Configure version history for a SharePoint library

To keep usable earlier versions of team documents, open the SharePoint library’s Versioning settings, turn on version creation, and choose how many versions and drafts to retain. Team members can then use Version history to review or restore a saved version. These steps follow Microsoft’s SharePoint versioning documentation; they are based on vendor documentation, not hands-on verification.

Choose which versions the team needs

Decide whether the library needs major versions only or both major and minor versions. Major versions give the team a history of the main document versions. Choose major and minor versions if intermediate drafts also need to remain available. Make that choice before setting a limit: retaining many drafts is useful only if someone on the team may need to review or recover them.

Set the number of versions and drafts to retain against a real document. For example, identify the oldest revision the team would still need if a current document were changed incorrectly. Choose limits that cover that need and fit the account policy that applies to the library. A limit that is too low can leave a needed earlier version outside the retained history. Do not assume that a version will be available later just because versioning is enabled now.

Also decide who should see drafts. The same settings page lets you set draft visibility, require content approval for submitted items, and require documents to be checked out before editing. Use those controls according to how the team handles drafts and approvals. They affect the editing process, so include the people who manage the library in that decision.

Configure the library

1. Open the document library whose files need version history.
2. Select Settings, then Library Settings.
3. On the settings page, select Versioning settings.
4. Choose major versions only or major and minor versions. Set the limits for retained versions and drafts, and set draft visibility. If the team needs content approval or required checkout, make those selections here as well.
5. Review the selections together, then select OK.

Check that you are changing the intended library before saving. Versioning settings are made for a particular library; choosing the right options in a different library will not give these documents the history the team needs.

Check and use an earlier version

For a document with saved changes, open its library and select the ellipsis (…) next to the document. Select Version history. If that option is not visible, Microsoft says to look under More. Review the dates and available versions to see whether the history covers the revisions your team expects to keep. This is a practical check of the chosen retention limit, rather than an assumption that every past edit is present.

To restore a version, open the menu for the earlier version and select Restore. Microsoft says the restored document is added as a new version, so the action changes the current document without simply erasing the version history. Review the version first and restore only the one the team wants to use.

If the needed revision does not appear in Version history, it cannot be selected there for restoration. Check the library’s version and draft limits before relying on that history for future recovery. Enabling versioning also does not establish that edits made before it was enabled were captured: Microsoft describes new versions being added after changes are saved while versioning is enabled.