Edit Posts -- Tutorial

Step-by-step guide to editing existing posts on X/Twitter using XActions browser scripts.

Prerequisites

• Logged into x.com in your browser
• Browser DevTools console (F12 -> Console tab)
• X Premium subscription (edit is a Premium-only feature)
• The post must be your own and less than 1 hour old

Quick Start

1. Navigate to the post you want to edit on x.com
2. Open DevTools (F12)
3. Copy the script from src/editPost.js
4. Set CONFIG.mode = 'edit'
5. Set CONFIG.postUrl and CONFIG.newText
6. Paste into Console and press Enter

Edit Limitations

Configuration

const CONFIG = {
  mode: 'edit',
  postUrl: 'https://x.com/yourhandle/status/123456789',
  newText: 'Updated text for this post',

  // Timing
  minDelay: 1000,
  maxDelay: 2000,
  navigationDelay: 3000,
};

Step-by-Step Guide

Editing a Post (Browser Console)

1. Copy src/editPost.js
2. Set your configuration:

   const CONFIG = {
     mode: 'edit',
     postUrl: 'https://x.com/nichxbt/status/123456789',
     newText: 'Fixed the typo in this post!',
   };
   

3. Paste and run in DevTools

The script performs these steps:

1. Navigate: Goes to the post URL if not already there
2. Find the tweet: Locates the tweet article element (article[data-testid="tweet"])
3. Open menu: Clicks the three-dot menu ([data-testid="caret"]) on the tweet
4. Click Edit: Finds and clicks "Edit post" ([data-testid="editTweet"])
5. Clear text: Selects all existing text with selectAll
6. Type new text: Inserts the replacement text using insertText
7. Save: Clicks the save button ([data-testid="tweetButton"])

How the Edit Flow Works Internally

// From src/editPost.js -- key steps:

// 1. Find the tweet on the page
const tweet = await waitForElement('article[data-testid="tweet"]');

// 2. Open the three-dot menu
const caret = tweet.querySelector('[data-testid="caret"]');
caret.click();

// 3. Click "Edit post"
const editBtn = await waitForElement('[data-testid="editTweet"]');
editBtn.click();

// 4. Clear and replace text
const textarea = await waitForElement('[data-testid="tweetTextarea_0"]');
textarea.focus();
document.execCommand('selectAll', false, null);
document.execCommand('insertText', false, CONFIG.newText);

// 5. Save
const saveBtn = await waitForElement('[data-testid="tweetButton"]');
saveBtn.click();

Edit History

Every edit is tracked and visible to all users:

• An "Edited" label appears on the post
• Users can click it to see the full edit history
• Each version of the post is preserved with its timestamp

This means you cannot silently fix mistakes -- all versions are public.

What You Can Edit

• Tweet text content
• Attached media (add, remove, or replace)
• Alt text on images
• Tagged users

What You Cannot Edit

• Poll options or duration (polls cannot be edited)
• The post's timestamp
• Engagement metrics (likes, reposts carry over)
• Thread structure (cannot add/remove tweets from a thread)

Tips & Tricks

• Act fast: You only have 1 hour from the original post time to make edits
• 5 edit limit: Each post can only be edited 5 times total, so make your changes count
• Proofread first: Since edit history is public, try to get it right in fewer edits
• No silent fixes: All versions are visible, so major content changes will be noticed
• Media edits: You can swap out images or add/remove media during an edit
• Edit vs delete and repost: For major errors within the first few minutes, deleting and reposting may be preferable to editing (no edit history trail)

Troubleshooting

Related Scripts

• src/editPost.js (undo mode) -- Undo a recently posted tweet
• src/postComposer.js -- Create new posts
• docs/examples/tutorials/undo-post-tutorial.md -- Undo post guide