# Run a Documentation Review Cycle

A documentation review cycle helps you coordinate new content, reviewer feedback, approval, publishing, and version comparison in one repeatable process. Use this cycle whenever you need to confirm that a documentation version is ready to share or publish.

## Overview

Documentation work often moves through several stages: preparing a new version, reviewing its content, comparing it with earlier versions, incorporating feedback, and publishing the approved result. Atloria’s versioning and review tools help you keep those stages organized around the documentation version rather than managing separate copies outside the application.

You can begin from the **Versions** area, where you can generate or select a version to review. The review experience includes a **1 Review Summary** area for assessing the version, while the **Comparison** experience helps you inspect changes between versions before you approve a final version.

When your team is satisfied with the documentation, you can use **Publish Version 4** or **🚀 Publish Version 4** to make that version the published version. Publishing should be treated as the final approval step: compare the version, review outstanding feedback, and confirm that the selected version is the one you intend users to see.

> 📷 _Screenshot pending: The Versions screen showing available documentation versions and version-management actions._

## Prerequisites

Before you start a documentation review cycle, make sure you have:

- Access to the relevant project and its **Versions** area.
- A documentation version available for review, or permission to create one using **▶ Generate New Version** or **⚡ Generate Next Version**.
- A clear understanding of the documentation changes that need approval.
- Reviewer feedback or internal approval criteria for the version.
- Permission to publish if you will use **Publish Version 4** or **🚀 Publish Version 4**.
- An earlier version available if you need to use **Compare Versions** to validate changes.

## Step-by-Step Instructions

1. **Open the project’s version-management area.**

   In your project, select **Versions**. This is where you can view and manage documentation versions throughout the review cycle.

   If you are already working in another review-related area, select **🕘 Go to Version Manager** to return to the version list.

2. **Create or select the version to review.**

   If a suitable version already exists, select it and open its review experience. If you need a new version, select **▶ Generate New Version** or **⚡ Generate Next Version**.

   Use **⚡ Generate Next Version** when you want to continue the version sequence from the current documentation. This helps you keep review work associated with the correct iteration instead of overwriting or confusing earlier versions.

   In situations where AI-generated alternatives are available, you may see **Use V4 AI Version** or **Use All V4 AI Versions**. Select **Use V4 AI Version** to work with one suggested version, or select **Use All V4 AI Versions** when you need to bring all available Version 4 AI versions into the review process.

3. **Review the documentation content and context.**

   Open the selected version’s review area and use **1 Review Summary** to assess the version as a whole. Focus on whether the documentation is complete, accurate, understandable, and appropriate for its intended audience.

   If your content includes diagrams, verify that their rendered preview matches the written explanation. A diagram should clarify the process or relationship it describes; it should not introduce ambiguity or contradict the surrounding text.

   You may also encounter **7. Editor Version Context**. Use this context to confirm that you are reviewing the intended version and that your feedback applies to the correct documentation iteration.

   > 📷 _Screenshot pending: The Review screen with the 1 Review Summary area and documentation version context._

4. **Compare the version with an earlier version.**

   Select **Compare Versions** or open **Comparison**. Choose the versions you want to examine and review the differences carefully.

   Version comparison is especially useful when reviewers need to confirm that requested edits were made without removing previously approved information. Check for changed terminology, missing sections, altered diagrams, and content that may have been unintentionally duplicated.

   Treat comparison as a decision-making step, not just an editing check. If the newer version is less clear or omits approved material, return to the version-management or review workflow rather than publishing it.

5. **Incorporate review feedback and continue the cycle.**

   If the review identifies changes that are needed, return to the appropriate version workflow. You can use **Back to Review** from a related screen to continue evaluating the current version.

   If substantial changes are required, generate a subsequent version with **⚡ Generate Next Version**, then repeat the review and comparison steps. Keeping meaningful revisions in separate versions gives reviewers a clear audit trail of what changed between review rounds.

6. **Approve the final version for publishing.**

   Before publishing, confirm that the review feedback has been addressed and that the comparison results are acceptable. Verify that you are viewing the intended version number; the publish action specifically identifies the version, such as **Publish Version 4**.

   Select **Publish Version 4** or **🚀 Publish Version 4** to publish the approved documentation version. After publishing, use **View Your Documentation →** to view the published documentation from the user-facing perspective.

7. **Export or continue managing versions as needed.**

   If you need a copy for distribution or record keeping, select **Export Documentation**. To continue managing the project’s versions, select **Manage all versions →** or return to **Versions**.

## Tips and Best Practices

- **Compare before publishing.** Even when a version appears complete in **1 Review Summary**, use **Compare Versions** to catch accidental removals or changes that are easier to spot side by side.
- **Generate a new version for major revisions.** Use **⚡ Generate Next Version** when feedback results in a meaningful new review round. This preserves the earlier version for comparison and makes approval decisions easier to trace.
- **Review diagrams with their surrounding text.** Diagram previews should support the explanation. Check that labels, flow direction, and relationships are understandable to the intended audience.
- **Publish only the reviewed version.** The publish action includes the version number, such as **Publish Version 4**. Confirm the number before selecting it so that you do not publish an earlier or unintended iteration.
- **Use the published view as a final validation.** After publishing, select **View Your Documentation →** and review the result as a reader would.

> 📷 _Screenshot pending: The Comparison screen showing differences between two documentation versions before approval._

## Related Pages

- [Manage Documentation Versions](#) — Create, organize, and select documentation versions.
- [Compare Documentation Versions](#) — Review differences between two versions in detail.
- [Review and Publish Documentation](#) — Complete review checks and publish an approved version.
- [Export Documentation](#) — Export documentation for distribution or archival purposes.
- [Work with Documentation Screenshots](#) — Review and manage screenshots associated with a documentation version.

## Troubleshooting

### I cannot find the version I need to review

Open **Versions** or select **🕘 Go to Version Manager**. Confirm that you are in the correct project and look for the required version in the version-management list. If the needed changes have not yet been captured in a version, select **▶ Generate New Version** or **⚡ Generate Next Version**.

### I am not sure whether a version is ready to publish

Do not publish immediately. Review **1 Review Summary**, then select **Compare Versions** to check the current version against the previously approved version. If reviewer feedback is still unresolved or important content has changed unexpectedly, continue the review cycle instead.

### I selected the wrong version or need to return to review

Select **Back to Review** to return to the review experience. If you need to choose a different version entirely, use **Manage all versions →** or **🕘 Go to Version Manager**, then open the correct version before continuing.