Auto-Save and Draft Recovery in the Editor - Templates & Editor

Auto-Save and Draft Recovery in the Editor - Templates & Editor | AutoLetter Help Center

Nobody wants to lose their work. That is why the AutoLetter editor features auto-save, which secures your changes in the background. Here you will learn how auto-save works, how to recover drafts, and what to keep in mind.

The AutoLetter editor automatically saves your current work in the browser storage (Local Storage). Saving occurs with a short delay after your last change -- so it does not save on every single click, but only when you briefly pause.

You make a change in the editor (move an element, edit text, etc.)
The editor waits a short moment (delay) to see if further changes follow
If no further changes occur, the current state is automatically saved in the browser
A small indicator shows you the save status

Auto-save secures your draft locally in the browser. This means the draft is tied to your current browser and computer. If you work on a different computer or in a different browser, the auto-saved draft will not be available there.

If the browser unexpectedly closes -- whether due to a crash, a power outage, or accidental closing -- your draft is not lost.

Reopen the editor

Open the same template again in the editor.

Recovery dialog

If an unsaved draft is found, a dialog appears: "An unsaved draft was found. Would you like to restore it?"

Make your decision

You have two options:

Restore: The draft is loaded and you can continue where you left off.
Discard: The draft is deleted and the last server-saved version is loaded.

If you want to leave the editor while unsaved changes exist, the browser displays a warning message:

"You have unsaved changes. Are you sure you want to leave this page?"

This warning appears when:

Closing the browser tab
Navigating to another page
Clicking the browser back button

The warning message is standard browser behavior. In some cases (e.g., certain browser settings or when the browser crashes), the warning may not be displayed. Therefore, save manually regularly with Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on Mac).

The editor stores your recent actions in a history, allowing you to undo or redo changes:

Action	Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Undo	Ctrl + Z	Undo the last change
Redo	Ctrl + Shift + Z	Restore an undone change

A maximum of 50 steps are stored in the history.
If you go back 50 steps, the oldest step is the starting point -- you cannot go back further.
If you make a new change after an undo, all "future" redo steps are discarded.
The undo/redo history is deleted when closing the editor.

In addition to auto-save, you can (and should) also save manually:

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + S (Mac)
Button: Click the Save button in the toolbar

When saving manually, the template is saved server-side. Unlike browser auto-save, this version is accessible from any device and is not lost when clearing the browser cache.

Caution when clearing browser cache: If you delete browser data (cache, cookies, Local Storage), auto-saved drafts will be lost. Only the last manually (server-side) saved version is preserved. Therefore, always save important changes manually with Ctrl+S.

Save manually regularly: Make it a habit to press Ctrl+S every few minutes, especially after major changes.
Save before closing: Always save manually before closing the browser tab.
Avoid private browsing: In incognito/private mode, no Local Storage is used -- auto-save may not work there.
Keep your browser up to date: Use a modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) in a current version for the best compatibility.
Don't rely on auto-save alone: Auto-save is a safety net, not a replacement for regular manual saving.