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Why versions matter: the 4 layers of protection

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One of long-form writing's worst fears: the paragraph you finally got right is gone. Maybe you deleted it by accident. Maybe the AI rewrote it and you don't like the result. Maybe you tried a big rewrite and now you want the original back. Slima's four layers of protection mean your draft is never actually lost.

The four layers at a glance

Layer Mechanism When it saves you
Layer 1 Local IndexedDB snapshot (every few seconds) Browser crash / accidental tab close
Layer 2 Version history (auto + manual) Big rewrites, restoring, browsing the past
Layer 3 Cloud sync Switch devices, dead laptop
Layer 4 Export to .slima / Markdown / Word Walk away from Slima entirely if you want

Each layer is independent. If one fails, the next catches.

Layer 1: local IndexedDB

Every few seconds while you type, Slima saves to your browser's IndexedDB in the background. It doesn't need the network.

What this catches: browser crashes, blue screens, accidental tab closes, sudden power loss. You'll lose at most a few seconds of typing.

Glance at the bottom of the editor — when the sync status is green, Layer 1 is doing its job.

Layer 2: version history (the layer you'll actually use)

Slima Writing Studio editor as a visual reference: left file tree / centre editor with format toolbar / right Notes panel

This is the layer you actively reach for.

Two kinds of version:

  • Auto-versions — Slima creates them periodically, before the AI writes, and when a file changes a lot
  • Manual versions — you click "Create version", give it a name you'll recognize ("revision pass 1")

See: Create a manual version and name it · Auto-version rules

What this catches:

  • Wanting to switch POV, cut a subplot, rewrite an ending — restore any time
  • AI rewrite didn't land — restore to before the AI touched it
  • You wrote a passage you love and want to protect — name a version

Layer 3: cloud sync

When you close the tab or after a quiet period, your content syncs to Slima's cloud.

What this catches:

  • Writing across devices (home → work → phone)
  • Dead hard drive, lost laptop
  • Reinstall / switch browsers

Sign in from another device and your book is there.

See: Connection & sync · Sync conflicts

Layer 4: export

The last line of defence: you can always take the book out.

  • .slima backup — complete archive, importable back into any Slima account
  • Markdown — plain text, portable
  • Word (.docx) / PDF / EPUB — for publishers, friends, distribution

What this catches:

  • Wanting to leave Slima entirely — your work comes with you
  • Keeping a backup on your own Google Drive / iCloud / hard disk
  • Sending an editor a traditional manuscript

See: Import & export

Three practical tips

  1. Create a named version at every major turn — auto-versions are the safety net, named versions are landmarks
  2. After every chapter, export a Markdown copy to your own cloud — five-second habit, worst-case insurance
  3. Don't disable auto-versions — they cost you nothing and save you everything

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