SpotDraft's redesigned Version History makes it easier than ever to track and compare different versions of your contracts. This guide explains how to access and use the new, full-screen version history and its powerful comparison features.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for all SpotDraft users who work with contracts, including administrators and general users who need to track a document's lifecycle.
Understanding Contract Versions
Every time a significant action occurs—such as saving edits, uploading a counterparty's redlines, or finalizing a contract for execution—SpotDraft creates a new, numbered version. This creates a complete, auditable timeline of your contract's evolution, allowing you to see every change and access previous versions whenever needed.
Accessing the New Version History View
You can open the full-screen Version History from several places on the Contract Record:
- From the Document Section: In the "View Contract Document" area, click on the blue version number link (e.g., Version 6.0).
- From the Contract Documents Menu: Click the three-dots menu next to the "Download" button and select "View version history" or "Compare versions".
All of these actions will open the same immersive Contract Version History screen.
Navigating the Version History Interface
The new interface provides a comprehensive, side-by-side view of your contract's history.
(A) The Document Preview (Left Side)
This large panel shows a full preview of the selected contract version. By default, you'll see the latest version. Clicking any other version in the list on the right will instantly load its preview here.
(B) The Version Timeline (Right Side)
This panel displays a chronological list of all contract versions. For each version, you can see detailed metadata:
- Action: How the version was created (e.g., "saved a new version from the editor," "uploaded a new version").
- User: The person who performed the action.
- Notes: Any comments or context provided when the version was saved.
- File Details: The original file name, format (PDF, DOCX), and its source.
- Download: You can download any version directly by clicking the "Download" button next to it.
Comparing Contract Versions
SpotDraft allows you to run a detailed comparison between two published versions to easily identify all changes.
- From the Version History Screen:
- At the top of the Version Timeline, toggle the "Compare Version" switch ON.
- Check the boxes next to the two versions you want to compare.
- Click the blue "Compare" button at the bottom.
- Using the "Upload and Compare" Feature:
- Click the "Upload and Compare" button to open the comparison pop-up.
- For both the "Original" and "Modified" document, you can either select a version from the list or upload a file from your computer.
- Click "Select 2 Documents to Compare" to run the comparison.
The comparison will open in a new browser tab, showing a clear redline view of all additions and deletions between the two documents.
Note: (Pop-Up Blockers) The comparison feature opens in a new tab. If it doesn't appear, please ensure your browser's pop-up blocker is not blocking SpotDraft.
Previewing Versions from the Activity Log
For a more contextual view, you can also access a specific contract version directly from the Activity Log. This is especially useful when you want to see a version related to a specific event in the contract's timeline.
- Navigate to the Activity Log: On the main Contract Record page, scroll down to find the "Activity Log" section.
- Find the Version Entry: Look through the log for an event that created a new version, such as "published a new version from OnlyOffice" or "uploaded a pdf file as a new counterparty version."
- Click "Preview Version": For these entries, you will see a "Preview Version" button.
Clicking this button will take you directly to the full-screen Contract Version History view, with that specific version already selected and displayed in the preview panel, allowing you to examine it instantly.
- Click Download icon: You can download the contract version by clicking on the Download icon on the top right.