# 🚨 STOP! Save Your Work Before Claude Erases It ## If You're New to Claude, Read This First **You're about to lose your work if you don't know this:** When Claude creates code, documents, or any content in the panel on the right (called an "artifact"), **that work can disappear or get overwritten**. This guide shows you how to save it. --- ## The Problem (This WILL Happen to You) ### Scenario 1: Claude Stops Mid-Way Claude is writing code or a document. Suddenly it stops with a message like: - "I've reached my length limit" - "Let me continue..." - Or just cuts off mid-sentence **⚠️ If you type "continue" without saving first, you might lose the partial work.** ### Scenario 2: You Ask for Changes You ask Claude to "make it better" or "fix that bug." Claude regenerates the ENTIRE artifact. Sometimes the good parts from before are gone. ### Scenario 3: You Close the Tab You close your browser or the tab. Later you can't find which conversation had your code. --- ## THE GOLDEN RULE (Do This Every Time) **Before you type ANYTHING after Claude creates an artifact:** ### STEP 1: Copy the Artifact (5 seconds) 1. Look at the right side of your screen - see the panel with your code/document? That's the artifact. 2. At the TOP RIGHT of that panel, click the **three dots (⋮)** 3. Click **"Copy"** 4. Open Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) or any notes app 5. Paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V) 6. Save the file with a clear name like "my-app-version1.js" **You now have a backup. The work is safe.** ### STEP 2: Now You Can Continue Now it's safe to: - Ask Claude to continue - Ask for changes - Close the tab - Take a break Your work is saved outside of Claude. --- ## Simple Daily Workflow Every time you work with Claude: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 1. Claude creates something │ │ 2. YOU IMMEDIATELY COPY IT │ ← DON'T SKIP THIS │ 3. Paste into a safe place │ │ 4. Now ask Claude to continue/edit │ │ 5. Copy the new version │ │ 6. Compare - did you lose anything? │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` **Repeat steps 2-6 every time the artifact changes.** --- ## Visual Guide: Where to Click **Finding the Copy Button:** ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │ Artifact Title ⋮ │ ← Click these three dots │ │ │ [Your code or document here] │ │ │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────┘ Click ⋮ then select "Copy" ``` **Where to Save:** - **Beginners**: Notepad, TextEdit, Google Docs - **Coding**: VS Code, Sublime Text, your project folder - **Quick backup**: Phone notes app, email draft to yourself --- ## Common Beginner Mistakes (And Fixes) ### ❌ Mistake 1: "I'll just remember which chat it was in" **Why it fails**: After 5 conversations, you can't remember which one had version 3 of your code. ✅ **Fix**: - Copy the artifact externally every time - Name your conversation: Click the title at top, rename it "Budget App v3" --- ### ❌ Mistake 2: "I typed 'continue' and Claude rewrote everything differently" **Why it fails**: Claude doesn't always keep the exact same code when continuing. ✅ **Fix**: - BEFORE typing "continue", copy what's already there - Save it as "version1-PARTIAL.js" - AFTER Claude continues, copy again - Save as "version1-COMPLETE.js" - Now compare them - did anything change or disappear? --- ### ❌ Mistake 3: "I asked Claude to fix one small thing and it broke the rest" **Why it fails**: When Claude edits, it regenerates the entire artifact. Sometimes other parts accidentally change. ✅ **Fix**: - Copy the WORKING version before asking for any changes - If the new version breaks things, you can go back to what worked - Tell Claude: "The previous version worked better, use this code: [paste old version]" --- ### ❌ Mistake 4: "I closed the browser and can't find my work" **Why it fails**: Relying only on Claude's conversation history. ✅ **Fix**: - Always copy artifacts to files on your computer - Bookmark important conversations (browser bookmark) - Name conversations clearly: "React Calculator - Working Version" --- ## When Claude Stops Mid-Generation (Most Common!) This will happen ALL THE TIME. Here's exactly what to do: ### Claude just stopped mid-code and said it reached a limit. What now? **STEP-BY-STEP:** 1. **⏸️ STOP!