Exclusivebeta

Tell-Tale — <mv-tell-tale>

Unsaved-work indicator whose insistence grows with what is at stake. It watches a form or editor region (input/change events, mark(count) for editors it cannot see, or a dirty attribute), compares every field with its last saved value (typing a value back makes it clean again, a radio group counts once, long text weighs more, data-tell-tale-weight sets any field's weight) and shows a small mark that beats: nearly still and faint right after an edit, then stronger and faster as the number of changes and their age grow along a configurable calm / threshold / urgent curve (age × √weight, so nine changes get there three times sooner than one). It lives in a header as a status chip (“7 unsaved”, click to save) or rides on the corner of your own Save button, with a detail tooltip (“7 unsaved changes · last saved 18 min ago · Save ⌘S”). From a chosen level it can prefix the tab title with “• ” and dot the favicon, and it attaches a beforeunload guard only while really needed (never when clean, never during a native form submit, so the back-forward cache stays usable). ⌘S / Ctrl+S is optional; mv-save is cancelable and its waitUntil(promise) shows “Saving…”, keeps edits typed during the request as unsaved, and reports failures; saved() settles it with a soft “Saved” beat.

CategoryFeedback
TypeWeb Component (<mv-tell-tale>)
Statusbeta
Keywordsexclusive, culture, unsaved-changes, dirty-state, save-status, save-indicator, beforeunload, leave-guard, form, editor, keyboard-shortcut, cmd-s, tab-title, favicon, heartbeat, pulse, escalation, status

When to use

Avoid when

Install

node scripts/add.mjs tell-tale --out ./src/marvelous

AI agent with the Marvelous UI MCP server: install_components({ slugs: ["tell-tale"], target_dir: "<absolute path>/src/marvelous", framework: "react" }).

Files copied (dependencies included): tokens/tokens.css, core/base.css, core/canvas.js, core/dom.js, core/element.js, core/motion.js, core/position.js, components/tell-tale/tell-tale.js, components/tell-tale/tell-tale.css.

Usage

Canonical markup — start from it and customize with attributes, data-* and CSS variables:

<div id="tt-demo" style="width:min(100%,64rem);margin-inline:auto">
  <style>
    #tt-demo { display:grid; gap:1.25rem; align-content:start }
    #tt-demo .tt-layout { display:grid; grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 17rem; gap:1.25rem; align-items:start }
    #tt-demo .tt-app { min-width:0; border:1px solid var(--mv-border); border-radius:var(--mv-radius-xl); background:var(--mv-surface); box-shadow:var(--mv-shadow-sm); overflow:hidden }
    #tt-demo .tt-bar { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:.75rem 1rem; flex-wrap:wrap; min-height:3.5rem; padding:.625rem 1rem .625rem 1.125rem; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mv-border) }
    #tt-demo .tt-crumbs { display:grid; gap:.125rem; min-width:0; flex:1 1 14rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-crumbs small { color:var(--mv-fg-subtle); font-size:.75rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-crumbs strong { font-size:.9375rem; letter-spacing:-.01em; overflow:hidden; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap }
    #tt-demo .tt-end { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:.5rem; margin-inline-start:auto }
    #tt-demo .tt-form { display:grid; gap:1rem; padding:1.125rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-row { display:grid; grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 12rem; gap:1rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-radios { display:flex; gap:.5rem 1.25rem; flex-wrap:wrap; padding-top:.25rem; border:0; margin:0; padding-inline:0 }
    #tt-demo .tt-radios legend { padding:0; margin-bottom:.375rem }
    #tt-demo textarea { min-height:8.5rem; resize:vertical; line-height:1.55 }
    #tt-demo .tt-controls { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:.75rem 1rem; flex-wrap:wrap; padding:.875rem 1.125rem; border-top:1px solid var(--mv-border); background:var(--mv-bg-subtle) }
    #tt-demo .tt-toggles { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:.5rem 1.25rem; flex-wrap:wrap }
    #tt-demo .tt-toggles .mv-choice { font-size:.8125rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-readout { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:.5rem; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem; font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums }
    #tt-demo .tt-foot { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:.5rem 1rem; flex-wrap:wrap; padding:0 1.125rem .875rem; background:var(--mv-bg-subtle) }
    #tt-demo .tt-log { margin:0; flex:1 1 16rem; min-width:0; color:var(--mv-fg-subtle); font:.75rem/1.4 var(--mv-font-mono) }
    #tt-demo .tt-side { display:grid; gap:1rem; align-content:start }
    #tt-demo .tt-panel { padding:1rem 1.125rem; border:1px solid var(--mv-border); border-radius:var(--mv-radius-xl); background:var(--mv-surface); box-shadow:var(--mv-shadow-xs) }
    #tt-demo .tt-panel h4 { margin:0 0 .25rem; font-size:.875rem; letter-spacing:-.01em }
    #tt-demo .tt-panel > p { margin:0 0 .875rem; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem; line-height:1.45 }
    #tt-demo .tt-curve { display:grid; gap:.5rem; margin:0; padding:0; list-style:none }
    #tt-demo .tt-curve li { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:.75rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-curve span { display:grid; gap:.0625rem; font-size:.8125rem; font-weight:500 }
    #tt-demo .tt-curve small { color:var(--mv-fg-subtle); font-size:.6875rem; font-weight:400 }
    #tt-demo .tt-settings { display:grid; gap:.75rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-settings-foot { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:.75rem; padding-top:.25rem }
    #tt-demo .tt-settings-foot small { color:var(--mv-fg-subtle); font-size:.6875rem; line-height:1.35 }
    @media (max-width:54rem) { #tt-demo .tt-layout { grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) } }
    @media (max-width:36rem) { #tt-demo .tt-row { grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) } }
  </style>

