> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.assuric.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Document versioning

> Approve a new version of a document or log a minor change, choose where the new version is republished, and view, download, compare or restore earlier versions.

<Note>
  **Quick summary**

  * Document versioning lets you approve a new version of a document or log a minor change, and view, download or restore earlier versions.
  * Approving a new version of a document moves every place that uses it to that version, unless you untick the place in *Republish options*.
  * People who've confirmed a document on a checklist needn't confirm a new version, unless you tick *Require recompletion*.
</Note>

## Draft and approved

The document's status and version show next to its title. After approval:

* On a document that isn't controlled, you keep editing, and the last approved version stays in use until you approve the next.
* A controlled document is locked, so click **Return to draft** first.

By convention, approved versions get a new major number (2.0) and logged changes a new minor one (2.1), but this isn't enforced.

## Approve a new version

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Approve version">
    On a document that isn't controlled, click **Approve** → **Approve version**. To have others look at the document first, you can use **Request Review**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Summarise what changed">
    The version number and title are filled in for you, so change either if needed. Then write a *Summary of changes*, or click **Generate AI Summary** to draft one from the differences.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose where to republish">
    Under *Republish options*, choose which [places](#republish-options) move to the new version.

    Then click **Save Approved Version** to save the version as a PDF.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Approve version on Risk Management Policy, with Republish options expanded. 1 is Summary of changes. 2 is a place the document is used, here the Review our policies resource on the Employees checklist. 3 is Require recompletion, which asks people to complete that item again. 4 is Save Approved Version.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/assuric-docs/HVyXIf_Cn1BZ_T5Z/images/documents/approve-version-dialog.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=HVyXIf_Cn1BZ_T5Z&q=85&s=54896984e7cea89ce090a994a4c055cc" alt="The Approve version dialog with a summary of changes, Republish options showing the Employees checklist resource, and Save Approved Version" width="692" height="665" data-path="images/documents/approve-version-dialog.png" />
</Frame>

Approving a version also lets you publish the document on your Trust Centre, and adds a row to any version history table.

<Frame caption="Two live tables in a draft: Document version approvals above, which lists the reviewers and approvers once this version is approved, and Document revision history below, built from the Document Version History placeholder. Both are empty here, since this draft has no approved version yet.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/assuric-docs/FS6QJWWhjXtVmjPq/images/documents/document-version-control-section.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=FS6QJWWhjXtVmjPq&q=85&s=19c385b97cc016a7d96e479f28848ce0" alt="A document editor showing the Document version approvals and Document revision history sections, both built from live table placeholders and currently empty" width="3840" height="1893" data-path="images/documents/document-version-control-section.png" />
</Frame>

### Log a minor change

On a document that isn't controlled, **Approve** → **Log changes to draft** saves a PDF snapshot to the version history, with you as the author. It has no republish options, so the last approved version stays in use everywhere.

<Frame caption="Log changes to draft. 1 is Version Number, suggested as the next minor version. 2 is Title. 3 is Summary, where you describe the minor change.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/assuric-docs/HVyXIf_Cn1BZ_T5Z/images/documents/log-changes-to-draft-dialog.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=HVyXIf_Cn1BZ_T5Z&q=85&s=f30fa8a076086d8b7eb6dcb640927e69" alt="The Log changes to draft dialog with Version Number, Title and Summary fields" width="694" height="608" data-path="images/documents/log-changes-to-draft-dialog.png" />
</Frame>

## Republish options

*Republish options* covers the places a document can be used. Each points at one approved version, a fixed PDF, so editing the draft changes nothing people see there.

| Where | What it is |
| - | - |
| **Trust Centre** | A [resource on your Trust Centre](/trust-centre/updates-and-notifications) |
| **Staff portal** | A resource on the portal's [Resources tab](/people/staff-portal#when-the-document-changes) |
| **Checklists** | A [Resources item](/people/checklists#when-the-document-changes) that staff confirm they've read |

When you approve a new version, *Republish options* shows *Update references to past versions*, grouped by place. Expand a group to see its resources, all ticked:

* **Move or keep:** leave a resource ticked to move it to the new version, or untick it to keep the old one.
* **Recompletion:** a checklist item also has *Require recompletion*, unticked by default. Leave it off and people who've already confirmed the item stay complete until it refreshes; tick it to ask them to confirm the new version.
* **Label and description:** republishing swaps the file but keeps both.
* **Controlled documents:** you choose in *Send for review and approval*, and resources move once it's approved.

## Approved versions

Open **View** → **Version History** → **Approved Versions**, or use a document's **⋯** menu → **Versions** on the Documents tab.

From a version's **⋯** menu:

| Action | What it does |
| - | - |
| **View File** | Opens the version as it was approved, with the differences from the current document highlighted |
| **Download** | Saves that version's PDF |
| **Restore** | Puts the document back to that version |

**Hide Changes** turns that highlighting off. The menu also has **Edit**, **Remove** and **Select**.

<Frame caption="The original version of Risk Management Policy, 0.0, opened with View File after version 1.0 replaced it. 1 marks it as a Superseded version, and the PDF itself is watermarked SUPERSEDED. 2 is Download, which saves that version's PDF.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/assuric-docs/HVyXIf_Cn1BZ_T5Z/images/documents/superseded-version.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=HVyXIf_Cn1BZ_T5Z&q=85&s=18602f36115f44bda29847ea44e4b41e" alt="Risk Management Policy (Original) v0.0 open as a PDF, labelled Superseded version and watermarked SUPERSEDED across its Purpose, Scope and Definitions sections" width="1056" height="592" data-path="images/documents/superseded-version.png" />
</Frame>

In **Approved Versions**, the original uploaded file is kept as version *0.0*, labelled *(Original)*. A replaced version is watermarked *SUPERSEDED*, so an out-of-date PDF in someone's inbox is easy to spot.

Each approved PDF keeps the values its placeholders had at approval. See [Live content and approved versions](/documents/default-placeholders#live-content-and-approved-versions).

<Tip>
  **What we recommend**

  Write a summary of changes even for a small change. In 6 months, "updated section 4" will tell nobody anything.
</Tip>

## Related articles

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Controlled documents" icon="file-check" href="/quality/controlled-documents">
    The formal review and approval cycle, with required reviewers and approvers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Notify stakeholders of updates" icon="send" href="/trust-centre/updates-and-notifications">
    Republish a new version on your Trust Centre and tell the people who hold it.
  </Card>
</Columns>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.