# Design version history: go back to any earlier version

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/version-history)

The version the client liked was three rounds ago, and nobody kept a copy. Version history means you never have to keep one: every stage is there to look at and bring back.

## 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.

**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.

| Label | When it is saved | Useful for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Autosaved** | As you edit | Getting back work from earlier in the day |
| **Saved version** | When you choose Save a version now | Marking a milestone: sent to client, approved, printed |
| **Before the Designer's changes** | Just before the AI edits the design | Comparing the Designer's take with yours, or undoing it entirely |
| **Before a restore** | Just before an older version is put back | Changing your mind about a restore |

The four kinds of version. The labels make a long list easy to scan.

> **Save a version at every handover** Autosaves catch everything, but a version you saved yourself is easy to find later. Save one each time a design leaves your hands: sent for approval, exported for print, posted.

## 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.

A portrait poster for autumn open studios with the date and times underneath, on a gradient Mark

The version the client approved on Tuesday, saved as a version before it went out for review.

A later version of the same open studios poster with a new headline and a different gradient Mark

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](https://gradiently.design/guide/teams-and-workspaces), 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](https://gradiently.design/guide/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](https://gradiently.design/guide/workspace-roles).

## Version history and the Designer

Asking the [Designer](https://gradiently.design/guide/designer-ai-guide) 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

| Moment | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| First draft done | Save a version before you start polishing |
| Sent for approval | Save a version, so feedback refers to a fixed point |
| Approved | Save a version; this is the one to return to |
| Before a big experiment | Nothing needed; just experiment and restore if it fails |
| Exported for print | Save a version, so a reprint matches exactly |

Five moments worth a saved version. Everything in between is covered by autosaves.

One habit to keep alongside it: when a design is resized into copies with [copy to sizes](https://gradiently.design/guide/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.

## FAQ

### 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.