Choosing the right save option
Overview
These options function differently and serve distinct purposes.
Save & Resume
This feature allows respondents to manually save a partially filled form securely on the server and resume it from any device anytime. Learn More
When to use
When respondents need to pause intentionally and return later — possibly from a different device.
When form owners need visibility into partially completed entries.
This is more of a permanent save mechanism and is ideal for planned pauses during form filling.
Browser Auto-Save
This feature allows respondents to automatically save form progress for up to 7 days in the browser to resume later. Learn More
When to use
When you want to provide a seamless experience for respondents filling long forms, protecting against accidental data loss from tab closures, browser refreshes, device power-off or brief internet disruptions.
This is more of a temporary save mechanism and is ideal for unplanned circumstances.
Using both features together
If needed, you can also enable both features simultaneously on the same form. Here’s how they work together:
If a respondent accesses a public form with both options enabled, Browser Auto-Save will work until the respondent clicks Submit or Save.
Until that point, Browser Auto-save works silently in the background to retain entered data — even if the respondent hasn’t saved manually.
Once the respondent clicks the Save button, Save & Resume feature stores the data on the server, allowing resumption from any device.
Browser Auto-Save only works on public form URLs and will not work on saved URLs generated using the Save & Resume option. When respondents access a saved URL (permalink), Browser Auto-Save is disabled — temporary saves will not work in that case, and respondents must manually click Save again to store progress.
Browser Auto-Save only works on public form URLs and does not work on saved URLs generated via Save & Resume. When respondents access a saved permalink, Browser Auto-save will not work, and they must click Save again to store any further progress.
Save & Resume vs Browser Auto-Save
| Save & Resume | Browser Auto-Save |
User Action | Manual input – Respondents must click the Save button | None – Automatically saves progress during form filling |
Data Storage location | On the server (Zoho Forms' servers) | In browser local storage on the respondent's device |
Saved Data Retention | Permanent – Until form submission (no time limit) | Temporary – Up to 7 days or until form submission, whichever comes first |
Cross-device access | Yes – Respondents can resume from any device using the save link | No – Must use the same browser session and device |
How to resume later? | Multiple ways – using the resume URL (saved/emailed), saved entry popup or from All Entries tab. | Access the public form URL from the same browser, same device again. |
Form owner visibility | Can view partially saved entries in All Entries section | Cannot view partially filled data |
Unique URL for saved form | Yes – unique URL generated; can be emailed or noted manually. | Not available – Must access the public form URL to resume. |
Supported fields | All fields except Signature | All fields except Upload fields and Signature |
How to discard saved progress and start fresh? | Delete the respective saved entry from the All Entries section. | Clear browser local storage and reload the public form URL |
Users supported | Public users | Public and Private users |
Best for | Intentional pauses; gathering information over time; cross-device access | Unintentional/temporary pauses; Protecting against accidental interruptions, quick, seamless experience. |
Choose the right save option for your requirements. Browser Auto-Save is ideal for automatically saving progress within the browser temporarily, with no manual action required whereas Save & Resume provides permanent saving on the server and allows cross-device access, though it requires manual saving each time.
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