to plain numbers. Don't use "k" for thousands. Just type "5000."
How to handle the "Is this a scam?" feeling
When you see hidden info, your first instinct might be that the seller is shady. Usually, it's the opposite. It’s a normal person who doesn't realize the bot is censoring them.
However, if a seller insists on you clicking a link to see their "real" contact info or asks for your phone number immediately without discussing the item, back away. That is a classic lead-generation tactic for scammers. A legitimate seller will usually be just as annoyed as you are that their info is hidden.
Actionable steps for a smooth transaction
Don't let the technical hiccups ruin your deal. Follow these steps to clear the air:
- Switch to the Mobile Browser: If you see [hidden information] on the app, log into Facebook via Safari or Chrome on your phone. Most of the time, the text will be visible there.
- Request a "Pin" in Messenger: If the seller’s address is blocked, ask them to send a location drop instead of typing the address.
- Use "Leetspeak" for Numbers: If you are the seller, replace some numbers with letters (like using a 'zero' instead of an 'O') or use spaces between every digit.
- Check the Seller's Profile: If the info is hidden, click the seller's name. Sometimes they have their contact info listed publicly on their actual Facebook profile "About" section, which isn't subject to the Marketplace scraper.
- Screenshot the Map: Sellers should take a screenshot of a map with a circle around the general pickup area and include it as a photo. This saves everyone a lot of back-and-forth.
The system isn't perfect. Facebook is prioritizing broad safety and data retention over user convenience. By understanding that the [hidden information] tag is just a simple pattern-matching bot, you can easily navigate around it and get your 1970s coffee table without the headache. Keep your communications inside Messenger until you’re ready to meet, and never share "verification codes" with anyone, no matter how much they claim it's for safety.