Drafts weren't always saved or deleted, so clearing a reply box could leave a stale draft. Drafts now save as you type and clear properly, across chat and email.
A reply you have started stays available as a draft while you work on the conversation. Clearing the reply box also clears the saved draft, so returning to the ticket should not bring back text you have already removed.
Write in the reply box as usual, then return to the conversation when you are ready to continue. If you want to discard the reply, clear the composer. The draft behavior applies to chat and email replies without a separate setup step.
Related guide: Onboarding: Understanding the Support Inbox.