** Don't type "continue" yet 2. **📋 Look at the artifact** (right panel) - it has incomplete code 3. **💾 Copy it anyway** (three dots → Copy) 4. **📝 Paste into Notepad/TextEdit** 5. **🏷️ Save as**: "my-app-INCOMPLETE-part1.js" 6. **✍️ Add a note**: "Claude stopped at line 47, middle of the login function" 7. **▶️ NOW type**: "continue from where you left off" 8. **📋 When Claude finishes**, copy again 9. **💾 Save as**: "my-app-COMPLETE-part1.js" 10. **🔍 Open both files** - compare them - Did the complete version keep everything from the incomplete one? - Sometimes Claude "forgets" earlier sections - If something's missing, you have the incomplete version to copy from --- ## Super Simple Checklist (Print This!) Every time Claude creates or updates an artifact: - [ ] Did I copy the artifact? (Three dots → Copy) - [ ] Did I paste it somewhere safe? - [ ] Did I save the file with a clear name? - [ ] Did I name this conversation clearly? If you checked all boxes → ✅ **You're safe!** --- ## Emergency Recovery ### "I already typed 'continue' and lost my work. Now what?" 1. **Scroll up** in the conversation - Claude's previous responses are still there 2. **Look for the old artifact** - click on it if you can still see it 3. **Copy button** might still work on the old version 4. **If completely gone**: Ask Claude "Earlier you created [describe what it was]. Can you recreate it?" ### "I closed the tab and can't find my conversation" 1. Look at the **left sidebar** in Claude 2. Click **"All conversations"** or search 3. **Search for keywords** from your project 4. Check **"Recents"** - it's probably near the top 5. The conversation is still there, just need to find it --- ## For Absolute Beginners: What's an Artifact? **An artifact** = The panel on the right side where Claude puts: - Code (JavaScript, Python, HTML, etc.) - Documents (formatted text) - Diagrams - Data tables - Anything Claude creates that you'll want to use **Why it matters**: This content can change or disappear. You need to copy it out to keep it safe. --- ## Simple File Naming Guide Instead of "untitled.txt", try: **For code:** - `calculator-app-v1.js` (version 1) - `calculator-app-v2.js` (version 2) - `calculator-app-BROKEN.js` (keep broken versions to learn from) - `calculator-app-WORKING.js` (the one that actually works!) **For documents:** - `essay-draft1.txt` - `essay-draft2-with-intro.txt` - `essay-final.txt` **When Claude stops mid-way:** - `project-PART1.js` - `project-PART2.js` - `project-COMPLETE.js` --- ## Why This Matters **True story**: Beginners spend hours with Claude building something amazing. They don't save it. They ask for "one small change." Claude regenerates it differently. The good version is gone forever. **Don't be that person.** Copy artifacts immediately, every time. --- ## Quick Start: Your First Session 1. Ask Claude to create something 2. When it appears in the right panel → **stop** 3. Three dots (⋮) → Copy 4. Open Notepad → Paste → Save 5. Name the file clearly 6. **Now** you can ask Claude to continue or modify **Do this every single time** until it becomes automatic (takes about 3 sessions). --- ## One More Time: The Most Important Thing 🚨 **SAVE BEFORE YOU TYPE "CONTINUE"** 🚨 That partial work has value. Save it first, ask questions later. --- ## Questions Beginners Ask **Q: How often should I save?** A: After EVERY change to the artifact. Every time Claude updates it, copy it again. **Q: Can't Claude just remember my previous versions?** A: No. Claude only shows you one version at a time. If you want to compare or go back, you need your own copies. **Q: What if I forget?** A: You'll lose some work, learn the hard way, and remember next time. We've all done it. Start saving now. **Q: Is there an auto-save?** A: The conversation is saved, but the specific version of your artifact can change. Manual copying is the only reliable way. **Q: This seems like a lot of work...** A: It takes 5 seconds to copy. It takes hours to recreate lost work. Your choice. --- ## Bottom Line for Beginners Claude is incredibly powerful, but **it doesn't automatically save your work safely**. You must: 1. Copy artifacts immediately 2. Save them externally (Notepad, files, anywhere outside Claude) 3. Do this EVERY time before asking Claude to continue or modify **This is not optional if you care about your work.** Start doing this TODAY, and you'll never lose hours of work to a simple mistake.