Wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken, wird die Datei sofort gespeichert.

Wenn introduces a subordinate clause and here it means if or when, depending on context.

In this sentence, Wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken means something like If/When you click the blue button.

A useful point for learners:

• wenn is used for conditions or repeated situations
• als is used for a single event in the past

So here wenn is the correct choice because it describes what happens whenever that action is done.

Because the first clause is a subordinate clause introduced by wenn. In German, the conjugated verb usually goes to the end of a subordinate clause.

So:

• Sie klicken die blaue Schaltfläche an. = main clause
• Wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken, ... = subordinate clause

Notice that anklicken is a separable verb in a main clause:

• Sie klicken ... an

But in a subordinate clause, the two parts stay together:

• ... anklicken

Capital Sie is the formal word for you in German.

German distinguishes between:

• du = informal singular you
• ihr = informal plural you
• Sie = formal you (singular or plural)

In instructions, manuals, websites, and polite communication, German often uses Sie, so this sentence sounds like standard formal instruction language.

An informal version would be:

• Wenn du die blaue Schaltfläche anklickst, wird die Datei sofort gespeichert.

Because both nouns are feminine singular and each one needs its own article.

• die Schaltfläche = the button / control surface
• die Datei = the file

In German, each noun has grammatical gender, and the article shows that gender and case.

Here:

• die blaue Schaltfläche is the object of anklicken
• die Datei is the subject of wird gespeichert

Even though both use die, they are doing different jobs in the sentence.

Because Schaltfläche is feminine singular, and after the definite article die in the accusative feminine, the adjective takes -e.

So:

• die blaue Schaltfläche

This is one example of German adjective endings after articles.

Here is the breakdown:

• die = definite article
• blaue = adjective with the correct ending
• Schaltfläche = noun

If the noun were masculine accusative, you would often see -en instead:

• den blauen Knopf

German main clauses normally follow the verb-second rule, often called V2.

The full sentence is:

Wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken, wird die Datei sofort gespeichert.

The first element of the main clause is actually the whole wenn-clause:

• Wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken

After that, the conjugated verb of the main clause must come next:

• wird

So the structure is:

• subordinate clause
• conjugated verb
• subject
• other elements

That is why German does not say:

• Wenn Sie ..., die Datei wird ...

Instead it says:

• Wenn Sie ..., wird die Datei ...

Yes. wird gespeichert is the present passive.

It literally means:

• is being saved or in natural English here:
• is saved

The structure is:

• werden (conjugated) + past participle

So:

• wird = form of werden
• gespeichert = past participle of speichern

This passive structure focuses on what happens to the file, not on who performs the action.

Compare:

• Das Programm speichert die Datei. = The program saves the file.
• Die Datei wird gespeichert. = The file is saved.

Because in a German main clause, the conjugated verb must come in second position.

Since the wenn-clause is occupying the first position, wird must come immediately after it. The subject die Datei comes after the verb.

So:

• Wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken, wird die Datei sofort gespeichert.

This is a very common word order pattern in German:

• If/When X happens, then verb + subject + ...

If the sentence began with the main clause, it would look like this:

• Die Datei wird sofort gespeichert, wenn Sie die blaue Schaltfläche anklicken.

Both are correct.

Because the sentence uses the passive voice, and in German the past participle usually goes to the end of the clause.

The passive structure here is:

• wird ... gespeichert

So the main clause is built like this:

• wird = auxiliary verb
• die Datei = subject
• sofort = adverb
• gespeichert = past participle at the end

German often places this kind of verb element at the end, especially with compound verb forms.

It is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of anklicken.

You are clicking the blue button, so that noun phrase receives the action.

In this sentence:

• Sie = subject of the subordinate clause
• die blaue Schaltfläche = direct object

Because Schaltfläche is feminine, the accusative article is still die, so it looks the same as the nominative.

Sofort means immediately or right away.

It is an adverb modifying the action gespeichert:

• wird die Datei sofort gespeichert = the file is saved immediately

It tells you when the saving happens.

German adverbs can move around somewhat, but this position is very natural in an instruction like this.

Yes, in a practical sense it does. German often uses the present tense to describe things that will happen in the future, especially when the meaning is clear from context.

Here the sentence means that after you click the button, the file will be saved immediately. German does not need a special future form for that.

So although the forms are present:

• anklicken
• wird gespeichert

the meaning is naturally understood as:

• when you do this, that will happen

Not exactly, though they can overlap.

• Schaltfläche is a more technical or interface-related word, often used for a clickable on-screen button
• Knopf usually means a physical button, though people also use it informally for digital buttons
• Button is also used in German, especially in tech and UI contexts

So blaue Schaltfläche sounds like standard formal software/interface language. In more casual speech, some people might say blauer Button instead.

A common informal version would be:

Wenn du die blaue Schaltfläche anklickst, wird die Datei sofort gespeichert.

The main change is:

• Sie → du
• anklicken → anklickst because it now agrees with du

Everything else can stay the same.

This is useful because German instructions may use either:

• formal language on professional websites, manuals, and customer-facing software
• informal language in apps, games, or casual communication