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Sometimes a question pops into my mind a mere 5 minutes before I have to run an errand. In that situation, I can either: (a) write the question down on paper and ask it later, or (b) ask the question very quickly, but perhaps with errors that later need editing. I generally choose (a), which isn't altogether that inconvenient.

But is there any way that we could have a "Save Question as Draft" option? I think many users would find it very convenient.

Aside from the rushed scenario I mentioned above, there are also many times when my thoughts aren't fully clear, or my phrasing could be ironed out. It would be nice to be able to begin writing a question without feeling as if it's a final draft. (I know that there are "edit" options, but one never wants to edit too much...)

And given all the recent discussion about the quality of questions on this site, perhaps such a mechanism would encourage users to wait a little longer before posting.

Update: Hm, I see that there's also this sandbox for drafts of answers. Otherwise, it seems that the best options for saving questions/answers are mentioned on this thread.

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    $\begingroup$ Write it as an answer to any question, then go when you have to leave. The draft "answer" will be saved: if you go back to the question you answered, your draft answer will still be there, and you can copy it into a question when you have time to finish. $\endgroup$
    – gnometorule
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 7:20
  • $\begingroup$ @gnometorule: Assuming your computer isn't prone to crashing, sure, that's a fine workaround. Still, I'd like to request this feature regardless. For instance, I've found that saving e-mails as drafts to be very convenient. Why not have the same here? $\endgroup$
    – Jesse Madnick
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 7:22
  • $\begingroup$ I also think it would be cool to have a separate place for half-formed questions or answers -- ones that might take more than a day or two to finish. Personally, I'd rather not keep a half-formed question/answer occupying a tab on my computer for too long. $\endgroup$
    – Jesse Madnick
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 7:23
  • $\begingroup$ It was more meant as a hint. To get a feature done isn't exactly certain, and in the meantime, I thought this might be helpful. $\endgroup$
    – gnometorule
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 7:26
  • $\begingroup$ Of course. Thanks for the suggestion! $\endgroup$
    – Jesse Madnick
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 7:27
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    $\begingroup$ There's also option (c): copy the draft question to a text file and save it on your computer. (As it happens, that's what I'm doing right now...) $\endgroup$
    – user856
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 7:46
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    $\begingroup$ I think this is a good idea. I would like to see more people asking well written questions. This would be a (somewhat subconcious) incentive to improve your draft instead of posting carelessly and editing after being criticized. $\endgroup$
    – Alexander Gruber Mod
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 8:11
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    $\begingroup$ In my experience, it automatically saves what you type in the question field. For example, I just opened the "Ask Question" page, typed a bunch of words and gave it a title, then closed my browser. When I opened the browser back up, it was still there... $\endgroup$
    – apnorton
    Commented Mar 5, 2013 at 14:26
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    $\begingroup$ I really want the feature to save questions as drafts. Sometimes, I write a lengthy question, but get demotivated over time and don’t finish it. Then I save it on my computer and never look at it again. But I certainly would if I was bored for a second and could then easily browse my drafts instead of searching for them, copying them etc. $\endgroup$
    – k.stm
    Commented May 6, 2013 at 17:04
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    $\begingroup$ I saw your post when I requesting the same feature.. $\endgroup$
    – WishingFish
    Commented Jul 30, 2013 at 0:02
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    $\begingroup$ I'd also be very interested in being able to save multiple drafts, as I often work on different problems simultaneously. $\endgroup$
    – Lisa
    Commented Oct 10, 2013 at 14:53
  • $\begingroup$ I lost my an hour work by clicking on stupid refresh button :( $\endgroup$
    – S L
    Commented May 25, 2014 at 13:49

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