Compare Document Versions

Use Compare Versions to review how one document revision differs from another before you approve or publish changes. Comparing revisions helps you confirm that the content, wording, and intended updates are correct.

Overview

Documents can have multiple saved versions. The comparison workspace lets you review two versions together instead of opening each version separately. This is useful when you need to validate edits made during review, confirm that requested changes were applied, or decide whether the latest revision is ready for approval.

You can begin from the document area or from a project’s version-management area. Look for Versions, Compare Versions, or Compare depending on the screen you are viewing. Use Manage all versions → when you need to see the broader list of available revisions before choosing versions to compare.

📷 Screenshot pending: The Versions screen showing available document revisions and the Compare Versions action.

The comparison process is intended for review before publishing. After you finish reviewing the differences, return to the review workflow with Back to Review or save any permitted updates using Save Changes.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure that:

• You can access the document or project that contains the revisions you need to review.
• At least two versions of the document are available.
• You know which version is the baseline and which version contains the proposed changes.
• You have reviewed any related change request or review summary, if your team uses them.
• You have permission to review the document and, if applicable, approve or publish it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Documents from the application navigation.

2. Find the document whose revision history you want to review.

3. Select the document to open its document workspace.

4. Click Versions to view the document’s available revisions.

5. Click Compare Versions to open the version comparison workspace.

📷 Screenshot pending: The Compare Versions workspace with controls for choosing two document revisions.

6. Select the earlier or currently approved revision as the version you want to use as the comparison baseline.

7. Select the newer revision that contains the changes you want to review.

8. Click Compare to display the differences between the selected versions.

9. Review each difference shown in the comparison results.

10. Check whether the newer version includes all expected edits from the related review or change request.

11. Confirm that no unintended wording, formatting, or content changes were introduced.

12. Click Back to Review when you need to return to the document review workflow.

13. Click Save Changes if the screen allows you to save updates you made during the review process.

14. Open Review & Publish when you are ready to continue toward publishing the reviewed document.

Tips and Best Practices

• Compare versions before approving substantial edits. This gives you a clear checkpoint between the prior revision and the proposed revision.

• Use the earliest relevant version as your baseline. For example, if a document has several rounds of edits, compare the revision before the current review cycle with the latest revision rather than comparing unrelated versions.

• Review the document’s 1 Review Summary before comparing versions when it is available. The summary can help you understand what reviewers expected to change, so you can verify those changes in the comparison.

• Use Manage all versions → when the version you need is not immediately visible. This is especially helpful for documents with multiple saved revisions.

• Treat comparison as a review activity, not as final publication. After you confirm the changes, continue through Review & Publish according to your organization’s approval process.

• Save only intentional changes. If you use Save Changes, verify that you are saving updates you made deliberately and not preserving temporary review notes or incomplete edits.

• If you are reviewing content generated from several draft revisions, compare the final candidate against the last accepted version. This keeps the approval decision focused on the changes that will actually be published.

Related Pages

• Manage Document Versions — View and organize all available document revisions.
• Review and Publish Documents — Complete the review process and publish an approved document.
• Review Change Requests — Review requested document updates before validating a revised version.
• Create and Edit Documents — Update document content and save a new revision.
• Search Documents — Find a document from the Documents area.

Troubleshooting

You cannot find the comparison option

Open the document’s Versions area and look for Compare Versions or Compare. If the document has only one available version, there is nothing to compare yet. Create or save another revision before attempting a comparison.

The version you need is not listed

Select Manage all versions → to view the full version list. Confirm that you are working in the correct document or project and that the intended revision was saved successfully.

You are not ready to approve the changes

Click Back to Review and continue reviewing the document or its related change request. Do not proceed to Review & Publish until you have confirmed that the comparison contains only expected changes.