It depends when you do it and what you change.
I’ve tested this myself. When I’ve edited posts after they’ve started getting engagement, reach drops. It’s like a lid gets put on the post. Growth stops.
I’m not the only one seeing this. Plenty of people have shared their analytics showing the same pattern. Here’s what the data suggests.
If You Edit Quickly After Posting
Nothing noticeable happens. Impressions continue normally. Engagement speed stays the same.
If you spot a typo in the first 5 to 10 minutes, fix it. You’re fine.
If You Edit Once After Engagement Starts
You’ll see a short slowdown. Impressions pause for 10 to 30 minutes, then continue but weaker than before.
The post recovers, but it won’t reach as many people as it would have if you’d left it alone.
If You Edit Multiple Times
Reach gets capped early. The post never reaches a wider audience. Comments stop expanding reach. Growth plateaus.
Every edit seems to trigger a review or reset of some kind. Multiple edits and the algorithm stops pushing it out.
If You Change The Meaning
This is the worst one. New hook, new angle, adding a link later. These changes have the biggest negative effect.
The post stops spreading beyond your first viewers. New engagement doesn’t bring new impressions. The post behaves like low-interest content even if people are still commenting.
If You Edit Hours Later
Usually reduces further distribution. People report their post was still growing, they made an edit, and growth stopped permanently.
If a post is doing well, leave it alone.
The Simple Rules
Fix a typo in the first 5 to 10 minutes. Safe.
One small early tweak. Safe.
Edit after likes and comments begin. Slows reach.
Multiple edits. Caps reach.
Change the message or add a link. Harms reach most.
Edit hours later. Stops growth.
What I’d Do
Proofread before you post. Read it out loud. Check for typos, missing words, broken formatting.
If you spot something in the first few minutes, fix it quickly and move on.
If your post is already getting engagement and you notice a small error, leave it. A typo that 50 people see is better than a perfect post that 20 people see.
And never add a link after publishing. If you forgot to include something important, put it in the comments instead.