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Save your design for the next session, check both auto-save settings, and recover browser-local work. When another session changes the board, compare versions and choose how to save.
About 8 minutesEveryday editingSaving and version choices
1. Save your board manually
You can save at any point, including when auto save is enabled. Save after an important layout change, before switching devices, and before ending a session.
Finish the change you are making. Confirm any open text or builder edits that need to be applied to the board.
Select Save. Use the button near Export in the top toolbar, or use the save keyboard shortcut.
Check save completion. Look for Saved, or a disabled Save button when interval auto-save is off. If you make more changes afterward, save again before leaving.
You can also open the Board menu by selecting the board name at the top left, then choose Save board.
2. Check both auto-save settings
Open Board → Settings → Saving in the right inspector. The two switches work independently, and your choices are remembered in this browser.
Setting | When it attempts a cloud save |
|---|---|
Auto save every 60 seconds | Saves pending changes at the one-minute interval while enabled. |
Auto save when leaving the tab | Attempts a save when the page loses focus or becomes hidden, such as when you switch tabs. |
Turning off interval saving alone leaves tab-leave saving available. Clear both switches if you want to control cloud saves manually. A new browser starts with interval saving off and tab-leave saving on; check your current settings rather than assuming the defaults still apply.
Automatic saves need a working connection. They pause during unresolved conflicts and after you recover a local draft, until you complete a manual cloud save. Returning to a tab is not an additional automatic save trigger.
Manual saving remains available. When interval auto-save is off, the toolbar can show a disabled Save after a successful save. With interval auto-save on, it shows Saved.
3. Handle unsaved changes before leaving
If you choose Back to boards while changes are pending, BoardCraft shows an Unsaved changes dialog.
Choice | Result |
|---|---|
Stay | Closes the dialog and keeps you in the editor. |
Save & leave | Saves the board, then leaves if saving succeeds. |
Leave without saving | Leaves without saving the changes still pending in this editor. |
If Save & leave reports a save failure or conflict, the editor keeps you there. Choose Stay, address the issue, and save again. Closing or refreshing a browser tab may show the browser's own leave warning; its wording depends on your browser.
4. Understand an editing conflict
A conflict can occur when another tab or device saves the same board while your current session has unsaved work. Local version means your current editor. Remote or cloud version means the newer saved board.
A session without pending changes can adopt newer saved changes automatically. When you have local work to consider, a conflict notice appears and the toolbar offers Save options.
Action | Result |
|---|---|
Preview Remote Changes | Displays the saved cloud design for comparison and preserves a way to return to your local design. |
Reload Remote Changes | Accepts the cloud version and replaces your pending local design. |
Keep My Version | Keeps the local design in the editor. You still need to choose how to save it. |
5. Preview or keep the remote version
Pause editing in the other session. Avoid more competing saves while you compare.
Select Preview Remote Changes. Inspect the design, dimensions, text, and placement shown in the editor.
Choose the version. Select Keep Previewed Changes to accept the cloud design, or Revert to My Version to return to your local work and choose how to save it.
If you already know the cloud board is the one you want, select Reload Remote Changes. Accepting the cloud version clears the conflict. Check the resulting save state before continuing.
6. Keep local work and choose how to save
Select Keep My Version, or Revert to My Version while previewing remote changes.
Check the design. The conflict notice closes, but the toolbar still offers Save options. Keeping your version has not saved it.
Open Save options. The dialog is titled The cloud version has changed. In this conflict state, the Board menu may label its save action Override Remote; it opens the same choice dialog.
Choose the result you intend, then verify it completes. Use Cancel to keep reviewing without saving.
Choice |
|---|
7. Recover a browser-local draft
BoardCraft can keep local recovery checkpoints independently of cloud auto-save. When unsaved work is found in this browser, Pick up where you left off compares the Local version and Cloud version, including their preview and save time. If multiple drafts are offered, select the one you want to inspect.
Choice | Result |
|---|---|
Recover local | Loads the selected draft into the editor. The work stays local, and cloud auto-save pauses until a manual cloud save. |
Use cloud & discard local | Uses the saved cloud version and permanently discards the selected recovery draft. |
Back to documents | Returns to your boards without choosing a version in the comparison. |
After recovery, review the design and save manually when ready. If cloud changes conflict with it, the copy-or-replace dialog appears. Local recovery depends on browser storage and is not a substitute for a completed cloud save. A local draft is not automatically available on another browser or device.
If saving does not finish
Save remains available? Check your connection, keep the editor open, and try again. If you continued editing during a save, newer changes may still need saving.
Save options appears? Stop switching between editing sessions and use the banner to resolve the version choice.
Save & leave fails? Choose Stay, resolve the message, then retry the save before leaving.
Export or template sharing asks you to resolve a conflict? Return to the editor and complete the version choice and save first.
Reconnect to continue? Editing requires an internet connection. Existing local drafts stay in the browser while you reconnect.
Local recovery unavailable? Keep the editor open and save to cloud when possible; recovery storage may be unavailable.
Keep the editor open while troubleshooting pending changes. Wait for a successful save before refreshing, closing the tab, or relying on another device to have the latest work.