How do I edit a post on Facebook without deleting it?

Facebook allows users to edit their posts after publishing them without having to delete the original post and repost an updated version. This can be useful for fixing typos, adding/removing content, or updating information in a post. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to edit a Facebook post on both desktop and mobile.

Editing a Facebook Post on Desktop

Editing a post on the Facebook website is simple. Just follow these steps:

Go to www.facebook.com and log into your account if you aren’t already logged in.

Locate the post you want to edit in your timeline or page’s timeline.
Hover your mouse over the post and click on the three dots that appear in the top right corner.
A drop down menu will appear. Click on “Edit Post”.

This will open the post in edit mode. You can now make any changes or additions you want to the post.

Things to note when editing a post on Facebook desktop:

You can edit the text, add or remove tags and locations, change the date, add or delete images/videos, and modify who can see the post.
The number of people who have liked and commented on the post will remain the same after editing.

Anyone who has already seen the post will see a note saying “Edited” under the post timestamp after you edit it.
You cannot change the type of post (e.g. status update to life event) while editing.

Once you have made your changes, click on “Save” to save the edited version of the post. The original post will be overwritten.

Editing a Facebook Post on Mobile

You can also edit posts directly from the Facebook mobile app. Here is how:

Open the Facebook app on your smartphone.
Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner to go to your profile page.

Scroll down and find the post want to edit.
Tap and hold on the post until a menu pops up.
Tap “Edit Post” in the menu.

This will open the post in edit mode. Make your desired changes and tap “Save” when you are done.

Key points for editing Facebook posts on mobile:

The editing process works the same as on desktop.
You can edit posts you’ve shared to your timeline as well as posts you’ve made in Facebook Groups and on other people’s timelines.

Video posts can only be edited to modify the text description. You cannot alter the video itself.
The Facebook app does not have markup formatting options. You cannot bold, italicize, underline text, or add bullet points when editing.

Why Edit a Post Instead of Deleting and Reposting?

Here are some key reasons it is better to edit a post instead of deleting and reposting new version:

Preserves comments and likes – When you delete a post, all likes and comments are lost. Editing lets you keep that engagement.
Maintains share count – If your original post was shared by others, this number stays the same when editing versus being reset to 0 with a repost.
Keeps original timestamp – The timestamp of your first post is retained. Reposting means the post date changes.

No rate limiting issues – Deleting and reposting too fast can sometimes trigger Facebook’s anti-spam protections. Editing avoids this.
Readability in feeds – Readers appreciate just seeing “Edited” rather than a deleted post and identical new post.

The main downside to editing is that people who have already seen and interacted with your post won’t see the new changes in their feed unless they return to view the post again later. However, the upsides above usually make editing the better option in most cases.

What Types of Edits Can You Make to a Post?

Here are some of the edits you can make when modifying an existing Facebook post:

Fix typos and spelling errors
Add or remove tags of people, pages or groups

Change the privacy setting of who can see the post
Modify the text to clarify or add new information
Add or delete images, videos or links

Change the location tag
Edit the date to reflect correct timing
Disable or enable commenting on the post

Switch off post translations for specific languages

Posts made in Facebook Groups and events can be edited in the same way. The key exceptions are that you cannot change the post type itself – a status update remains a status update even after editing.

Limits to Editing

There are a few limits placed on what can be edited:

Cannot alter post type – A status update cannot be edited to become a life event post for instance.
No text formatting – Can’t add bold, italic, underline, bullets in edit on mobile app.
Videos can’t be replaced – You can only edit the text of a video post, not the video file itself.

Only the original poster can edit – Others who have shared the post to their profile cannot edit it.

In some rare cases, if a post has received lots of attention, edits may be locked to preserve the integrity of existing likes, comments and shares.

Step-by-Step Guide to Editing a Post

Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of editing a post on Facebook:

Locate the post – Go to your timeline or group/page feed and find the post. You can only edit posts you have created.
Click the three dots – Desktop users hover over the post and click the three dots in the top right corner. Mobile users press and hold on the post.
Select Edit Post – Choose “Edit Post” from the dropdown menu on desktop or popup menu on mobile.

Make changes – Revise the text, tags, emoji, images, date, location, or privacy as needed.
Click Save – Don’t forget to click the Save button after making your edits.
Edited note appears – People who have already seen the post will now see an “Edited” note under the timestamp.

Original engagement intact – The number of reactions, comments, and shares will stay the same.

And that’s all there is to it! With just a few taps you can quickly update and improve your existing Facebook posts.

Troubleshooting Editing Issues

In some cases, you may encounter issues while attempting to edit a Facebook post:

Edit option missing – If the edit option is missing, the post may be too old or you may not be the original poster.
Edits locked – High visibility posts may have edits locked to preserve integrity.
Text limit reached – There is a 63,206 character limit when editing text in a post.

Can’t change post type – The type of post (status update, life event, etc) cannot be altered.
Video can’t be replaced – Only the text description can be edited for video posts.

