I. Intro

Docs provides a powerful version management feature to help you easily restore historical versions and backtrack editors. Every time the content of a doc is modified, Docs automatically saves the historical version and records the editor, editing time, and edited content. You can restore any historical version with only a few clicks. To protect doc data, Docs allows only users with the edit permission to view and restore historical versions.

II. Steps

View historical versions

1. Open the version history list: Hover over the ... icon in the top right corner of a doc and select Version history. All historical versions are listed in reverse chronological order with corresponding editors and editing time.

2. View a historical version: In the version history list on the right, all historical versions are listed in reverse chronological order. Find a historical version based on the editing time and editor, and click the historical version to view the doc content of the version or the changes to the version.

(1) If you turn off Show changes, you can view the doc content but not the changes.

(2) If you turn on Show changes, you can view both the doc content and the changes.

3. View changes: Docs uses different colors to mark changes made by different users. You can hover over highlighted content to see who added or deleted it.

Note: Format changes, such as changes to the heading style, bold style, alignment mode, and text color, aren't highlighted in historical versions.

The color block in front of the name of an editor in the version history list represents the color that is used to mark the changes made by this editor in this version.

4. Locate edited content: In the pane on the left, click the Previous or Next icon in the top right corner to quickly locate edited content in this version.

5. Expand a version history group: In the version history list on the right, historical versions are automatically classified into different groups based on the editing time. You can click the > icon to expand a group and view the historical versions in this group.

6. Exit a historical version: Click Back in the top left corner to exit a historical version.

Restore a historical version

1. In the version history list, select a historical version that you want to restore.

2. View the doc content on the left to check whether this version is what you want.

3. Click Restore this version.

Note: When you restore a historical version, you can't retrieve content deleted in this version. To retrieve content deleted in this version, restore a historical version earlier than this version. The current version is the latest status of the doc and can't be restored.

III. FAQs

Who can view and restore historical versions?

To protect privacy, Docs allows only users with the edit permission (including doc owners) to view and restore historical versions.

Why can't I find the entry point to version history in some docs?

Only users with the edit permission can view and restore historical versions. If you own only the view permission, Docs doesn't display the entry point to version history for you.

Are all changes to a doc recorded in the version history?

Most changes to a doc, such as adding and deleting content, changing the heading style, adding a numbered list, inserting an image, and modifying table content, are recorded in the version history and can be restored, except the following:

• Poll: Changes to poll headings and options aren't recorded in the version history. Only the actions of inserting and deleting polls are recorded.

• Flowcharts and UML diagrams: Changes made in diagram editors aren't recorded in the version history. Only the actions of inserting and deleting flowcharts and UML diagrams are recorded.

Why can't I view highlighted changes in some historical versions?

Turn on Show changes in the lower part of the version history list. If you still can't view highlighted changes, it is because only format changes, such as changes to the heading style, bold style, alignment mode, and text color, are made in this version, and no content is added or deleted.

Is the updated version of version history compatible with the old version?

No, they are not compatible with each other. To view the old version of version history for docs created and edited before September 5, 2020, you can click View earlier records at the bottom of the updated version of version history.

Note: Click here to view the user guide of the old version of version history.

What are local records? What are the differences between local records and the version history?

A local record saves your changes to a doc when the network is disconnected. The local record is automatically synchronized to the doc when the network connection is restored. After the local record is synchronized to the doc, you can view detailed changes in the version history.

Why can't I retrieve deleted content after I restore a historical version?

Check whether the restored historical version is correct. If you restore a historical version with content marked as deleted, the deleted content is not restored. To retrieve the content deleted in this version, restore a historical version earlier than this version.

IV. Related

Use the old version of version history in Docs