Someone keeps harassing me on Instagram or Facebook. What should I save before reporting or blocking?
The short answer
This guide is for someone who can still safely view harmful posts, comments or messages and wants a useful private record. If safe, capture what happened and where before reporting, deleting or blocking changes what you can see. Immediate safety comes first: do not delay emergency help to complete a file, provoke another message or unblock someone to obtain evidence.
What this answer is based onWhat to do
Prepare a private folder and a short log: incident date/time as displayed, platform, username/profile link, content link if available, what happened, capture date and saved filename. Note the time zone if known; mark missing details as unknown. ClearRules does not need your evidence, password or full chat export.
- Check whether collecting and storing evidence is safe. If a partner may monitor your device or storage, use the separate safety-planning guide and seek specialist support before making changes. Never screenshot, download or forward sexual images of anyone under 18, or material whose possession may itself be illegal. Record its location, account details and relevant non-image facts instead and use the appropriate official reporting route. Do not confront the sender or stay in danger to collect more.
- For ordinary abusive text that you can safely access, save the post/comment/message with enough surrounding context to understand it, plus the account name and visible date/time. Copy the content and profile URLs separately, using Copy link or the browser address bar where available, without sharing the post publicly. If a private message has no shareable URL, record the conversation/account and date rather than inventing a link. Add each incident to the log, separating observed facts from assumptions. Keep the first capture unchanged; annotate a separate copy if needed. Store it where the person cannot access it, not in a shared album. Do not assume disappearing-message captures are possible or silent.
- Report the relevant content through the option actually offered by Instagram or Facebook, describe the pattern where a text field allows, and keep any submission confirmation or decision. Decide separately how to stop contact safely; you do not need a complete evidence file before protecting yourself. If content has disappeared or cannot be captured safely, retain existing links, dates and notes and state what is missing. Do not manufacture a reconstruction as an original or ask the sender to repeat it. If reporting fails, record the error and consult official in-app help. For serious threats or possible legal action, ask local police or a qualified legal/support service what evidence they need; use emergency services for immediate danger.
The situation
Illustration: an account leaves apparently mild comments under several posts, then sends a threat. A single cropped screenshot misses the repeated contact. A dated list with source links and surrounding context helps explain the pattern without claiming who operates the account.
The situation and an improvement
Delete the thread, block the account, then try to explain a week of messages from memory.
If safe, save source details and context privately, record the sequence, then report and choose contact controls.
More examples
The comment has been deleted
The original URL no longer opens, but you already have a capture.
What to do
Keep both with the capture date and note when you noticed removal. Describe the limits of your record; do not claim the content remains live.
Someone offers to collect more proof
A friend suggests arguing with the account until it sends another threat.
What to do
Do not provoke contact or ask them to gather evidence at risk. Work with what is already safely available and seek appropriate support.
What this answer is based on
eSafety Commissioner · How to collect evidencewww.esafety.gov.auMeta Safety Center · Survivors of abuseMeta Safety Center · Tools to stay safePrimary source readReview details
Source reviewed:
We read the official source listed for this topic. Other Meta rules are reviewed separately.
Read eSafety’s evidence guidance and Meta’s public safety pages on 7 November 2026. This is a practical record-keeping guide, not a forensic standard or a country complaint route. Original-file handling and the log layout are ClearRules precautions. Current app menus, screenshot notifications, recovery of deleted content and legal admissibility were not tested or established. eSafety is an Australian authority; its complaint eligibility does not apply worldwide.
Include the guide link, language and wording that needs checking. Add an official source link if you have one. Do not send passwords, login codes or photos of identity documents.
Examples are made up to explain the guidance. Meta decides individual account and content cases.
Sources and related topicsPolicy Graph · Demo in development