The copy in Compose and your .compose file are different
Compose keeps open documents on this device so you can return to them later. That copy is tied to the browser data on this device.
A .compose file is an independent file you can store wherever you choose. It keeps the document together with Compose features such as Shelf, Review, citations and document settings.
Open a .compose file
Open Documents and choose Open or import, then select the .compose file. Compose opens the document and, when the browser allows it, can remember permission to save later changes back to the same file.
Some browsers cannot keep that permission. In that case the document still opens safely, but Compose will not pretend that Save can overwrite the original.
Use Save when you want to update the same file
If Compose still has permission to the opened .compose file, Save writes the latest document back to it. Your browser may ask you to approve access again.
If Compose cannot save back to the original file, it asks what to do instead of quietly saving somewhere unexpected.
Reconnect the original when access has been lost
Choose Reconnect original when Compose knows which document you opened but no longer has permission to update that file. Select the original .compose file when asked.
Reconnecting does not overwrite the file. It only restores permission. Your next explicit Save is the action that writes the current document back to it.
Choose between Save As and Save a Copy
Save As creates a new .compose file and makes that new file the one future Save actions should update, where the browser supports that behaviour.
Save a Copy also creates a .compose file, but it leaves your usual save location unchanged. Use it for a milestone, a copy to send someone, or an extra backup.
If the file changed outside Compose
If the linked file has changed elsewhere, Compose stops before overwriting it. Reopen the changed file, save your current Compose version as a separate copy, or choose to overwrite the file.
This warning matters when the same file is edited from another app, device or folder-sync process. Read the choices before continuing rather than treating the warning as a routine confirmation.
Use a simple backup routine
The copy inside Compose and Version History help with everyday recovery, but neither protects you if the browser data or device is lost. Keep a separate .compose file for important documents.
The best backup location is one you already trust and check, such as an external drive or your own file-sync service.
- Save a .compose file at meaningful points in the work.
- Keep at least one copy outside Compose, ideally on another device or in a backup location.
- Open an important backup occasionally to make sure it is usable.