How do you get a timeline on Facebook?

[Erick Hubert]

1. Go to this website : http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline
2. Look for the green button at the bottom right of the screen that reads, "Get Timeline." Click it.

3. You'll now see a preliminary Timeline page. Don't worry! It's not live yet! Only you can see it until you publish it. If you don't press the publish button in seven days, though, it will become visible to your friends if you have a private profile or anyone in the world if you have a public profile.

4. You can upload a large splash image to decorate the top of the screen, which I recommend doing first. You can also add life events, photos, and other data from your past that might not be on Facebook already.

5. Edit your timeline. Before you hit "publish," take some time to go through your old posts, photos, and other data to be sure you want it to appear on your timeline. If you don't, you'll have to either delete it or restrict who can see it. Look for the pen icon at the top right corner of every post to make edits.

6. If you're concerned about deleting things forever, make a back-up copy of your Facebook information before you delete anything. It takes a few hours to complete, but most of that time is spent waiting for confirmation emails. For more, see How to Back Up Your Facebook Data.