  <div class="tt-layout">
    <!-- Main: a help-center article editor. Time runs about 12× faster here. -->
    <section class="tt-app" aria-label="Article editor">
      <header class="tt-bar">
        <span class="tt-crumbs">
          <small>Help Center · Billing</small>
          <strong>Refunds for annual plans</strong>
        </span>
        <span class="tt-end">
          <mv-tell-tale id="tt-main" for="tt-article" shortcut tab="both" calm="6s" threshold="25s" urgent="75s"></mv-tell-tale>
          <button type="reset" form="tt-article" class="mv-button" data-variant="ghost" data-size="sm" id="tt-discard">Discard</button>
          <button type="submit" form="tt-article" class="mv-button" data-size="sm">Save</button>
        </span>
      </header>

      <form id="tt-article" class="tt-form" novalidate>
        <div class="tt-row">
          <div class="mv-field">
            <label class="mv-label" for="tt-title">Title</label>
            <input class="mv-input" id="tt-title" name="title" value="Refunds for annual plans">
          </div>
          <div class="mv-field">
            <label class="mv-label" for="tt-category">Category</label>
            <select class="mv-select" id="tt-category" name="category">
              <option selected>Billing</option>
              <option>Plans &amp; pricing</option>
              <option>Account</option>
            </select>
          </div>
        </div>
        <div class="mv-field">
          <label class="mv-label" for="tt-summary">Summary</label>
          <input class="mv-input" id="tt-summary" name="summary" value="How refunds work when you cancel an annual subscription.">
        </div>
        <div class="mv-field">
          <label class="mv-label" for="tt-body">Article</label>
          <textarea class="mv-textarea" id="tt-body" name="body">Annual plans can be canceled at any time from Settings → Billing. If you cancel within 30 days of your renewal date, we refund the full amount to your original payment method.

After 30 days, your plan stays active until the end of the billing period and is not renewed.</textarea>
        </div>
        <fieldset class="tt-radios">
          <legend class="mv-label">Visible to</legend>
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="radio" class="mv-radio" name="audience" value="all" checked> All customers</label>
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="radio" class="mv-radio" name="audience" value="enterprise"> Enterprise only</label>
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" class="mv-checkbox" name="notify" id="tt-notify"> Notify subscribers</label>
        </fieldset>
      </form>

