> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tessact.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Editor loading and recovery
> Diagnose a draft that stalls, opens partially, loses live collaboration, or becomes temporarily read-only.
A video draft may become visible in stages. The editor interface, saved layers, collaborator activity, media previews, filmstrips, and waveforms can finish loading at different times.
## Identify what is affected
| What you see | Likely area | First action |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| The draft never leaves the Library | Workspace access or navigation | Confirm the active workspace and reopen the draft |
| The editor appears but the draft is empty | Draft loading | Wait briefly, then refresh once if no layers appear |
| Canvas and timeline appear, but collaborators or autosave seem disconnected | Connection or live collaboration | Check connectivity and avoid parallel edits until activity returns |
| Layers are named in the timeline but media is blank | Media availability or browser playback | Follow [Media troubleshooting](/editor/troubleshooting/media) |
| Only filmstrips or waveforms are missing | Timeline preview cache | Continue editing if playback works and allow previews to rebuild |
| Preview works but H.264 export cannot start | Export request or draft eligibility | Follow [Export troubleshooting](/editor/export/troubleshooting) |
## Safe recovery sequence
Close duplicate tabs for the same draft. Multiple tabs can show different local undo history and can make recovery harder to reason about.
Return to the Library and verify the active workspace and draft title. Similar draft names in different workspaces can look like a missing timeline.
Confirm the browser is online. If possible, temporarily rule out a VPN, firewall, privacy extension, or proxy that may block the application or its media.
If the editor was responsive immediately before the issue, stop dragging and typing, then wait briefly before refreshing.
Reload the page and allow the draft and its media to settle. Rapid repeated refreshes restart loading and can hide the original problem.
If the page still stalls, return to the Library and open the draft again from its workspace.
Undo history belongs to the current editor session. Reloading can recover saved draft content, but it does not preserve the prior tab's full undo sequence.
## Blank or incomplete timeline
Before assuming content was lost:
1. Fit the full timeline with `\\`.
2. Scroll vertically through the track area.
3. Clear selection and check whether tracks are hidden.
4. Seek with `Home` and `End` to confirm the composition range.
5. Open Canvas settings with `Cmd/Ctrl+8` and inspect duration.
6. Reopen the draft from the Library and compare the saved result.
If the duration is nonzero but no layers are visible, capture a screenshot of the full editor before making structural changes. If support requests browser diagnostics, capture only the relevant failed request names and status codes; do not include access tokens, credentials, or private media links.
## Live collaboration is missing or stale
Signs of a connection problem include:
* collaborators disappear unexpectedly;
* remote pointers stop moving;
* another person's completed edits do not appear after a reasonable wait;
* the draft repeatedly changes after connectivity returns;
* two freshly reopened sessions continue to show different results.
### Recovery
* Choose one tab as the authoritative editing session and close duplicate draft tabs.
* Restore stable connectivity.
* Stop dragging and typing so autosave can finish.
* Refresh a non-authoritative tab first and compare the result.
* If the difference remains, record the approximate time, affected layer names, and the order in which each person edited.
Do not rely on another collaborator's undo to reverse your action. Each person has local undo history; when ownership is uncertain, agree on the desired result and make an explicit correction.
## Changes do not stay applied
If controls are disabled, a change immediately reverts, or the draft appears view-only, check:
* workspace membership and permission;
* whether the draft is still accessible from the Library;
* whether the sign-in session expired;
* whether another organization or workspace is active;
* whether the browser is blocking required site storage or network access.
After restoring access, sign in again if needed and reopen the draft from the Library.
## Browser storage and cache
The browser keeps disposable filmstrip and waveform previews along with local preferences. Storage problems can affect these editor conveniences without changing the saved video draft.
Before clearing site data:
1. Confirm recent creative changes are present after a clean reload.
2. Expect to sign in again.
3. Expect filmstrips and waveforms to rebuild.
4. Expect session-only preferences and undo history to reset.
Do not clear all browser data as the first response to a media-only problem.
## Gather a useful support report
Include:
* workspace name and draft name;
* exact local time and time zone;
* browser name and version;
* operating system and device model;
* whether one or multiple tabs were open;
* last successful action;
* visible error message, if any;
* whether one refresh and a Library reopen changed the result;
* whether another signed-in browser sees the same saved draft;
* screenshots of the full editor and affected panel;
* a short screen recording for intermittent problems.
Never share your password, access tokens, or private media URLs in a support report.
Understand what is saved, what remains local, and how to leave a draft safely.
Coordinate simultaneous work and recover safely when edits overlap.