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How to share a link on Facebook (without sharing the actual URL)

Delete the link after you paste it into the "What's on your mind?" box for a cleaner look.

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Matt Elliott Contributor
Matt Elliott, a technology writer for more than a decade, is a PC tester and Mac user based in New Hampshire.
Matt Elliott

Copy and paste a link into the "What's on your mind?" box on Facebook and the URL stays in the comment section above the story's information -- the title, intro, and image -- when you share the link. The title of the article you are sharing is linked, so there is no need for an ugly link above it. And, in fact, it is quite easy to get rid of it.

When you paste a link into the "What's on your mind?" box, Facebook grabs the title and intro paragraph for your post, along with an image if available. After this information pops in below the link, you can simply delete the link before sharing your post. Deleting the link after the story information populates will not delete the story; instead, it lets you share the story without the clutter of a long link.

Tell me, which looks better to you, Exhibit A or Exhibit B:

Exhibit A Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Exhibit B Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

The above is from my Facebook page, and you can see a similar result on the News Feed:

Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

For more Facebook tips, check out these recent posts:

Easily unfollow a Facebook post from the new notification box

Getting started with Facebook Pages Manager for iOS

Hide Facebook Timeline with a Firefox add-on

How to prevent Facebook Messenger from sharing your location