Just let it dry out before using, in the same manner that you would let saturated ground soil dry out before working or digging. Unless it already contains a fair degree of organic matter, compaction should not be an issue once relatively dry.

And when you apply the topsoil, use a garden fork to spread it around rather than just dumping and raking. This will 'fluff up' the soil and loosen it and break up large clods. No tilling should be necessary.

Not sure why drying is necessary. That won't change the composition of it. Just throw it in the beds, ideally breaking the clods, and layering with lots of compost. That will leave a reasonably fluffed mix. Nothing to fear about water. It either evaporates or drains. Fluffing soil that is low in organics is an extremely temporary activity. Next time it rains, it's going to be just as bad, but in the bed.

Drying is necessary because wet garden soil - what bagged topsoil is in essence - will compact if worked when wet. And it DOES change the composition/structure!! Googling the topic will bring up countless hits and websites addressing this.

Don't work it. Just layer it. Thin layers. No tiller, plow, or spade. Water doesn't change the chemical composition of anything. Within those layers, which allow ventilation, it will dry nicely.

It wasn't the chemical composition I was referring to but rather the structural composition.

If it was a bit clayey and was stacked by the pallet load it can certainly be compacted. I would say however that it's already been thoroughly disturbed at the production facility so there's not much you can do to make it worse. But the above advice to let it dry out a bit can't hurt and will make it a lot easier to handle.

Those of us who garden with a pacemaker and or defibulator would recommend you let your bags of topsoil dry out before you handle them. If you're given a lifting limit of 35 pounds and are handling bags that may weigh 40 pounds you don't want the extra weight of the water.

From my experience much of these kinds of products are sold by weight and are many times soaking wet. If you were growing in the ground I'd recommend you order some mushroom manure or find some manure and mix it into your soil. If you have a pile of these products and let it sit covered a few days they lose a lot of water.

I would consider growing in raised beds but would have to construct them and then find something to fill them with. I find that when I dig my garden plots, twice, and add manure or peat/sand that the surface raises by 6 inches. The one I'm working on now is at least 8 inches above the lawn around it. Since I dug the first time the depth of my spade I figure my soil is nice and loose and drains 20 inches deep. Even my Sugarsnax carrots didn't go that deep.

I don't think you need to till in raised beds. But I do think you should let the soil dry out a bit before handling it. Dryer soil is usually easier to handle than wet soil. Roll the bags around a few times while drying out to break up any clumps that may exist, then add to your beds.

If all you got right now is top soil, get some compost to add to it. Plain topsoil isn't great for growing in.

thanks for the responses everyone. read every single post

this stuff really is already super compacted because it was thrown and tossed all around the place while wet, stacked on top of each other on wheelbarrows and dollies. ! I thought the bags they were in were non porous so were protected from the heavy rain but turns out they let in a lot of water and I didn't realize this until I went to open a bag and found bricks of soil instead of fluffy friable stuff

Bricks of soil aren't going to dry out fast. Just break them apart and layer them with compost. If you can't lift a shovel of the stuff, then consider switching to hydroponics!