Versions
Every time you or someone else saves a change to a file, we keep the previous version. That means you can go back if you change your mind, or pull up an older state of the document.
How to see the versions
- Go to Files and open the Details panel for the file (More actions → Details)
- Under Activity, look for saved new version lines
- Click Show full history to see all the versions in one place
Each version shows:
- Who saved it
- When it was saved
- A snippet of text or a preview (if available)
Smart merging of saves
When you or a colleague make lots of small changes one right after another, we don't create a new version for each one. Instead, we merge nearby saves into a single version — so the history stays easy to read.
Merged lines are shown with the text “merged with an earlier save”.
Restore an earlier version
(The ability to roll back to a specific version is in the works — for now you can download an older version as a separate file if you need it. Just ask us about a particular version if it's urgent.)
How long are versions kept?
Versions are kept for as long as the file exists. When a file is permanently deleted from Trash, its versions are deleted along with it.
Tips
- Save deliberately before big changes — this gives you a clear restore point
- Versions are per file, not per folder — each file has its own history
- For Office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx), versions are saved continuously while you edit in the browser editor