Here are some tips for troubleshooting and avoiding editing issues:

Try editing sooner rather than later – Edit option disappears after a while.
Shorten overly long posts – Long text can hit Facebook’s character limits.
Use desktop if possible – The mobile app lacks formatting options.

Check that you are the original poster – Others who have shared the post cannot edit.
Avoid changing post types – Create a new post instead to change the type.

If a post has been shared extensively or too much time has passed, you may need to repost instead of editing. But in most cases, taking the edit route preserves more integrity.

What Happens When You Edit a Facebook Post?

Here’s a quick rundown of what happens behind the scenes when you edit an existing Facebook post:

– The original post is overwritten by the edited version in your timeline or feed.

– The post keeps the same timestamp – it does not get a new posted date and time.

– Anyone who has already seen or interacted with the post will see an “Edited” note under the timestamp.

– Likes, reactions, comments, and shares remain intact and do not get reset.

– The edit history is logged and stored by Facebook but not publicly visible.

– For visibility ranking, the post is treated the same as if it was a new post in terms of reaching your audience.

– Link previews and page tag metadata will update if you’ve changed the linked URL.

So in summary, edits overwrite the existing post and preserve the engagement while showing an edited marker. The visibility of the revised post is reconsidered by Facebook’s algorithms just like a new post.

Pro Tips for Editing Facebook Posts

Here are some expert tips and best practices for editing Facebook posts:

Fix mistakes quickly – Edit sooner rather than later so most people see the corrected version.
Avoid over-editing – Don’t edit the same post repeatedly as it may look like spam.

Check notifications – Edit based on feedback from comments to improve quality.
Consider reach – For high visibility posts, weigh edits carefully against potential disruption.
Revise links – Edit posts with links to update metadata if target page changes.

Clarify, don’t overwrite – Make edits additive with new info rather than removing content people have already seen.
Add value for the viewer – Enhance posts with additional tips, information, context.
Use classic mode – Editing can be easier in Facebook’s classic mode rather than the new design.

Keeping these tips in mind while editing will help boost positive engagement and readership for your posts!

Mistakes to Avoid When Editing Posts

While editing Facebook posts can be useful, there are some mistakes to avoid:

Deleting mentions – Don’t remove tags of people without letting them know.

Changing intent – Don’t do major rewrites that alter the intent of the original post.
Switching topics – Try not to turn a post about one thing into something totally different.
Excessive edits – Too many small edits are annoying and may be seen as spam.

Editing for reach – Avoid minor tweaks designed to re-trigger news feed algorithms.
Hiding context – leaving edits unclear and hard to follow with context removed.
Broken links – Don’t let edited posts point at dead URLs.

Markup bloat – Don’t go overboard with HTML markup when editing.

Stick to minor corrections and improvements that don’t radically change the post. And avoid “ninja edits” that try to re-trigger the algorithms simply for more reach.

Facebook Post Editing on Business Pages

Editing also works for Facebook pages in the same way as user profiles. Page admins can edit existing published posts by following the steps below:

Navigate to your page’s feed as an admin.
Find the post you want to edit.
Click the three dots button in the top right corner.

Choose “Edit Post” from the dropdown menu.
Make your changes.
Click “Save” to publish the edited post.

Key things to note when editing Facebook page posts:

Only page admins can edit, not general editors.
Video posts can only have text description edited, not the video file itself.

Edits are marked with “Edited” text like user profile posts.
The insights data is unaffected – likes, reach, engagement remain the same.

Proper editing can help optimize older content and improve page quality over time. Just be cautious about excessive edits that might be perceived as spam.

Using Facebook Post Edit History

While Facebook doesn’t have publicly visible edit histories, they are tracked internally:

– Accessing edit history requires admin/employee access.

– Page admins can’t see edit history of posts.

– Facebook uses edit history for risk analysis to detect spam/abuse.

– Timestamps, changes, and authors are logged for every edit.

– Edit history is retained for deleted posts in Facebook’s internal logs.

– Too many edits in a short timeframe can get a post flagged by algorithms.

– Archived ad posts keep edit history data for the life of the ad account.

So make your edits meaningful and substantial. Minor tweaks or excessive editing may get picked up as suspicious behavior.

Editing Posts vs Comments on Facebook

Here is a comparison between editing regular posts vs comments on Facebook:

Editing Posts	Editing Comments
Can edit your own posts	Can edit your own comments
Visible to original audience	Only visible to those following the thread
Preserves likes & shares	Preserves reactions & replies
Shows “edited” note	No publicedit notation
Post timestamp unchanged	Comment timestamp updated

So both posts and comments can be edited to an extent. But post edits have higher visibility, maintain public engagement stats, and show a visible edited marker.

Conclusion

Editing posts is preferable to deleting and reposting in most cases. It preserves the existing engagement, avoids potential rate limiting issues, and presents a cleaner experience for visitors reading your timeline or feeds.

Just be cautious not to over-edit or make substantial changes that invalidate what viewers have already seen. Minor fixes and tweaks or adding supplemental information are best practices for post editing.