diff --git a/src/lib/admin/autoSaveLifecycle.ts b/src/lib/admin/autoSaveLifecycle.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4111039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/admin/autoSaveLifecycle.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { beforeNavigate } from '$app/navigation'
+import { onDestroy } from 'svelte'
+import type { AutoSaveController } from './autoSave'
+
+interface AutoSaveLifecycleOptions {
+  isReady?: () => boolean
+  onFlushError?: (error: unknown) => void
+  enableShortcut?: boolean
+}
+
+export function initAutoSaveLifecycle(
+  controller: AutoSaveController,
+  options: AutoSaveLifecycleOptions = {}
+) {
+  const { isReady = () => true, onFlushError, enableShortcut = true } = options
+
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
+    onDestroy(() => controller.destroy())
+    return
+  }
+
+  function handleKeydown(event: KeyboardEvent) {
+    if (!enableShortcut) return
+    if (!isReady()) return
+    const key = event.key.toLowerCase()
+    const isModifier = event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey
+    if (!isModifier || key !== 's') return
+    event.preventDefault()
+    controller.flush().catch((error) => {
+      onFlushError?.(error)
+    })
+  }
+
+  if (enableShortcut) {
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown)
+  }
+
+  const stopNavigating = beforeNavigate(async (navigation) => {
+    if (!isReady()) return
+    navigation.cancel()
+    try {
+      await controller.flush()
+      navigation.retry()
+    } catch (error) {
+      onFlushError?.(error)
+    }
+  })
+
+  const stop = () => {
+    if (enableShortcut) {
+      document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown)
+    }
+    stopNavigating?.()
+    controller.destroy()
+  }
+
+  onDestroy(stop)
+
+  return { stop }
+}
diff --git a/tests/autoSaveController.test.ts b/tests/autoSaveController.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0cf1ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/autoSaveController.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { describe, it, beforeEach } from 'node:test'
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import { createAutoSaveController } from '../src/lib/admin/autoSave'
+
+describe('createAutoSaveController', () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		if (typeof navigator === 'undefined') {
+			// @ts-expect-error add minimal navigator shim for tests
+			global.navigator = { onLine: true }
+		}
+	})
+
+	it('skips save when payload matches primed baseline', async () => {
+		let value = 0
+		let saveCalls = 0
+
+		const controller = createAutoSaveController<{ value: number }>({
+			debounceMs: 5,
+			getPayload: () => ({ value }),
+			save: async () => {
+				saveCalls += 1
+				return { value }
+			}
+		})
+
+		controller.prime({ value })
+		controller.schedule()
+
+		await wait(15)
+		assert.equal(saveCalls, 0)
+
+		await controller.flush()
+		assert.equal(saveCalls, 0)
+
+		controller.destroy()
+	})
+
+	it('saves when payload changes and returns to idle after success', async () => {
+		let value = 0
+		let updatedAt = 0
+		let saveCalls = 0
+		const statuses: string[] = []
+
+		const controller = createAutoSaveController<{ value: number; updatedAt: number }, { updatedAt: number }>({
+			debounceMs: 5,
+			idleResetMs: 10,
+			getPayload: () => ({ value, updatedAt }),
+			save: async (payload) => {
+				saveCalls += 1
+				return { updatedAt: payload.updatedAt + 1 }
+			},
+			onSaved: (response, { prime }) => {
+				updatedAt = response.updatedAt
+				prime({ value, updatedAt })
+			}
+		})
+
+		const unsubscribe = controller.status.subscribe((status) => {
+			statuses.push(status)
+		})
+
+		controller.prime({ value, updatedAt })
+
+		value = 1
+		controller.schedule()
+
+		await wait(15)
+		assert.equal(saveCalls, 1)
+		assert.ok(statuses.includes('saving'))
+		assert.ok(statuses.includes('saved'))
+
+		await wait(20)
+		assert.equal(statuses.at(-1), 'idle')
+
+		unsubscribe()
+		controller.destroy()
+	})
+
+	it('cancels pending work on destroy', async () => {
+		let saveCalls = 0
+		const controller = createAutoSaveController<{ foo: string }>({
+			debounceMs: 20,
+			getPayload: () => ({ foo: 'bar' }),
+			save: async () => {
+				saveCalls += 1
+			}
+		})
+
+		controller.schedule()
+		controller.destroy()
+
+		await wait(30)
+		assert.equal(saveCalls, 0)
+	})
+})
+
+function wait(ms: number) {
+	return new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms))
+}