How do Versions work in Final Draft Cloud, and how do I go back to an earlier version of my script?

As you write in Final Draft Writer, Final Draft Cloud saves earlier copies of your script for you. These are called Versions. If you want to get back to how your script looked an hour ago, yesterday, or last week, you can open your Versions list, look at an earlier version, and restore it.

A version is an earlier save of the same script, not a separate copy, like you'd make with Save As. 

Your file keeps the same name and the same sharing settings no matter how many versions it has, and restoring a version does not create a new file in your Vault. 

How Versions are created

Your work saves automatically as you type, but not every save becomes a version. Final Draft Cloud creates a version about once an hour when your script has changed since the last version. It will also make a version when you save manually with File > Save if it has been at least five minutes since the last version and your script has changed. If nothing has changed, no new version is created.

Versions are on by default. You can turn them off, or back on, under Preferences > Versions.

How to see an earlier version

1. Open your script in from the Vault in Final Draft Cloud.

2. Go to File > Versions.

   

3. Your versions are listed on the right, grouped by day, with the most recent at the top. Today's versions are open by default; click a date to open an older group, or click Show More to see more versions from that day.
4. Click a version to view it.

The version you are viewing is read-only, so you cannot type in it. You can still select and copy text, which is handy if you only want to bring one scene or a few lines back into your current draft. To go back to writing, click Back to Writer.

If you'd prefer to name your versions so you can track them, you can click the pencil icon next to it and give it a name, such as "First table read" or "Before Act 3 rewrite."

How to restore an earlier version

1. In File > Versions, click the version you want to go back to.
2. Click Restore Version at the bottom of the Versions panel.
3. Read the confirmation message and click Restore.

Your script now matches the version you chose. A few things to know before you restore:

• Your current draft is not lost. It is saved as a new version at the top of your list, so you can restore it again if you change your mind.
• ScriptNotes are restored along with the text, so your notes will match the version you chose rather than the ones you have now.
• If the script is shared with a collaborator (see: How do I share my script with another Final Draft Cloud user so we can write together?) the restore applies for everyone with access, not only for you.

If you do not see File > Versions, make sure you are working in Final Draft Writer, and check that Versions is turned on in Preferences.

For more on how your work is stored and saved, see:

How does Final Draft Vault store and save my work?