Version history

Label, preview, and restore earlier versions of a file.

Every file keeps a history of saved snapshots, so you can compare drafts or recover something you overwrote.

Browse and restore

1

Open version history

Open the file, then open Version History in the right sidebar.

2

Label a checkpoint (optional)

Click Label version to name a checkpoint worth finding again later.

3

Preview an older version

Select an older version from the list to preview it.

4

Restore or go back

Click Restore to replace the current content with that version, or Back to current to leave without restoring.

Restoring adds a new entry to the history (for example, "Restored from v12") rather than deleting anything. It's just another change you could undo the same way.

Things to know

• Cloud projects load history from the server. Local projects store history in your browser, capped at five snapshots per file.

• If a cloud project goes offline, the history panel shows an offline notice until you reconnect. Your local edits keep working, but past versions aren't reachable until then.

• Older Word document versions saved before a format change may show a Plain text badge and restore without full visual formatting.

Troubleshooting

The version list is empty

The file may be new, with no saved snapshots yet.

The panel says offline

Reconnect. Cloud version history needs a live connection to load.

A restored Word document looks plain

Check for the Plain text badge on that version; older snapshots may not have structured formatting to restore.

Next steps

• Working with Word documents