# How to: Edit a document in place

1. Open a Markdown or text source. It opens ready to edit — there's no
   **Edit** step first.
2. Make your changes. Formatting renders as you type; see [How to: Write and
   format Markdown](https://exaflux.io/docs/axon/how-to/write-and-format-markdown) for the shortcuts and how
   the live preview works.
3. Click **Save** to write your changes back, or **Cancel** to discard them
   (it asks first if there are unsaved changes) and show the document as
   rendered. **More actions** → **Edit** reopens the editor.

A file the viewer can't edit (a PDF, a `.docx`, an audit record) opens
read-only.

Editing a source updates what future answers retrieve from it, the same as
editing the file directly would.

See [Artifacts & documents](https://exaflux.io/docs/axon/artifacts-and-documents).

How-to · Documents

How to: Edit a document in place

View as Markdown Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude

Open a Markdown or text source. It opens ready to edit — there's no Edit step first.
Make your changes. Formatting renders as you type; see How to: Write and format Markdown for the shortcuts and how the live preview works.
Click Save to write your changes back, or Cancel to discard them (it asks first if there are unsaved changes) and show the document as rendered. More actions → Edit reopens the editor.

A file the viewer can't edit (a PDF, a .docx, an audit record) opens read-only.

Editing a source updates what future answers retrieve from it, the same as editing the file directly would.

See Artifacts & documents.

PreviousMake an artifact citable NextWrite and format markdown

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