      <div class="tt-controls">
        <span class="tt-toggles">
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="tt-guard" checked> Warn before leaving</label>
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="tt-tab" checked> Mark the browser tab</label>
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" class="mv-checkbox" id="tt-fail"> Next save fails</label>
        </span>
        <button type="button" class="mv-button" data-variant="outline" data-size="sm" id="tt-ff">Let 1 min pass</button>
      </div>
      <div class="tt-foot">
        <p class="tt-log" id="tt-log" aria-live="polite">Press ⌘S / Ctrl+S, click the status chip or Save.</p>
        <span class="tt-readout">
          <span class="mv-badge" data-variant="outline" data-shape="pill" id="tt-level">calm</span>
          <span id="tt-weight">0 changes</span>
        </span>
      </div>
    </section>

    <aside class="tt-side">
      <!-- The stakes curve: same component, five moments of the same draft -->
      <div class="tt-panel">
        <h4>Stakes curve</h4>
        <p>More unsaved work, left longer, beats stronger and faster. Hover a mark for its detail.</p>
        <ul class="tt-curve" id="tt-curve">
          <li><span>Clean<small>Everything saved</small></span><mv-tell-tale guard="off" data-seed="0,0"></mv-tell-tale></li>
          <li><span>Calm<small>1 edit, seconds ago</small></span><mv-tell-tale guard="off" data-seed="1,10"></mv-tell-tale></li>
          <li><span>Stirring<small>2 edits, 2 min</small></span><mv-tell-tale guard="off" data-seed="2,120"></mv-tell-tale></li>
          <li><span>Insistent<small>4 edits, 4 min</small></span><mv-tell-tale guard="off" data-seed="4,240"></mv-tell-tale></li>
          <li><span>Urgent<small>9 edits, 8 min</small></span><mv-tell-tale guard="off" data-seed="9,480"></mv-tell-tale></li>
        </ul>
      </div>

      <!-- Corner mode: the mark sits on the app's own Save button -->
      <form class="tt-panel" id="tt-settings" novalidate>
        <h4>Workspace settings</h4>
        <p>Corner mode: the mark rides on your own Save button.</p>
        <div class="tt-settings">
          <div class="mv-field">
            <label class="mv-label" for="tt-ws">Workspace name</label>
            <input class="mv-input" id="tt-ws" value="Northwind Labs">
          </div>
          <div class="mv-field">
            <label class="mv-label" for="tt-cur">Default currency</label>
            <select class="mv-select" id="tt-cur">
              <option selected>USD — US dollar</option>
              <option>EUR — Euro</option>
              <option>JPY — Japanese yen</option>
            </select>
          </div>
          <label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="tt-2fa"> Require two-factor sign-in</label>
          <div class="tt-settings-foot">
            <small id="tt-settings-note"></small>
            <mv-tell-tale id="tt-corner" guard="off" style="--mv-tell-tale-cutout:var(--mv-surface)" calm="5s" threshold="20s" urgent="60s">
              <button type="submit" class="mv-button" data-variant="outline" data-size="sm">Save changes</button>
            </mv-tell-tale>
          </div>
        </div>
      </form>
    </aside>
  </div>

  <script type="module">
    await customElements.whenDefined("mv-tell-tale");
    const $ = (id) => document.getElementById(id);
    const main = $("tt-main");
    const form = $("tt-article");
    const log = $("tt-log");
    const clock = () => new Date().toLocaleTimeString("en-US", { hour: "numeric", minute: "2-digit", second: "2-digit" });
    const say = (text) => { log.textContent = `${clock()} · ${text}`; };
    const edit = (el, apply) => { apply(el); el.dispatchEvent(new Event("input", { bubbles: true })); el.dispatchEvent(new Event("change", { bubbles: true })); };

    // A draft already in progress: last saved 18 minutes ago, four edits since.
    main.savedAt = Date.now() - 18 * 60_000;
    edit($("tt-summary"), (el) => { el.value = "How refunds work when you cancel or downgrade an annual subscription."; });
    edit($("tt-body"), (el) => { el.value += "\n\nDowngrades from Business to Team are prorated: the difference is credited to your next invoice, never refunded in cash. Credits never expire and apply to add-ons as well."; });
    edit(form.querySelector('[value="enterprise"]'), (el) => { el.checked = true; });
    edit($("tt-notify"), (el) => { el.checked = true; });
    main.dirtySince = Date.now() - 12_000;

