Articles on: Getting Started

How do I save my files?

Scriptation saves automatically on iPad and iPhone. On Mac, save with File → Save (⌘ + S), or leave Save-on-Close on so documents save whenever you close them.

iPad / iPhone

On iOS, Scriptation automatically does a Quick Save after every single annotation. This saves all of your notes if you have to exit the app right after making an annotation, or in the unlikely event of a crash.

✅ TIP: Want to see the Quick Save in action? Make an annotation and quickly close the app — when you re-open it, the annotation will be there.

Scriptation also automatically does a Full Save:

When you switch tabs;
When you close the document.

The Full Save also compresses the document's size, optimizing for memory performance.

✅ TIP: Wondering how your notes sync with cloud providers? See How often are files uploaded to the cloud?.

Mac

On a Mac, Scriptation documents must be saved manually, just like any other desktop application. From the menu bar, click File → Save, or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘ + S.

Save-on-Close (Recommended)

On macOS, Scriptation can also automatically save documents when you close them. It's on by default and we recommend leaving it that way. To check or change the setting, click the three-dot menu (⋯) at the top-right, select Settings, and look for the Save-on-Close option in the General tab.

📝 NOTE: On macOS, Scriptation also performs Quick Saves to a non-accessible temporary system file, which can recover your notes in the unlikely event of a crash.

✅ TIP: Press ⌘ + S whenever you finish making changes, especially before closing your laptop — unsaved changes can't sync to the cloud or your other devices.

If your work isn't saving on Mac

If an annotation is gone the next time you open the file:

Make sure you're opening your actual file. Click Select File on the home screen and go to the file in your cloud folder or on your Mac — not one of the tutorial guides at the top of the home screen;
Save and close the file before quitting. Give Scriptation a moment to finish saving and syncing;
Don't edit the PDF in another app (like Preview) after annotating it in Scriptation. If Scriptation detects the file changed, choose Keep current version to keep your annotated copy — see What does the File Version Conflict notification mean?;
Use a provider with version history. Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive let you restore an earlier version; iCloud doesn't.

Still losing work? Use the Send us an email button at the bottom of this page and include a short screen recording (open a file, annotate, close, reopen) and your Scriptation version.

What's Next

How do I move or copy my files to the cloud?
How often do files upload / sync to cloud?
Where are my files stored on Mac?
Where are my files stored?

Updated on: 09/10/2026

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