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

# Viewing previous versions

> Learn how to navigate and view previous versions of your content in ButterCMS's revision history interface.

With ButterCMS's revision history, you can track all changes made to content. You can easily review past versions, identify who made specific changes, and access the content exactly as it existed at any point in time.

## Viewing versions for different content types

### Pages and Collections

Pages and Collections support full version history with the ability to:

* View all historical versions
* See draft-over-published versions
* Preview locked versions
* Access the complete change timeline

### Blog Posts

Blog Posts have a simplified version model:

* View the current published version
* See scheduled publication status
* Limited historical version access compared to Pages

<Info>
  Blog Posts don't support creating draft versions over published content. When you edit a published Blog Post, changes are applied directly upon saving.
</Info>

## Accessing the version timeline

<Info>You must have the proper permissions to access revision history.</Info>

You can view old versions of a Page through the revision history panel. To access previous versions:

1. Navigate to the Page, Collection Item, or Blog Post you want to review
2. Open the content editor
3. Locate the **Revision History** option in the editor interface
4. The timeline displays all saved versions chronologically

{/* IMAGE_SOURCE: file_path="knowledge-base/how-to/page-status-draft-to-published.md" */}

![Access Revision History](https://cdn.buttercms.com/Cic2UvCxTwa646sVabTa)

## Understanding the version timeline

![Revision history timeline in ButterCMS](https://cdn.buttercms.com/GtSMYP4TTG8nLLY0Z1wW)

### Timeline elements

The revision history timeline displays several key pieces of information for each version:

| Element            | Description                                           |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Version number** | Sequential identifier (v1, v2, v3, etc.)              |
| **Save timestamp** | The exact date and time when the version was saved    |
| **Author**         | The team member who made and saved the changes        |
| **Status**         | Current state: Draft, Published, Scheduled, or Locked |
| **Action buttons** | Preview, restore, or compare this version             |

## Navigating the timeline

### Timeline navigation

The version timeline is organized chronologically, with the most recent version at the top:

<div style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: '8px', maxWidth: '480px', fontFamily: 'sans-serif' }}>
  <div style={{ border: '2px solid #eab308', borderRadius: '8px', padding: '14px 16px', background: '#fefce8' }}>
    <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '6px' }}>
      <span style={{ fontWeight: '700', color: '#854d0e' }}>v4 — Current Draft</span>
      <span style={{ fontSize: '0.8em', color: '#6b7280' }}>Today, 2:30 PM</span>
    </div>

    <div style={{ fontSize: '0.85em', color: '#4b5563' }}>👤 Jane Smith  ·  <span style={{ color: '#ca8a04', fontWeight: '600' }}>Draft</span></div>
  </div>

  <div style={{ border: '2px solid #22c55e', borderRadius: '8px', padding: '14px 16px', background: '#f0fdf4' }}>
    <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '6px' }}>
      <span style={{ fontWeight: '700', color: '#15803d' }}>v3 — Published</span>
      <span style={{ fontSize: '0.8em', color: '#6b7280' }}>Yesterday, 4:15 PM</span>
    </div>

    <div style={{ fontSize: '0.85em', color: '#4b5563' }}>👤 John Doe  ·  <span style={{ color: '#16a34a', fontWeight: '600' }}>✓ Currently live</span></div>
  </div>

  <div style={{ border: '1.5px solid #d1d5db', borderRadius: '8px', padding: '14px 16px', background: '#f9fafb' }}>
    <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '6px' }}>
      <span style={{ fontWeight: '700', color: '#374151' }}>v2 — Locked</span>
      <span style={{ fontSize: '0.8em', color: '#6b7280' }}>Jan 15, 11:00 AM</span>
    </div>

    <div style={{ fontSize: '0.85em', color: '#9ca3af' }}>👤 Jane Smith  ·  🔒 Previously published</div>
  </div>

  <div style={{ border: '1.5px solid #d1d5db', borderRadius: '8px', padding: '14px 16px', background: '#f9fafb' }}>
    <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '6px' }}>
      <span style={{ fontWeight: '700', color: '#374151' }}>v1 — Locked</span>
      <span style={{ fontSize: '0.8em', color: '#6b7280' }}>Jan 10, 9:30 AM</span>
    </div>

    <div style={{ fontSize: '0.85em', color: '#9ca3af' }}>👤 John Doe  ·  🔒 Original version</div>
  </div>
</div>

## Understanding version states

<Tip>
  The below statuses reflect the states of versions in history, not the [state of your current content](../publishing-lifecycle/content-status).
</Tip>

Content versions in the ButterCMS version history can exist in several states, each indicated by a distinct visual symbol:

### Draft state

A version is in Draft state when it hasn't been published yet. Draft versions will only appear for the current active draft and are accessible via the preview API parameter.

{/* IMAGE_SOURCE: file_path="knowledge-base/faqs/unpublishing-posts-pages-and-collections.md" */}

![Draft Version Symbol](https://cdn.buttercms.com/NoMBvXtNSpqFlhD6Z5Og)

### Published state

The Published indicator shows which version is currently live and accessible through the standard API endpoints.

{/* IMAGE_SOURCE: file_path="knowledge-base/faqs/unpublishing-posts-pages-and-collections.md" */}

![Published Version Symbol](https://cdn.buttercms.com/kuLrhfBVSyaH0xqPVXTD)

### Locked state

A Locked version was a previously Published version that can no longer be modified. However, locked versions can be reverted back to, allowing you to restore previous content states.

## Version states quick reference

<Note>Attempting to edit a Published version generates a new draft.</Note>

| State         | Symbol      | Description                               | Can Edit? | Can Restore? |
| ------------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------- | :-------: | :----------: |
| **Draft**     | 📝 (Orange) | Current working version not yet published |     ✅     |       —      |
| **Published** | ✅ (Green)   | Currently live version                    |     ❌     |       —      |
| **Scheduled** | 🕐 (Blue)   | Queued for future publication             |     ✅     |       —      |
| **Locked**    | 🔒          | Previously published, now superseded      |     ❌     |       ✅      |

## Viewing versions for different content types

### Pages and Collections

Pages and Collections support full version history with the ability to:

* View all historical versions
* See draft-over-published versions
* Preview locked versions
* Access the complete change timeline

### Blog Posts

Blog Posts have a simplified version model:

* View the current published version
* See scheduled publication status
* Limited historical version access compared to Pages

<Info>
  Blog Posts don't support creating draft versions over published content. When you edit a published Blog Post, changes are applied directly upon saving.
</Info>

## Viewing a specific version

### Step-by-step guide

To view the content of a previous version:

1. **Open revision history** - Click on the revision history option in your content editor
2. **Locate the version** - Scroll through the timeline to find the version you want to view
3. **Click to select** - Click on the version entry to select it
4. **Preview the content** - Use the preview option to see exactly how the content appeared

## Comparing two versions

You can use the revision history to compare the data between two versions.

1. Click on any version in the history timeline to be your starting version. Choose the most recent of the two versions you want to compare.
2. Click the **Compare versions** button.
3. Click the older version of the content that you want to compare your starting version to.

You will then see a color-coded diff of the two versions:

* Content that was removed will have red strikethrough text, <span style={{ color: '#dc2626', textDecoration: 'line-through', backgroundColor: '#fee2e2' }}>like this</span>.
* Content that was added will have green text, <span style={{ color: '#16a34a', backgroundColor: '#dcfce7' }}>like this</span>.