There is no Save button in the article editor. Your work is saved in two places as you type: a copy in your browser within a couple of seconds, and a copy on the server shortly after. The only time you need to make a decision is when those two copies disagree.
How autosave works
| Copy | When it is saved |
|---|---|
| Browser | 1.5 seconds after you stop typing. It survives a closed tab or a crash. |
| Server | 5 seconds after you stop typing, and at least every 30 seconds while you keep typing. |
The pill in the editor header shows what is happening: Syncing... while the server copy is being written, then the time of the last save. Every 30 seconds of editing also records a snapshot in the article's version history, which you can revert to later (see the version history section of Article statuses).
The browser copy is specific to that browser on that device. It does not follow you to another machine; the server copy does.
Recover unsaved changes
If you reopen an article and the browser copy is newer than the server copy (for example, the tab was closed before the last sync finished), the editor loads your local changes automatically and syncs them.
Resolve a conflict
Sometimes the server copy is newer than an older browser copy. This happens when you edited the article on another device, or a teammate saved it after your last session. The editor loads the server version and shows a banner:
You have unsaved local changes from (date). The server version is newer.
Choose one of:
- Use local replaces the server version with your browser copy. Anything saved on the server since then is overwritten.
- Discard throws away the browser copy and keeps the server version.