Let Users Save and Finish Later

Long forms get abandoned. A user starts filling out your application, intake form, or multi-step questionnaire, then gets pulled away before they finish. Save Progress gives your users a save-and-continue button they can click at any point, letting them pause and pick up exactly where they left off.

Whether your users are logged in or just browsing as guests, Save Progress keeps their work safe. No restarts, no lost data, no lost leads for you.

With Save Progress, you can:

Key Features

Key Features of Save Progress

Add a save-and-continue button to any form

Save Progress adds a Save field to your Ninja Forms field library. Drag it anywhere on your form and a save-and-continue button appears in exactly that spot. No code, no templates, no configuration required beyond placement. It works on any form you already have.

Registered users save and return from any device

When a logged-in user clicks save, their progress is recorded server-side in your Ninja Forms submissions area as a saved state. They can close the tab, switch devices, and return days later. When they come back to the form, they see a “Load Saved Progress” prompt and can pick up exactly where they left off. No data entry repeated.

Guest users keep their progress without signing in

Not every visitor has an account. Enable local browser storage in the form’s Advanced settings and non-registered users can save their progress too. Their data is retained in the browser so they do not have to re-enter anything when they return to the same form on the same device and browser. No account required, no friction added.

Reduce form abandonment on long and multi-step forms

Form abandonment is a real conversion problem, and long forms are the biggest culprit. Save Progress directly addresses this by removing the pressure to finish in one sitting. Users who know they can save and come back are far more likely to complete the form at all. Higher completion rates, more submissions, fewer lost leads.

Users can manage multiple saves

When multiple saves are enabled (toggled on in the form’s Advanced tab), users can create more than one saved state for the same form. Each save is timestamped and listed in a customizable “Load Saved Progress” table. Users can load any previous save or edit an existing one. This is especially useful for forms users return to repeatedly, such as applications or quotes.

Trigger email notifications when users save

Any Ninja Forms action can be set to fire on save instead of (or in addition to) firing on submit. Use this to send yourself an email notification the moment a user saves a form, capturing their partial data as a lead before they ever finish. You can also show users a custom success message when they save, so they know their progress is safe.

Compatible with Multi Step Forms and File Uploads

Save Progress carries save state across all steps of a multi-step form. Users can save mid-way through a lengthy process and return to the exact step they left. File upload references are preserved in the save too, so users do not need to re-upload attachments when they return. Save Progress works fully with both the Multi Step Forms and File Uploads add-ons.

Pair with User Management for the full save-and-return experience

Server-side saves require users to be logged in. Combine Save Progress with the User Management add-on to give visitors a complete save-and-return flow: they register directly on your site, save their form progress, and come back to finish without losing a single entry. It is the most complete answer to form abandonment in the Ninja Forms ecosystem.

How Saving Works: Logged-In Users vs. Guests

Save Progress uses two different save mechanisms depending on whether the user is logged in to your WordPress site.

Logged-in users: Progress is saved server-side and recorded in Ninja Forms under Forms > Submissions as a saved state (separate from completed submissions). Saves are portable: the user can return from any device or browser and load exactly what they saved. Site admins can view, edit, or convert saved states to full submissions from the same dashboard they use for completed entries.

Guest users: When local browser storage is enabled, progress is stored in the visitor’s browser. Their data persists if they navigate away and return using the same device and browser. Because saves are browser-local, they are not portable across devices and will be lost if the user clears their browser data.

For teams that need portable saves for all users, pairing Save Progress with the User Management add-on gives guests a path to register and unlock the full server-side experience.

Manage All Saved Forms from Your Admin Dashboard

Every server-side save appears in your Ninja Forms submissions dashboard under Forms > Submissions > View Saves. You can see the full list of saved states for any form, view the partial data a user entered, edit a save, or promote a saved state to a completed submission without requiring the user to resubmit. This gives you full visibility into in-progress entries and keeps partial leads within reach.

Common Use Cases

• Reduce drop-off on long applications: Job applications, grant applications, and membership forms often lose completions simply because they take time. Give applicants a save-and-continue button so they can finish on their own schedule.
• Capture leads before submission: Trigger an email notification on save to capture a prospect’s contact information the moment they pause. You have the lead even if they never return to submit.
• Support multi-step form completion: Pair Save Progress with Multi Step Forms so users can save mid-process. Save state carries across steps, and file uploads are preserved. Start with a pre-built multi-step template or build your own.
• Let repeat users maintain multiple drafts: Enable multiple saves for quote request forms, order configurators, or enrollment forms so users can maintain and compare several in-progress versions at once.
• Give guests a frictionless experience: Enable local browser storage for forms where you do not want to require registration. Guests can pause and return on the same browser without signing up for anything.
• Build a full register-save-return flow: Combine Save Progress with User Management so visitors can create an account, save their progress server-side, and return from any device to complete the form.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I save my progress and come back later?

  Yes. Save Progress adds a save-and-continue button to any Ninja Forms form. Click it at any point to save your entries. Logged-in users can return from any device and load their saved progress. Guests who save via local browser storage can return using the same browser on the same device.

• Is there a way to save my progress and come back later without an account?

  Yes. When a site owner enables local browser storage for a form, non-registered visitors can save their progress without signing in. Their data is stored in the browser and restored when they return to the same form on the same device and browser. No account is required.

• Do users need to be logged in to save form progress?

  Server-side saves require a logged-in WordPress user. For guest users, site owners can enable local browser storage, which saves progress in the visitor's browser without an account. To give guests portable saves across devices, pair Save Progress with the User Management add-on so visitors can register and log in.

• How do I add a save and continue button to my WordPress form?

  Activate the Save Progress add-on, then open any form in the Ninja Forms builder. A Save field will appear in your field library. Drag it onto your form wherever you want the save button to appear. That's it. No code required.

• Does the save-and-continue button work with multi-step forms?

  Yes. Save Progress is fully compatible with the Multi Step Forms add-on. Save state carries across all steps, so users can save mid-process and return to the exact point they left. File upload references are also preserved across saves.

• Can users have multiple saved states for the same form?

  Yes. Multiple saves can be enabled in the Advanced tab of the form builder under Save Progress settings. Once enabled, users can create and manage multiple timestamped saves for the same form and choose which one to load when they return.

• What happens to saved forms in the WordPress admin?

  Every server-side save appears in Ninja Forms under Forms > Submissions as a saved state, separate from completed submissions. Site admins can view the partial data, edit a saved state, or convert it to a full submission without requiring the user to resubmit.

• Can I get an email notification when someone saves a form?

  Yes. Any Ninja Forms action, including email notifications, can be set to trigger on save. In the Emails & Actions tab, toggle the Save option for any action to fire it when a user clicks the save button. This lets you capture lead data before a form is ever submitted.