The short version
- Version history in Gradiently lets you go back to any earlier version of a design.
- Versions save automatically as you edit, before the Designer makes changes, and whenever you choose to save one yourself.
- You can preview any version before restoring it, and after a restore, Undo brings the design back to how it was.
- If another tab or a teammate saves the same design at the same time, whichever version you choose, the other is kept in version history.
- Version history is part of Gradiently Pro.
On this page
Design version history is a running record of how a design has changed, with the ability to go back to any point. In Gradiently, versions save on their own as you edit, before the Designer changes anything, and whenever you choose Save a version now. Open Version history, preview any version, and choose Restore to bring it back. If you change your mind, Undo returns the design to where it was. Version history is part of Pro.
Why undo isn't enough
Undo walks backwards one step at a time through what you did in this session. That is perfect for a slip of the mouse and useless for "the headline we had on Tuesday". Duplicating a design before each big change works, but you end up with a workspace full of files called final, final 2 and final really.
Undo and duplicates
- Undo only reaches back through recent steps
- Duplicates have to be made before you need them
- Copies drift apart and nobody knows which is current
- Nothing records what the Designer changed
Version history
- Every saved stage of the design, by time
- Saved for you as you work
- One design, with its whole past inside it
- A version saved before every Designer change
When Gradiently saves a version
You don't have to remember to save. Each version is labelled with why it was made, and on a shared design, who made it.
When it is saved
Useful for
When it is saved
Useful for
When it is saved
Useful for
When it is saved
Useful for
How to restore an earlier version
- 1
Open Version history
From the design in the Studio. Versions are grouped as today, yesterday and earlier, with the time and the reason for each.
- 2
Preview a version
Choose one to see it in full before anything changes. Step between versions until you find the right one.
- 3
Restore it
Choose Restore. Gradiently first saves your current design as a version labelled Before a restore, then puts the older one back.
- 4
Change your mind if you need to
Undo brings the design back straight away, or restore the Before a restore version later.
The version the client approved on Tuesday, saved as a version before it went out for review.
Thursday's rewrite on a different Mark. One restore puts Tuesday's back, and Thursday's stays in the history.
Version history with a team
On a shared design in a team workspace, each version shows who made it, so "who changed the price?" has an answer. If two people, or the same person in two browser tabs, save the same design at once, Gradiently asks which to keep. Whichever you choose, the other is kept in version history, so nothing is lost to a collision.
Version history pairs well with comments and feedback: leave the note on the design, save a version when the feedback is resolved, and the history doubles as a record of the review. Who can edit and restore depends on workspace roles.
Version history and the Designer
Asking the Designer to rewrite a headline or rearrange a page is low risk precisely because a version is saved before it touches anything. Let it try a bolder idea, compare the result with the version labelled Before the Designer's changes, and keep whichever is better. The same applies to designs created by an AI assistant through ChatGPT or Claude once they open in the Studio and you keep working on them.
What version history covers, and what it doesn't
It helps to know the edges before you rely on it, so nothing surprises you on deadline day.
- It covers the whole design: pages, words, photos, layout and the Mark it wears. Restoring an older version brings all of it back together.
- It works per design. Each design keeps its own history; restoring one never touches another.
- It doesn't change files you already exported. A PNG sent to the printer last week stays exactly as it was; restore and export again if you need the older look.
- It doesn't change who owns a Mark. Restoring a version that wore a different Mark puts that Mark back on the design, but exporting still needs a Mark you own.
A versioning routine that works
What to do
What to do
What to do
What to do
What to do
One habit to keep alongside it: when a design is resized into copies with copy to sizes, each copy becomes its own design with its own history. Make the big changes on the original first, then copy it out.
Questions people ask
How do I restore a previous version of a design?
Open Version history, preview the version you want and choose Restore. Undo brings the design back if you change your mind.
Does Gradiently save versions automatically?
Yes. Versions save as you edit and before the Designer changes anything. You can also save one yourself at any time.
What happens if two people edit the same design at once?
Gradiently asks which version to keep, and whichever you choose, the other is kept in version history.
Is version history free?
No. Version history is part of Gradiently Pro.
Can I see who changed a design?
On a shared design, each version shows who made it alongside the time and the reason it was saved.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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