Enabling Version Control

To start tracking versions of a document, you will need to enable version control for the document.  

There are three ways to enable version control: by tracking versions on individual documents, by tracking versions for all existing documents in a folder, and by configuring a folder to automatically place all new documents contained in it under version control.

Once a document is under version control, you can review information about the document's versions, open past versions, view or modify version comments and labels, compare versions, revert to past versions, delete versions, view signature information, and export, email or copy versions. In addition, you can search for documents based on information about their versions.

While most changes to the document will be saved in the version history once a document is under version control, some elements are not stored in the version history. See Information Stored in the Version History for more information.

Note: Once version control has been enabled for a document, it cannot be disabled.

Tracking Versions on Individual Documents

You can enable version control on an individual document from the Metadata dialog box of the document. Once version control is enabled, changes to the document will be saved as new versions, and older versions of the document will be retained in the version history.

To track versions on a document in the Windows client

  1. Perform one of the following:
    • Track versions from the Metadata dialog box:
      1. Open the Metadata dialog box or Metadata Pane for any document.
      2. Select the Versions tab.
      3. Click Start Tracking Versions.
    • Track versions from the Folder Browser:
      1. Select the document you want to track versions for.
      2. Right-click the document and select Start Tracking Versions, or open the Tasks menu and point to Version Tracking, then select Start Tracking Versions.
  2. The Start Tracking Versions dialog box will open, asking you to confirm that you want to enable version control. Optionally, you can select Open the document for editing immediately if you want to open the document and modify it. Click Yes to confirm that you want to start version tracking.
  3. The Version Details dialog box will open. Optionally provide a version comment and/or label. These will be saved as the comment and/or label for the first version of the document.
  4. Click OK. The document is now under version control. If you chose to open the document for editing, it will open at this point.

To track versions on a document in the web client

  1. Open the Metadata Pane for any document.
  2. Navigate to the Details tab and click Start Tracking Versions.
  3. Optional: Type a version comment and/or label in the Comment and Labels boxes. These will be saved as the comment and/or label for the first version of the document.
  4. Click Start Tracking to confirm that you want to start version tracking.

Tracking Versions on Existing Documents in a Folder

You can choose to track versions for all documents currently in the folder.  Tracking versions in this fashion behaves exactly the same as tracking versions on individual documents, but for all the documents in a particular folder. It will not affect documents created in the future, only documents currently in the folder when the process is performed.

When you track versions on existing documents in a folder, you can choose to also track versions on existing documents in all subfolders.

Note: If a folder has many documents and/or subfolders, this can take some time, as each document must be processed.

To track versions for existing documents in a folder in the Windows client

  1. Select the folder to which you want to apply this setting.
  2. Right-click the folder and select Properties. This will open the Folder Properties dialog box.
  3. Click the Start Tracking Document Versions button.
  4. The Start Tracking Versions dialog box will open. If you want to also put all documents in subfolders under version control, select Apply to all subfolders.
  5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to track changes. Note that this may take a few minutes if you have many documents to place under version control.
  6. Existing documents in the folder will have version tracking enabled. Entries created in the future will not be affected.

To track versions for existing documents in a folder in the web client

  1. Select a folder, and click Start tracking versions on new documents in the right pane.
  2. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to enable version tracking for all new documents in the folder.
  3. Select the Apply to all subfolders checkbox if you want the Laserfiche web client to also enable version tracking for existing documents in all subfolders.
  4. Select Track versions on existing documents to begin version tracking on documents already in the folder.

Tracking Versions on New Documents in a Folder

You can configure a folder to track versions for all new documents created in that folder. This allows you to ensure that all new documents are placed under version control. This setting will affect newly-created documents in that folder (including copies of documents pasted into the folder), but not documents already in the folder when the setting is applied, or documents created in another folder and moved to that folder.

Note: You can disable this setting to stop tracking versions on new documents in the folder. However, that will have no effect on documents already placed under version control. Once version tracking has been enabled for a document, it cannot be disabled.

To track versions for new documents in a folder

  1. Select the folder to which you want to apply this setting.
  2. Right-click the folder and select Track Versions for New Documents. This will open the Start Tracking Versions dialog box.
  3. In the Start Tracking Versions dialog box, determine whether you want to apply this setting to subfolders as well. Click Yes to track versions on new documents in all subfolders, or No to track versions on new documents in this folder only.
  4. New documents in the folder will be created with version tracking enabled.  Existing documents will not be affected.

To track versions for new documents in a folder

  1. Select a folder, and click Start tracking versions on new documents in the right pane.
  2. Select whether you want version control to extend to subfolders and their contents and/or whether you want to put the documents already in the folder under version control.

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