Draft messages

Zulip automatically saves the content of your message as a draft when you close the compose box, ensuring that you never lose your work. When you start composing, the most recently edited draft for the conversation you are composing to automatically appears in the compose box.

Note: Drafts are local to your client, and are not synced to other devices and browsers.

Save a draft

Save a draft and stop composing

Desktop/Web

1. Open the compose box.
2. Type at least 3 characters of text into the compose box.
3. Close the compose box. For example, you can click the close () icon in the top right corner of the compose box, or click on an empty area of the app to close the compose box and save your message as a draft.

Keyboard tip: You can also use Esc to close the compose box and save your message as a draft.

Save a draft and start a new message

Desktop/Web

1. Open the compose box.
2. Click on the ellipsis () in the bottom right corner of the compose box, next to the Send () button.
3. Select Save draft and start a new message.

Restore a draft

To make it easier to find the draft you are looking for, drafts for the conversation you are composing to are shown at the top of the drafts list in the web and desktop apps. If you have saved drafts for the current conversation, the counter next to the Drafts button in the compose box shows how many there are.

Via left sidebar

1. Click on Drafts in the left sidebar. If the views section is collapsed, click on the ellipsis (), and select Drafts.
2. Click on the draft you want to restore.

Keyboard tip: You can also use D to bring up your list of saved drafts, and Enter within the drafts view to restore the selected draft.

Via compose box button

1. Open the compose box.
2. Click the Drafts button on the right side of the compose box.
3. Click on the draft you want to restore.

Keyboard tip: You can also use D to bring up your list of saved drafts, and Enter within the drafts view to restore the selected draft.

Delete drafts

Delete a draft

Via left sidebar

1. Click on Drafts in the left sidebar. If the views section is collapsed, click on the ellipsis (), and select Drafts.
2. Click the delete () icon on the draft you want to delete.

Keyboard tip: You can also use D to bring up your list of saved drafts, and Backspace within the drafts view to delete the selected draft.

Via compose box button

1. Open the compose box.
2. Click the Drafts button on the right side of the compose box.
3. Click the delete () icon on the draft you want to delete.

Keyboard tip: You can also use D to bring up your list of saved drafts, and Backspace within the drafts view to delete the selected draft.

Delete multiple drafts

Via left sidebar

1. Click on Drafts in the left sidebar. If the views section is collapsed, click on the ellipsis (), and select Drafts.
2. Click Select all drafts in the upper right corner of the drafts view, or select the drafts you want to delete by toggling the checkboxes on the right.
3. Click the delete () icon in the upper right corner of the drafts view to delete all selected drafts.

Keyboard tip: You can also use D to bring up your list of saved drafts.

Via compose box button

1. Open the compose box.
2. Click the Drafts button on the right side of the compose box.
3. Click Select all drafts in the upper right corner of the drafts view, or select the drafts you want to delete by toggling the checkboxes on the right.
4. Click the delete () icon in the upper right corner of the drafts view to delete all selected drafts.

Keyboard tip: You can also use D to bring up your list of saved drafts.

Related articles

• Schedule a message
• Preview messages before sending
• Verify a message was sent
• Edit a message
• Delete a message