Katalyst: Changes lost when browser is refreshed or back button is used during Katalyst editing

Description

• While editing experiments (plates, materials, metadata), a user:
  • Clicks the browser’s Back button, or
  • Refreshes the page.
• Unsaved changes are lost without clear warning.

Solution

• Explain behavior:
  • Many web applications, including Katalyst, cannot preserve unsaved form state when the browser is refreshed or back navigation is used.
• Recommendations:
  • Use Katalyst’s own navigation controls (buttons/menus in the UI), not the browser back button, while editing.
  • Frequently save changes (if a Save/Apply action exists) before navigating away.
• For critical workflows:
  • Break changes into smaller, separate edits with intermediate saves.

Avoid editing large amounts of configuration in one session without saving.