    // Fake API: 900 ms round trip, optionally failing.
    const api = () => new Promise((resolve, reject) => setTimeout(() => ($("tt-fail").checked ? reject(new Error("503")) : resolve()), 900));
    main.addEventListener("mv-save", (e) => {
      say(`Saving ${e.detail.changes} change${e.detail.changes === 1 ? "" : "s"} (${e.detail.source})…`);
      e.detail.waitUntil(api());
    });
    main.addEventListener("mv-saved", (e) => { $("tt-fail").checked = false; say(`Saved ${e.detail.changes} change${e.detail.changes === 1 ? "" : "s"}.`); });
    main.addEventListener("mv-save-error", () => say("Save failed: server unavailable. Your edits are still here."));
    main.addEventListener("mv-stake", (e) => { if (e.detail.previous !== "clean" || e.detail.level !== "calm") say(`Stakes: ${e.detail.previous} → ${e.detail.level}.`); });
    form.addEventListener("submit", (e) => { e.preventDefault(); main.save({ source: "button" }); });
    $("tt-discard").addEventListener("click", (e) => { e.preventDefault(); const n = main.revert(); say(n ? `Discarded ${n} change${n === 1 ? "" : "s"}.` : "Nothing to discard."); });

    const readout = () => {
      $("tt-level").textContent = main.level;
      $("tt-weight").textContent = `${main.changes} change${main.changes === 1 ? "" : "s"} · weight ${main.weight}`;
    };
    for (const type of ["mv-stake", "mv-saved", "input", "change"]) main.closest("section").addEventListener(type, () => queueMicrotask(readout));
    main.addEventListener("mv-stake", readout);
    readout();

    $("tt-guard").addEventListener("change", (e) => { main.guard = e.target.checked ? "insistent" : "off"; });
    $("tt-tab").addEventListener("change", (e) => { main.tab = e.target.checked ? "both" : "off"; });
    $("tt-ff").addEventListener("click", () => {
      if (!main.changes) { say("Nothing unsaved: edit a field first."); return; }
      main.dirtySince -= 5_000; // ≈ 1 min at this demo's speed
      readout();
    });

    // Stakes curve: fixed moments with the default curve (1m / 5m / 15m).
    const seed = (el) => {
      const [count, secs] = el.dataset.seed.split(",").map(Number);
      el.savedAt = Date.now() - (secs + 90) * 1000;
      el.mark(count);
      if (count) el.dirtySince = Date.now() - secs * 1000;
    };
    for (const el of $("tt-curve").querySelectorAll("mv-tell-tale")) {
      seed(el);
      el.addEventListener("mv-save", (e) => e.detail.waitUntil(new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 500))));
      el.addEventListener("mv-saved", () => setTimeout(() => seed(el), 3200));
    }

    // Corner mode: one setting already changed 20 seconds ago.
    const corner = $("tt-corner");
    corner.savedAt = Date.now() - 26 * 3600_000;
    $("tt-settings-note").textContent = `Last saved ${new Date(corner.savedAt).toLocaleDateString("en-US", { month: "short", day: "numeric" })}`;
    edit($("tt-cur"), (el) => { el.selectedIndex = 1; });
    corner.dirtySince = Date.now() - 20_000;
    $("tt-settings").addEventListener("submit", (e) => {
      e.preventDefault();
      $("tt-settings-note").textContent = "Saving…";
      setTimeout(() => { corner.saved(); $("tt-settings-note").textContent = "Saved just now"; }, 700);
    });
  </script>
</div>

Cultural reference

The Tell-Tale Heart — Edgar Allan Poe (1843, book). The narrator hears the beat of a heart hidden under the floorboards grow louder and faster until he can no longer ignore it and gives himself away. Here the unsaved work hidden in a form beats in a small mark, faint right after an edit and more insistent as the changes and their age pile up, until it is saved or its beat reaches the tab and the leave guard.

