# Save a BPMN diagram

The modeller batches changes as you work rather than reacting to every keystroke. Saving flushes those pending changes first, then writes the BPMN XML.

In practice this is invisible. It matters only if you are trying to save within a fraction of a second of a change.

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## What this is for

* Understanding what happens when you press save.
* Diagnosing a save that seems to have missed the last edit.
* Knowing what is actually stored.

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## How it works

| **Action**           | **How**                                      |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Flush                | Pending modeller changes are applied first.  |
| Write                | The BPMN 2.0 XML is written.                 |
| Version              | Each save creates a version you can restore. |
| Close without saving | Discards the session's changes.              |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Click away from a field you are editing before saving, so the field commits.
* The close button is a cancel, not a save.
* Saved files are standard BPMN 2.0 and open in other tools unchanged.

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## Related

[Fix BPMN editor problemsEmpty canvases, import warnings, and AI.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/fix-bpmn-editor-problems.html)

[BPMN palette and context padTwo ways to create elements, and one of them is much faster.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/bpmn-palette-and-context-pad.html)

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

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_Simulate it before you publish it._