Select File > New to open the New Document dialog box.
Last updated on
Oct 22, 2026
Learn how to create, save, and access Adobe Illustrator cloud documents, and configure autosave to protect your work automatically.
Cloud documents save your Illustrator work directly to Creative Cloud, so you can open it from any device where Illustrator is installed. Cloud documents sync automatically and maintain a version history, making it easy to track changes and collaborate with others.
Cloud documents work the same way on desktop and iPad. When you save a document to Creative Cloud, it appears in the Your files tab on the Home screen and on the Creative Cloud website. Cloud documents use the .aic file extension and display a cloud icon to distinguish them from local files.
Create a new cloud document
When you start a new document in Illustrator, you can save it as a cloud document as soon as you create it.
Set your document’s dimensions, artboards, and color mode, then select Create.
Place your artwork and select File > Save.
Select Save to Adobe cloud storage in the Save As dialog box.
Type a name for your document, and then select Save.
Illustrator automatically uploads your document to Creative Cloud. It appears in the Your files tab on the Home screen
Save an existing document as a cloud document
You can convert any local Illustrator (.ai) file to a cloud document, enabling cross-device access and automatic syncing.
Open the local document you want to save to Creative Cloud.
Select File > Save As.
Select Save to Adobe cloud storage in the Save As dialog box.
Type a name for your cloud document, and then select Save.
Illustrator uploads a copy of your document to Creative Cloud with the .aic extension. Your original local file stays unchanged unless you delete it.
Configure autosave settings
Cloud documents save automatically at regular intervals to help prevent data loss. You can adjust how often Illustrator saves your work.
Select Edit > Preferences > File Handling (Windows) or Illustrator > Settings > File Handling (macOS).
In the File Saving Options section in the Preferences dialog box, select the Automatically Save Recovery Information Every option.
Select an interval from the drop-down list. The default is 5 minutes.
Select OK.
A shorter interval saves your work more often but may briefly interrupt your workflow. A longer interval saves less often and runs in the background with fewer pauses
Access your cloud documents
After you save a cloud document, you can open it from any of the following locations:
- Your files tab: On the Illustrator Home screen, select the Your files tab, and then double-click a document's thumbnail to open it.
- Creative Cloud website: Go to the Creative Cloud website and sign in with your Adobe ID to view and manage your cloud documents.
Cloud documents show a cloud icon on their thumbnail, so you can tell them apart from local files. A document that's still syncing shows a progress indicator instead.
Note
Cloud documents need an internet connection to sync. If you're working offline, Illustrator saves your changes locally and syncs them automatically when you reconnect.
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