API

Attributes

NameTypeDefaultDescription
foridId of the watched region: a <form> (its elements, including those attached with form="…") or any container of fields and contenteditable roots. Defaults to the Save button's form in corner mode, then the closest <form> ancestor; without a region only mark() and dirty count.
calmtime ("1m", "45s", ms number)1mEnd of the calm level for a single change: until then the mark is small, faint and nearly still.
thresholdtime5mStart of the insistent level for a single change: the mark turns to the warning tone and throws an echo ring on each beat; the default level for the tab mark and the leave guard.
urgenttime15mStart of the urgent level for a single change: largest, fastest beat, danger tone, emphasized chip. All three times are divided by √weight, so more work at risk escalates sooner.
dirtyboolean | numberChanges the app reports itself: present or "true" = 1, a number = that many, "0" or "false" = none. Same as mark(); added to the fields the component sees.
last-savedISO date | epoch msWhen the record was last saved (from your server), shown as “last saved 18 min ago”. Every save then updates the savedAt property (the attribute is never rewritten).
guardoff | any | stirring | insistent | urgentinsistentLevel from which a beforeunload guard asks for confirmation before leaving. The listener is attached only while that level is reached, and dropped during a native (non-prevented) submit of the watched form.
taboff | title | favicon | bothoffMirror the stakes in the browser tab: title prefixes document.title with “• ” (kept when an SPA rewrites the title), favicon redraws the current icon with a dot in the mark's tone. Shared safely by several instances and fully restored when no longer needed.
tab-atany | stirring | insistent | urgentinsistentLevel from which the tab mirror applies.
shortcutbooleanCmd+S (macOS) / Ctrl+S saves: the browser's Save page dialog is prevented and mv-save fires with source "shortcut". With several instances, the one whose region holds focus wins. With nothing unsaved it only confirms “No unsaved changes”.
compactbooleanChip mode only: the mark alone in a round button; the status label stays available to assistive tech.
placementbottom | top (-start | -end)bottomPreferred side of the detail tooltip (flips to stay in the viewport).
data-tell-tale-weightnumberOn a field or any ancestor (a fieldset): its weight when changed. Default 1; textareas and contenteditable roots weigh 1 + 1 per ~280 changed characters, up to 6.
data-tell-tale-ignoremarker attributeOn a field or ancestor: never counted (search boxes, filters, view options inside the editor).
data-tell-tale-savemarker attributeMarks the child used as the Save control (corner mode). Without it, the first child button or link is used.
data-level / data-mode / data-flash / data-pendingset by the componentdata-level: clean | calm | stirring | insistent | urgent; data-mode: chip | corner; data-flash: saved | error for a few seconds; data-pending while a save is in flight.

Properties

NameTypeDescription
level"clean" | "calm" | "stirring" | "insistent" | "urgent"Current level (read-only).
changesnumberUnsaved changes: dirty fields (a radio group counts once) + marked changes (read-only).
weightnumberTotal weight of the unsaved changes (read-only).
intensitynumber (0..1)Continuous stake along the curve, also exposed as --mv-tell-tale-intensity (read-only).
dirtySincenumber (epoch ms) | nullTime of the oldest unsaved change. Settable while changes exist, e.g. to restore the age of a draft reopened from storage.
savedAtnumber (epoch ms) | nullTime of the last save. Accepts a Date, epoch ms or ISO string.
pendingbooleanTrue while promises passed to waitUntil() are in flight (read-only).
stringsPartial<Record<string, string>>Overrides for every visible text and announcement (unsaved, saved, saving, notSaved, noChanges, changeOne, changeMany, lastSaved, neverSaved, allSaved, nothingToSave, savingMany, saveFailed, save, saveNow, tryAgain, justNow, minutesAgo, hoursAgo, status, statusNever, statusClean, statusNone, statusShortcut, announceInsistent, announceUrgent, announceSaved, announceNothing, announceError). English defaults.

Methods

NameDescription
mark(count)Report changes the component cannot see (rich editor, canvas, data grid). The count replaces the previous mark and adds to the watched fields; mark(0) clears it.
saved({ at? })The app saved (autosave, custom flow): the current values become the reference, marks are cleared, the mark settles with a “Saved” beat and mv-saved fires. at = server time of the save.
save({ source? })Asks for a save exactly like ⌘S or a chip click: emits the cancelable mv-save; without waitUntil, clicks the corner Save button or calls requestSubmit() on the watched form. Returns Promise<boolean>.
revert()Discard: puts every watched field back to its last saved value and fires input and change so frameworks follow (contenteditable and file inputs are skipped, marks are kept). Returns how many fields changed.
recheck()Re-reads every field, after the app changed values without firing input events.
rebase()The current values become the reference without any “Saved” feedback (a different record was loaded into the same form).

