What Does Friend Suggestion on Facebook Mean?

Facebook is a social networking site used to connect people with their friends, family, colleagues as well as network with new contacts. To encourage users to make new connections, Facebook features a friend suggestion function. Friend suggestions help users connect to others with shared aspects such as interests, friends and backgrounds.

From time to time, Facebook will suggest friends you are likely to know or pages that are likely to interest you. These suggestions are based on variables such as networks you are a part of, your listed work and educational history and friends in common. The suggestions made are only suggestions and Facebook does not send friend requests to those they suggest to you. Facebook also periodically suggests you engage with those already on your friends list whom you may not have interacted with lately.

Facebook also gives each user the ability to suggest friends and pages to one another. Someone on your friends list may think you would get along with a friend of theirs or would like to become a fan of a page they like and, therefore, send a suggestion to you. Like the automated suggestions from Facebook, suggestions from friends are optional and you have no obligation to accept. To send suggestions to one of your friends, navigate to her profile page and click the "suggest friends" link on the bottom of the left column. Select as many friends as you'd like to suggest and click the "send suggestions" box.

Friend suggestions appear on your homepage and in the friends page of your profile. When you see an area labeled "suggested friends" or "people you may know," click the "see all" link to view all suggestions.

From time to time, you will receive suggestions from Facebook or your friends for people you don't know or do not wish to friend. If you would like to block a person from appearing in your friend suggestions ever again, you can do so by clicking the "x" on the top right of the entry.