# Drafts and recovery in draw.io

The editor does not save continuously. That is deliberate, because a diagram half-way through an edit is not something you want published.

It does take local draft snapshots, so a crash or an accidental refresh does not cost you the work. Snapshots last seven days.

![Screenshot 2026-09-07 at 09.26.37.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/79c2f4dd-7255-4529-9401-b66c96e86e64.webp)

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## What this is for

* Recovering after a browser crash or an accidental reload.
* Understanding what happens if you close the editor without saving.
* Deciding how often to save during a long editing session.

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## How it works

| **Action**         | **How**                                                            |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Saving             | Explicit. Use the save action in the editor.                       |
| Draft snapshots    | Taken locally as you work, and offered when you reopen the editor. |
| How long they last | Seven days.                                                        |
| Where they live    | In your browser, on that machine.                                  |
| Version history    | Every save creates a version you can restore later.                |

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## A few things that catch people out

* The close button is a cancel, not a save. Save before you close.
* Draft snapshots are local, so they do not follow you to another machine or browser.
* If a draft is not offered, version history is the next place to look. See [Guides](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/guides.html).

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## Related

[Fix draw.io editor problemsThe five things that actually go wrong.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/fix-draw-io-editor-problems.html)

[draw.io canvas, grid and pagesMoving around, and setting up the page.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-canvas-grid-and-pages.html)

[draw.io editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-editor.html)

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_The canvas rewards ten minutes of learning._