Events

NameDescription
mv-stakeThe level changed. detail: { level, previous, changes, weight, age (ms since the oldest unsaved change), intensity }.
mv-saveCancelable, a save was requested (chip, shortcut or save()). detail: { source: "button" | "shortcut" | "api", changes, weight, level, waitUntil(promise) }. Call waitUntil() synchronously with your request: the chip shows “Saving…”, success commits exactly the values present when the save started (edits typed meanwhile stay unsaved), a rejection keeps everything and shows “Not saved”; a promise resolving to a Date or epoch ms sets the saved time. preventDefault() cancels it.
mv-savedThe work is safe. detail: { at, changes (how many were saved), source: "button" | "shortcut" | "api" }.
mv-save-errorA waitUntil promise rejected. detail: { source, error }.

Content structure

NameDescription
(default)Optional Save control (a <button>, or any child with data-tell-tale-save). When present the component switches to corner mode: no chip, the mark rides on the control's top-end corner, the tooltip opens from it and the status is added to its aria-describedby. Empty: chip mode.

CSS classes

NameDescription
mv-tell-tale-chipChip mode status button: .mv-tell-tale-mark and .mv-tell-tale-label (“7 unsaved”, “Saving…”, “Saved”, “Not saved”, “No changes”); data-compact in compact mode.
mv-tell-tale-markThe beating mark (aria-hidden): .mv-tell-tale-dot (scaled on each beat), .mv-tell-tale-ring (echo ring from stirring up) and .mv-tell-tale-check (the saved glyph). data-corner in corner mode.
mv-tell-tale-tipDetail tooltip (Popover API, aria-hidden visual twin of the status): .mv-tell-tale-tip-text with <strong>, .mv-tell-tale-sep, .mv-tell-tale-action and .mv-tell-tale-key.

CSS variables

NameTypeDefaultDescription
--mv-tell-tale-colorvar(--mv-warning)Tone of the insistent level (stirring mixes it with a neutral).
--mv-tell-tale-urgentvar(--mv-danger)Tone of the urgent level and of a failed save.
--mv-tell-tale-savedvar(--mv-success)Background of the saved check.
--mv-tell-tale-cutoutvar(--mv-bg)Corner mode: color of the thin ring that separates the mark from the button edge (set it to your card surface).
--mv-tell-tale-tip-bg / --mv-tell-tale-tip-fginverted neutralsTooltip colors.
--mv-tell-tale-intensityoutputSet on the element: continuous stake 0..1, for your own styling (a Save button that firms up, a banner).

Accessibility

The textual status is always available: a visually hidden sentence (“7 unsaved changes. Last saved 18 minutes ago. Press Command S to save.”) is the aria-describedby of the chip or of your own Save button, so it is read on focus and never chatters; the tooltip that shows the same facts is aria-hidden and opens on hover and on keyboard focus (Escape closes it). The chip is a real <button> whose name is its visible label plus “save now” while changes exist; when nothing is unsaved it is aria-disabled and only confirms. A polite live region speaks only when the stakes cross a level upward into insistent or urgent (“7 unsaved changes, last saved 18 minutes ago.”), never on a beat, never while typing through calm and stirring, and never downward; “All changes saved.” is announced after a save the user asked for (chip, shortcut) or one that ended an insistent or urgent state, so a frequent autosave stays silent; a failed save is announced assertively and the edits stay unsaved. Levels are never encoded by color alone: the dot grows in size from calm to urgent, gains an echo ring, the chip label carries the count and the urgent chip is set in a heavier weight; saving shows a check glyph and the word “Saved”. Reduced motion (OS setting or data-motion="reduce"): no beat at all, the same levels become static steps of size and ring weight, and the saved check appears without the pop. Forced colors: the mark uses CanvasText, Canvas and Highlight. The ⌘S / Ctrl+S shortcut is opt-in, ignored with Alt or Shift (Save as) and on key repeat, and the leave guard is only attached while the chosen level is reached.