How to auto-save Excalidraw drawings (so you never lose work)

Does Excalidraw auto-save by default?

Yes. When you draw on excalidraw.com, the app continuously writes your current scene to your browser's localStorage. Reload the tab and your drawing is still there — no "Save" button required. This is genuinely helpful for surviving accidental refreshes.

The catch is where it's saved. localStorage is tied to one browser profile on one device. Excalidraw doesn't keep a copy anywhere else unless you tell it to.

Why you can still lose an Excalidraw drawing

Because the only copy is in your browser, all of these erase it:

• Clearing browsing data or site storage — a routine "clear cache" wipes the drawing.
• Switching devices or browsers — your laptop's drawing isn't on your desktop or phone.
• Incognito / private windows — storage is discarded when the window closes.
• Browser resets, profile corruption, or reinstalls.
• Extensions or "cleaner" tools that purge site data automatically.

If you've ever searched "Excalidraw lost my drawing," this is almost always why.

How to auto-save Excalidraw to the cloud

There are three practical ways to get a durable copy:

Method	Effort	Automatic?
Manually export .excalidraw files	Ongoing, manual	No
Excalidraw+ (official paid plan)	Subscription	Yes (in their cloud)
Excacloud extension	One-time setup	Yes (your Google Drive)

Manual export works but relies on you remembering. Excalidraw+ is the official hosted option. If you want automatic backups into storage you already own, a lightweight extension is the simplest route.

Set up automatic cloud auto-save with Excacloud

1. Install Excacloud from the Chrome Web Store — it's free, no account signup.
2. Sign in with Google. Excacloud creates an Excacloud folder in your Google Drive; nothing else in your Drive is touched.
3. Open excalidraw.com and draw. Every change auto-saves to Drive roughly every 60 seconds and whenever you switch back to the tab — silently, in the background.

Because the files land in your own Drive, they're safe from a cleared cache, and signing in on another computer shows the same drawings.

Frequently asked questions

Does Excalidraw save automatically?

Yes — to your browser's local storage, so it survives a page reload. It does not save to the cloud on its own, so it won't survive clearing site data or moving to another device.

Where are Excalidraw drawings stored?

By default in your browser's localStorage on the device you used. To store them elsewhere you need to export files, use Excalidraw+, or sync with a tool like Excacloud.

How do I stop losing Excalidraw work?

Get the drawings out of the browser. Export .excalidraw files regularly, or install Excacloud so every change is auto-saved to your own cloud in the background.

Can Excalidraw auto-save across devices?

Not by itself — the built-in save is per-browser. Sync to the cloud to see the same drawings everywhere. Excacloud syncs to Google Drive, so another computer shows the same files after you sign in.