# Autosave or Save
> Save automatically when every edit is safe to keep. Ask for Save when changes must land together or affect others.

## Situation

Is every edit safe to keep the moment it’s made?

## Decision

### Use Autosave when

Documents, notes, and canvases where each edit stands alone and losing work is the worst outcome.

- Continuous editing
- Version history exists
- Only the author is affected
- People forget to save

### Use Save button when

Settings and records where changes should land together, be validated first, or will reach other people.

- Several fields that must agree
- Changes affect billing, access, or others
- Server validation before applying
- People expect to review, then commit

**The numbers:** Autosave if a half-finished edit is harmless and version history lets people go back. Save button if a half-finished state could break something or reach someone else. Never mix both models on one screen.

## Why

Changing the billing email affects invoices for the whole team, so changes on this screen wait for Save. A typo here shouldn’t reach anyone until it’s confirmed.

## Edge cases

With a Save button, closing the page loses work. Warn about unsaved changes, or keep a local draft.

Source: https://productfordesigners.com/cards/autosave-save
Author: Alex Dovhyi