Version History

The PDF Editor automatically saves every change to your document, creating a complete history of versions. You can review, compare, and restore any previous version at any time.

Understanding Versions

What is a Version?

A version is a snapshot of your document at a specific point in time:

• Every save creates a new version
• Automatic saves (every 15 seconds) create versions
• Manual saves create versions
• Each version preserves the complete document state

Why Use Version History?

Version history provides:

• Safety net — Recover from accidental changes
• Change tracking — See what changed and when
• Document evolution — Review how the document developed
• Backup recovery — Restore from any previous state
• Audit trail — Track who made changes and when

Accessing Version History

Opening History Panel

1. Click the History button in the toolbar
2. The History panel opens on the right side
3. A list of all versions appears with timestamps
4. The current version is highlighted at the top

Alternatively:

• Use keyboard shortcut (if configured)
• Look for History in the document menu

Viewing Versions

Understanding Version List

Each version shows:

Information	Meaning
Timestamp	Date and time the version was created (e.g., "2:45 PM today")
Type	"Manual Save" or "Autosave"
Change summary	Brief description of what changed (coming soon)

Versions are listed newest first — most recent changes at the top.

Preview a Version

1. In the History panel, click "Preview" next to a version
2. The main editor shows that version temporarily
3. You can view all pages and elements from that point in time
4. No changes are made — you're just viewing

Going Back to Current

1. Click the "Current" button or arrow at the top of History
2. The editor returns to your current working version
3. Any changes you made while previewing are discarded

Restoring a Previous Version

Reverting to an Old Version

1. In the History panel, find the version you want to restore
2. Click "Restore" next to that version
3. A confirmation dialog appears asking if you're sure
4. Click "Confirm" to restore

What Happens When You Restore

1. The document reverts to the selected version's state
2. All changes since that point are lost
3. Important — Lost changes are saved as a new version
4. You can always undo the restoration by:
   • Clicking Undo (Ctrl+Z) immediately
   • Or restoring the previous "current" version

Example Restoration

Say you have versions:

• 3:00 PM — Added signature ✓
• 2:45 PM — Fixed text formatting ✓
• 2:30 PM — Initial document ✓

If you restore to 2:45 PM:

1. The signature (added at 3:00) is removed
2. Text formatting from 2:45 is restored
3. A new version is created: "Restored to 2:45 PM version"
4. All versions remain in history for future reference

Managing Versions

Version Retention

The PDF Editor keeps:

• All versions until you manually delete them
• No automatic cleanup — versions persist indefinitely
• Storage — versions are stored on the server

Downloading Versions

1. In the History panel, next to a version, click "Download"
2. That version is downloaded as a PDF file
3. Useful for:
   • Creating backups
   • Sharing specific versions
   • Archiving important milestones

Comparing Versions

While the editor doesn't have a built-in diff viewer, you can:

1. Preview version A in the History panel
2. Take notes on what you see
3. Preview version B
4. Compare mentally or write down differences
5. Restore the version you prefer

For detailed comparison:

• Download both versions as PDFs
• Use a PDF comparison tool
• Review side-by-side

Autosave vs. Manual Save

Autosave

• Automatic — Happens every 15 seconds
• After document is saved once — Initial save must be manual
• Transparent — Happens in the background
• Creates versions — Each autosave is a separate version
• No user action needed — Just keep working

Manual Save

• Triggered by — Clicking Save button or Ctrl+S
• Immediate — Happens right away
• Creates version — Each manual save is a version
• Safe point — Use when you want to mark a milestone
• Can have notes — Optionally describe what you saved (future feature)

Mixed Workflow

Your version history will contain both:

• Regular autosaves (light versions)
• Explicit saves (important checkpoints)
• Restored versions (recovery points)

Version History Best Practices

Creating Checkpoints

Use manual saves to mark important milestones:

1. Complete a section → Save manually
2. Finish reviewing → Save manually
3. Before major changes → Save manually
4. Before sharing → Save manually

This creates clear checkpoints you can easily find.

Saving Before Big Changes

1. About to reorganize pages? → Save first
2. About to delete elements? → Save first
3. About to reformat? → Save first

If something goes wrong, you can quickly restore.

Reviewing Changes

Periodically review your version history:

1. Open History panel
2. Scroll through recent versions
3. Understand your editing pattern
4. Clean up unnecessary versions if needed

Archiving Important Versions

For critical documents:

1. Find key versions in History
2. Click "Download" for each
3. Save PDFs with descriptive names
4. Archive somewhere safe (Google Drive, etc.)

Common Scenarios

Oops! I Deleted Important Content

1. Open History panel
2. Scroll to find version before deletion
3. Click "Restore"
4. Choose desired version from that time period
5. Click "Confirm"
6. Lost content is restored

I Made a Big Mistake, Need to Go Back

1. Open History panel
2. Preview versions to find the good state
3. When you find it, click "Restore"
4. Document reverts to that state
5. All subsequent changes are saved as recovery

I Want to Keep Two Versions

1. Open version you want to save separately
2. Click "Download" to save as PDF
3. The downloaded file is a permanent backup
4. Proceed with other edits in the editor
5. You can always compare by viewing the PDF

Comparing Before and After

1. Find version before changes
2. Click "Download" to save as "before.pdf"
3. Preview current version
4. Click "Download" to save as "after.pdf"
5. Use PDF viewer to compare side-by-side

Version History Limits

Storage Limits

• Per document — Versions are stored indefinitely
• Account limit — Check your Appfactory account plan
• No automatic deletion — Versions persist until you delete them

Performance

• Doesn't affect editing — History doesn't slow down the editor
• Fast loading — History panel loads quickly even with many versions
• Scrolling — Smooth scrolling through version list

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z	Undo (works across restored versions)
Ctrl+Y / Cmd+Y	Redo
Ctrl+S / Cmd+S	Save (creates a version)
F5	Refresh (reloads current version)

Troubleshooting

Version doesn't look right

• Why — The wrong version might have been restored
• Solution — Check current version, restore correct one
• Undo — Press Ctrl+Z to undo the restoration

Can't restore old version

• Why — Version may have been accidentally deleted
• Solution — Check History panel for similar version nearby
• Prevention — Regularly download critical versions

History panel is empty

• Why — Document is brand new (no saves yet)
• Solution — Save the document first to create an initial version
• Note — After first save, autosaves start creating history

Autosave not working

• Why — Document hasn't been manually saved yet
• Solution — Click Save button to trigger first save
• Then — Autosave activates for future edits

Advanced Usage

Version Branching Workflow

For collaborative documents:

1. Create document and share with team
2. Team makes edits; versions accumulate
3. Save manually at each milestone
4. Restore specific versions when needed
5. Merge changes by downloading and combining

Version Archival

For important documents:

1. Download versions at key points
2. Store in archive (Google Drive, etc.)
3. Keep History in editor for working versions
4. Reference archived versions as needed

Change Log

Create a manual change log:

1. Review version history
2. Note what changed in each version
3. Document important versions
4. Share with team as changelog

Next Steps

• Sharing & Collaboration — Work with team members
• Page Management — Organize your document
• FAQ & Troubleshooting — Get more help