--- title: "[Drafts and Auto Save] - Working with Drafts and Auto Save" description: Working with Drafts and Auto Save url: https://www.contentstack.com/docs/content-managers/author-content/working-with-drafts-and-auto-save product: Contentstack doc_type: guide audience: - content-managers - editors - developers version: unknown last_updated: 2026-03-25 --- # [Drafts and Auto Save] - Working with Drafts and Auto Save This page explains how Drafts and Auto Save work in Contentstack, including when drafts are created, how they differ from saved versions, and how collaboration and locking behave. It is intended for content managers and editors who create or update entries, especially in collaborative workflows, and should be used when you need to understand auto-saving behavior, draft retention, and conflict handling. **Note:** Drafts and Auto Save is currently part of an Early Access Program and may not be available to all users. Contact the Contentstack [support](mailto:support@contentstack.com) team for more information. Drafts and Auto Save automatically save your changes while you edit entries in Contentstack. This reduces the risk of lost work and supports safe collaboration when multiple users work on the same entry. Instead of manually saving every update, Contentstack maintains a draft in the background. Your changes automatically save and sync with other active users viewing the same entry, while field-level locking prevents conflicting edits. Drafts and Auto Save provide: - Automatic draft updates during editing - Real-time collaboration across users - Field-level locking to prevent overwrites - Draft comparison before saving or publishing - Clear save-status indicators in the editor ## How Drafts and Auto Save Works Drafts and Auto Save creates and updates drafts based on your editing activity. ### Draft Creation Triggers A draft is created or updated when you perform actions such as: - Editing a field by entering, updating, or removing content - Confirming changes in a reference or file selection modal - Interacting with a custom field (iframe-based) Contentstack uses a debounce mechanism, which means the system waits briefly after editing activity pauses before saving changes. This prevents excessive background save requests while ensuring your updates are captured. ### Draft Lifecycle The draft lifecycle follows this sequence: - You begin editing an entry. - Contentstack creates or updates a draft automatically. - Changes sync continuously while you edit. At any time, you can: - Continue editing - Discard the draft - Save or publish to create a new version Draft changes remain available even if you refresh the page or close the browser tab. ### Draft vs Version Understanding the difference between drafts and versions helps you manage content more effectively. ### Draft - Represents in-progress changes - Updates automatically - Does not create a new major version - May include multiple minor updates within a major version **Note:** - Offline editing is not supported. If the network disconnects, the editor becomes temporarily read-only until reconnection. - For new entries that have not yet been saved (**Version 0 drafts**), **certain actions are unavailable** until the entry is saved. For example, changing the locale, publishing, workflows, and releases require the entry to have at least one saved version. ### Version - Created when you click **Save** or **Publish** - Appears in version history as a major version - Represents a stable snapshot of the entry Minor draft updates are grouped into a major version once you save. ## Draft Retention Auto Save maintains minor draft versions only for the most recent major versions of an entry. Draft versions are retained for the **latest five major versions**. When a new major version is created, draft versions associated with older major versions are automatically removed. This helps maintain a clean version history while still allowing teams to review recent draft changes. ## Save Indicators The entry editor displays real-time status indicators to confirm draft activity. You may see: - **Syncing changes**: Appears while your recent edits are being synchronized and saved as draft updates. - **Saved**: Draft is up to date - **Edited just now**: Indicates that the draft was saved moments ago. - **Edited a few minutes ago / Edited about 2 hours ago**: Indicates the time elapsed since the most recent auto-save. This value updates dynamically as time passes. These relative time indicators reflect the most recent draft update and help collaborators understand how recently the entry was modified. ## Entry List Indicators The **Entry Listing page** visually reflects the draft status of entries. - Entries with draft changes display a **Draft** status indicator. - Entries that have not yet been published also display the status **Draft**. - **Advanced Search** includes a filter for entries with draft changes. These indicators help users quickly identify entries that are still in progress. ## Creating New Entries with Auto Draft When **Drafts and Auto Save** is **enabled**, clicking **New Entry **on the entry listing page immediately creates a draft entry. You can begin editing and collaborating without manually saving the entry first. When **Drafts and Auto Save** is **disabled**, you must click **New Entry** and then click **Save** in the entry editor to create the initial version of the entry. ## Collaboration and Conflict Handling Drafts and Auto Save support controlled multi-user editing. ### Field-Level Locking When one user edits a field: - That field becomes temporarily locked for other users - Other users can still edit unlocked fields - Updates appear shortly after they are saved Locked fields prevent accidental overwrites. #### Locking Behavior by Field Type Locking behavior varies by field type: - **Input fields:** Lock when typing begins - **Reference and file fields:** Lock when the selection modal opens - **Container fields (Group and Modular Blocks):**Individual nested fields lock separately - Structural actions (add, delete, reorder blocks) are restricted if a nested field is locked - **Custom fields:** Lock when users interact within the iframe This approach enables parallel editing while maintaining content integrity. ## Use Cases Drafts and Auto Save are particularly useful when: - Multiple editors update the same entry - Long-form content requires extended editing sessions - Teams collaborate across time zones - Users frequently switch tabs - When network stability is a concern - Managers need visibility into in-progress work ## Best Practices for Working with Drafts Follow these best practices to ensure smooth collaboration and accurate version control when working with Drafts and Auto Save. - Monitor the save indicators to confirm synchronization status - Avoid editing fields that are currently locked - Use draft comparison before saving major updates - Discard drafts carefully if you want to revert to the last saved version - Communicate with collaborators before making structural changes Drafts and Auto Save protects your in-progress changes, supports safe collaboration, and maintains structured version control. By automatically saving edits and preventing overlapping updates, the feature allows teams to work confidently without losing progress or creating unnecessary versions. ## Common questions **How do I know if my changes are being auto-saved?** Check the entry editor status indicators such as **Syncing changes**, **Saved**, or the relative time indicators like **Edited just now**. **What is the difference between a draft and a version?** A draft represents in-progress changes and updates automatically, while a version is created when you click **Save** or **Publish** and appears in version history as a major version. **How long are draft versions retained?** Draft versions are retained for the **latest five major versions**. Draft versions associated with older major versions are automatically removed when a new major version is created. **Can multiple users edit the same entry at the same time?** Yes. Drafts and Auto Save support controlled multi-user editing using field-level locking so collaborators can edit different unlocked fields while preventing overwrites.