# Using hyperlink to populate the "Write Something" field in Facebook

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-hyperlink-to-populate-the-write-something-field-in-facebook/616622>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 23, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-hyperlink-to-populate-the-write-something-field-in-facebook/616622 "2012-03-23T18:08:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-hyperlink-to-populate-the-write-something-field-in-facebook/616622/1 "2012-03-23T18:08:43Z")

</div>

I’m working on a multimedia piece that shares a link on Facebook. I’d like to be able to take some control of the text that is posted. Preferably in the **Write Something** text field, but I’d even settle for changing the text that goes next to the link (that’s set, as I understand it, by a meta tag).

To make the situation more restrictive, I can’t do more than use a URL. So no custom app on Facebook.  
Something like [Redirecting...](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=&lt;link&gt;&t=&lt;text&gt);

Facebook’s own documentation says this should work, but I’m finding that the t value is ignored (yes, I am urlencoding both u and t).

Word on SlashDot is that there is no way to do this, really:

> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5023602/facebook-share-link-can-you-customize-the-message-body-text>

But that was almost a year ago.

Any way I can do this, or am I stuck?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-hyperlink-to-populate-the-write-something-field-in-facebook/616622/2 "2012-03-23T18:34:54Z")

</div>

Can you not edit the title and description meta tags on the page instead?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-hyperlink-to-populate-the-write-something-field-in-facebook/616622/3 "2012-03-23T18:38:04Z")

</div>

> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> Can you not edit the title and description meta tags on the page instead?

No… the page belongs to a client. We could ask them to make that change, but you know how clients can get. 😕