Save progress and come back later

Before you start

• You're filling out a public form and want to stop partway through and finish later. You don't need an Incenti account for any of this.
• This page assumes you've already opened a form link — see Fill out and submit a form if you haven't started yet.

Steps

1. Just keep filling out the form. There's nothing to click to turn saving on — it happens automatically as you type and move between fields.
2. Watch the indicator in the top-right corner. While you have changes that haven't been saved yet, it reads Unsaved changes. A couple of seconds after you stop typing or change a field, it switches to Saving... with a small spinner, and your answers (including any files you've uploaded) are saved as a draft.
3. To leave and come back later, use one of these two ways back in:
   • Keep the link in your browser. Once your first answer saves, the page's web address gains an ?appId=... part. That address now points to your specific draft. Bookmark it, copy it, or just leave the tab open — reopening that exact address reloads your saved answers, picking up on whichever page you were on.
   • Re-enter your email. On forms that ask for your email address (and where the organization set that field up as your contact email — not every form does), come back to the original form link (even without the ?appId=... part) and type the same email address you used before. A Resume your draft? dialog appears; click Resume draft to reload your saved answers.
4. If you close the tab while the indicator still says Unsaved changes, your browser will ask whether you're sure you want to leave. Wait a moment for it to switch to Saving... before closing if you want to be sure nothing is lost.

What happens next

• Your draft is not reviewed until you submit. Saving a draft only stores your answers so you can come back to them. Nobody at the organization is notified, and nothing counts as a submission, until you reach the last page and click Submit. Until then the draft appears in their responses list only as In Progress, and only if they filter for drafts.
• Files you've uploaded are saved with your draft. If you attached a document and then leave, it's still attached when you come back.
• The last couple of seconds of typing on a page may not be saved if you jump away with Contents. Auto-save waits briefly after you stop typing before saving. If you click Contents and jump to a different page in that window, the pending save is dropped rather than completed. Change the field again (or wait for the Saving... indicator before navigating) if you want to be sure that last edit is kept.
• The two ways back in are independent. The ?appId=... link always works, with or without an email field on the form. The email-based Resume draft option only works on forms whose email field the organization set up as your contact email — not every form has one.
• If the form closes while your draft is still open, you won't be able to submit it. Your answers stay saved, but the form will show a message instead of the form fields the next time you open it. See Why a form says it is closed for what that means and what to do.

Common questions

Q: I closed the tab, is my work gone? A: No. Your answers are saved automatically as you go, a couple of seconds after each change — that's what the Saving... indicator in the top-right corner means. As long as you saw that indicator at least once before closing the tab, your draft is kept. Get back to it using the form's link with ?appId=... in it, or, on forms that support it, by re-entering your email on the original link.

Q: I lost the link, how do I get back to my draft? A: Go back to the original form link and type the same email address you used before. On forms that support resuming by email you'll be offered Resume draft, which reloads your saved answers. If that dialog doesn't appear, there's no way to look up a draft without its exact link — contact the organization that sent you the form and ask them to resend it.

Q: Does the organization see my draft? A: Only if they go looking. A draft is stored alongside the organization's other responses and is labelled In Progress; their responses list hides drafts unless they filter for them. Nobody is notified and nothing is reviewed until you click Submit on the last page.

Q: Can I have two drafts? A: Yes, and it's easy to do by accident. Each link with a different ?appId=... is its own separate draft, so it's possible to end up with more than one by starting over instead of reopening your saved link. If the form supports resuming by email and you're offered Resume your draft? but choose Not now, continuing on that page also creates a second draft under the same email. To avoid duplicates, always choose Resume draft when it's offered.

Related

• Fill out and submit a form
• Why a form says it is closed
• Continue a form in Incenti when you are signed in
• Duplicate submission warning
• Frequently asked questions