Where Facebook saves your drafts and how to get back to them
Facebook saves posts you start but don't publish to a drafts folder. You can find your drafts on both the Facebook website and the mobile app, though the steps differ slightly between them. The drafts stay in your account until you delete them or publish them — Facebook doesn't automatically remove them after a certain time.
Your drafts are private. No one else can see them, not even people you're friends with or people who follow your page. This makes the drafts folder useful if you want to write something, sit with it for a while, and decide later whether to post it.
Key Takeaways
- On the Facebook website, click the three-line menu, select "Your Drafts," and you'll see all unpublished posts in one place.
- On the Facebook mobile app, tap the three-line menu, scroll to "Your Drafts," and tap the post you want to edit or publish.
- You can edit a draft as many times as you want before publishing — change the text, add or remove photos, or adjust who can see it.
- Deleting a draft removes it permanently, so make sure you don't need it before you delete.
Retrieving drafts on the Facebook website
Open Facebook in a web browser and look for the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the bottom left corner of the screen on desktop, or the top right on mobile. Click or tap those lines to open a menu.
Scroll down in that menu until you see "Your Drafts." Click it. Facebook will show you a list of every post you've started but not published. Each draft shows the date you started it, a preview of the text, and any images you attached.
Click on any draft to open it. You can now edit the text, add or remove images, change who can see the post, or publish it. If you don't want to do anything with it right now, just close the draft and it will stay saved.
Retrieving drafts on the Facebook mobile app
Open the Facebook app on your phone. Tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right of the screen (on iPhone) or the top right (on Android). This opens the menu.
Scroll down until you see "Your Drafts" and tap it. You'll see a list of all your unpublished posts. Tap the post you want to work on. The post will open in edit mode, and you can change the text, photos, or privacy settings before you publish.
If you're using an older version of the Facebook app, the menu location or wording might be slightly different, but the drafts folder is in the same general area of the menu.
Editing and publishing a draft
Once you open a draft, you can make as many changes as you want. Edit the text by clicking or tapping in the text box. Add new images by clicking the image icon. Remove images by clicking the X on the image itself. Change who can see the post by clicking the privacy dropdown (usually showing "Friends," "Public," or "Only Me").
When you're ready to publish, look for a "Post" or "Publish" button — usually blue and located near the bottom of the draft. Click or tap it, and your post will go live on your timeline or page. Facebook will show you a confirmation message once the post is published.
If you change your mind and want to keep editing, just close the draft without clicking publish. It will save automatically and stay in your drafts folder.
Why a post becomes a draft instead of publishing
A post becomes a draft when you click away from the compose box without clicking the publish button. This can happen if you're interrupted, if you want to think about what you wrote, or if you're waiting for the right time to post.
Sometimes Facebook also saves a post as a draft if there's a technical problem — for example, if your internet connection drops while you're composing. In that case, your work isn't lost; it's waiting in your drafts folder.
You might also intentionally save something as a draft if you're writing a post for a business page and want someone else to review it before it goes live. They can look at the draft and give you feedback, and then you can publish it.
Deleting drafts you no longer need
If you want to remove a draft, open it from your drafts folder. Look for a delete button or trash icon — on the website it's usually in the top right corner of the draft, and on the mobile app it's often at the bottom. Tap or click it, and Facebook will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the draft.
Once you delete a draft, it's gone permanently. You can't undo the deletion, so only delete drafts you're sure you don't want to publish or save.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Facebook keep my drafts?
Facebook keeps drafts indefinitely until you delete them or publish them. There's no time limit, so a draft you started months ago will still be there when you log back in.
Can I schedule a post from my drafts?
Yes. When you open a draft to publish, look for a dropdown arrow next to the publish button. Select "Schedule Post" and choose the date and time you want it to go live. Facebook will publish it automatically at that time.
What if I can't find my drafts folder?
Make sure you're logged into the right account. Drafts are tied to the account that created them. If you're using a business page, check that you're viewing the page's drafts, not your personal profile's drafts. The menu location might also differ if you're using an older app version.
Can I share a draft with someone else before publishing?
Not directly through the drafts folder. You would need to copy the text and images and send them separately, or ask the other person to log into your account to review it. For business pages, Facebook offers a review feature where you can tag someone to approve posts before they publish.