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Why Form Guardian?

Form data loss is one of the most frustrating user experiences on the web. Form Guardian solves this problem with a battle-tested, production-ready solution.

The Problem​

Every day, users lose hours of work filling out forms because of:

Accidental Tab Closure​

// User spends 20 minutes filling out a job application
// Accidentally closes the browser tab
// ❌ All data is lost forever

Unexpected Page Refresh​

// User is filling a long survey
// Network hiccup causes page refresh
// ❌ All progress is gone

Browser Crashes​

// User is writing a detailed support ticket
// Browser crashes or system freezes
// ❌ Everything they typed is lost

Navigation Away​

// User clicks back button or navigates to another page
// Returns to the form later
// ❌ Form is empty, must start over

The result: Frustrated users, lost conversions, and poor user experience.

The Pain​

For Users​

  • Lost time - Hours of work disappear in seconds
  • Frustration - Having to re-enter all information
  • Abandonment - Many users simply give up
  • Trust issues - Users lose confidence in your application

For Developers​

  • Support tickets - Users complain about lost data
  • Lost conversions - Users abandon forms after data loss
  • Reputation damage - Poor UX affects brand perception
  • Development time - Building custom solutions is time-consuming

The Value​

Form Guardian provides a production-ready solution that solves all these problems:

✅ Automatic Draft Saving​

// Zero configuration - just attach and it works
const { formRef } = useFormAutosave('my-form', {
  autoRestore: true,
});

Benefits:

  • Saves automatically as users type (debounced)
  • No manual save buttons needed
  • Works with any form library or vanilla HTML

✅ Reliable Storage​

// Uses IndexedDB - no size limits, persistent storage
// Survives browser crashes, tab closures, page refreshes

Benefits:

  • 1GB+ storage capacity (vs 5-10MB for localStorage)
  • Asynchronous - doesn't block UI
  • Persistent - survives browser restarts

✅ Security Built-In​

// Automatically excludes sensitive fields
// No passwords, tokens, or credit cards saved

Benefits:

  • Automatic exclusion of password fields
  • Customizable blacklist/whitelist
  • No sensitive data in storage

✅ Framework Agnostic​

// Works with React, Vue, Angular, or vanilla HTML
// No framework dependencies required

Benefits:

  • Use with any form library (React Hook Form, Formik, etc.)
  • Works with vanilla JavaScript
  • Future-proof - not tied to specific frameworks

✅ Production Features​

// TTL support, debouncing, conflict prevention
const { formRef } = useFormAutosave('my-form', {
  ttl: { days: 7 },      // Auto-expire old drafts
  debounceMs: 300,       // Performance optimization
  autoRestore: true,     // Restore on page load
});

Benefits:

  • Automatic draft expiration
  • Performance optimized with debouncing
  • Prevents race conditions during restoration

Real-World Impact​

Before Form Guardian​

User fills out 15-minute form
→ Browser crashes
→ User loses all data
→ User abandons form
→ Lost conversion

With Form Guardian​

User fills out 15-minute form
→ Browser crashes
→ User returns to page
→ Draft automatically restored
→ User completes form
→ Successful conversion

When You Need Form Guardian​

Form Guardian is perfect when you have:

  • Long forms - Job applications, surveys, multi-step wizards
  • User-generated content - Blog posts, comments, support tickets
  • E-commerce - Checkout forms, product configurations
  • Data entry - Admin panels, content management
  • Any form where data loss is costly

What Makes Form Guardian Different​

vs Manual localStorage Solutions​

  • ✅ No boilerplate code
  • ✅ Automatic security (excludes passwords)
  • ✅ Much larger storage capacity
  • ✅ Handles edge cases

vs Backend Autosave​

  • ✅ No API calls (faster, cheaper)
  • ✅ Works offline
  • ✅ No authentication required
  • ✅ Better privacy (data stays in browser)

vs Other Libraries​

  • ✅ Framework agnostic
  • ✅ Zero dependencies
  • ✅ Production-tested
  • ✅ Active maintenance

Get Started​

Ready to prevent form data loss in your application?

npm install @form-guardian/react
import { useFormAutosave } from '@form-guardian/react';

function MyForm() {
  const { formRef, clearDraft } = useFormAutosave('my-form', {
    autoRestore: true,
  });

  return <form ref={formRef}>...</form>;
}

That's it! Your forms now automatically save and restore drafts.

Next Steps​