How To Turn On Versioning In Sharepoint?

Are you looking for an easy way to preserve and restore different versions of a document or list item stored in your SharePoint library? Versioning is a great feature to enable within your SharePoint library so you can go back in time and restore different versions of the content stored. In this article, we’ll show you how to turn on versioning in SharePoint, so you can better manage the content stored in your library.

How to Turn on Versioning in SharePoint

SharePoint versioning allows users to keep track of changes to documents stored in SharePoint. This can be especially helpful when multiple people are simultaneously editing the same document. Versioning enables users to revert to previous versions of documents and check who made what changes. In this article, we’ll explain how to turn on versioning in SharePoint.

Enabling Versioning in SharePoint

To enable versioning in SharePoint, you’ll need to first open the document library where the document is stored. You can do this by navigating to the library in the left-hand navigation panel and then clicking on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner. This will open the library settings.

Once in the library settings, scroll down to the Versioning Settings section. Click the radio button next to “Create major and minor (draft) versions”. This will enable versioning in the document library and allow users to keep track of all changes made to documents. You can also set the number of versions that are retained, as well as set approval requirements for documents. Click OK to save your changes.

Using Versioning in SharePoint

Once versioning has been enabled in the library, users will have the ability to view and revert to past versions of documents. To view the versions of a document, click on the ellipsis icon (…) next to the document name. This will open a pop-up window that displays all of the versions of the document, along with the date they were modified. To revert to a past version, click on the ellipsis icon again and select “Revert to this version”.

You can also view the changes that have been made to a document by clicking on the ellipsis icon and selecting the “Version history” option. This will open a new window that displays a side-by-side comparison of the current and past versions of the document. This will help you identify what changes have been made and by whom.

Checking In and Checking Out of Documents

When versioning is enabled in a SharePoint library, users must check out a document before they can make any changes to it. To check out a document, click on the ellipsis icon and select “Check out”. This will prevent other users from making changes to the document until it is checked back in.

Once you’re finished making changes to the document, click on the ellipsis icon and select “Check in”. This will save the changes to the document and make it available for other users to edit. You can also add comments to the check-in to explain the changes that have been made.

Restricting Access to Documents

You can also restrict access to documents in a SharePoint library. To do this, open the document library and click on the ellipsis icon next to the document you want to restrict. This will open a pop-up window with several options. Select “Manage permissions” to open the permissions window.

In the permissions window, you can select which users or groups have access to the document. You can also select the level of access each user or group has. Once you’ve made your changes, click OK to save your changes.

Viewing Activity in a Document Library

You can also view activity in a SharePoint document library. To do this, open the document library and click on the “Activity” tab at the top of the page. This will open a list of recent activity in the library, such as when documents were created or modified, when they were checked in or out, and who made the changes.

Enabling Auditing in a Document Library

You can also enable auditing for a SharePoint document library. This will allow you to track user activity in the library and monitor who is accessing and modifying documents. To enable auditing, open the document library and click on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner. This will open the library settings.

In the library settings, scroll down to the Auditing Settings section. Check the box next to “Enable Auditing” and select the activities you want to audit. You can also choose to audit all users or only certain users or groups. Click OK to save your changes.

Enabling Workflow in a Document Library

You can also enable a workflow in a SharePoint document library. This will allow you to create a set of rules that determine how documents are created, modified, and approved. To enable a workflow, open the document library and click on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner. This will open the library settings.

In the library settings, scroll down to the Workflow Settings section. Check the box next to “Enable Workflow” and select the type of workflow you want to enable. You can also choose to enable an approval workflow, which will require documents to be approved by one or more users before they can be published. Click OK to save your changes.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily enable versioning, check-in and check-out, restrict access, view activity, and enable workflow in a SharePoint document library. This will allow you to keep track of changes to your documents, ensure that only authorized users have access to the documents, and ensure that all changes are approved before they are published.

Related Faq

What is Versioning in SharePoint?

Versioning in SharePoint is a feature that allows users to store, track, and restore previous versions of a file. It allows users to see who made changes to a file, when they were made, and what changes were made.

Versioning can be used to help manage changes to a file, ensuring that only approved changes are made and that any changes that are made are tracked and can be reverted back to if needed.

How do I turn on Versioning in SharePoint?

To turn on versioning in SharePoint, first go to the library or list where you want to enable versioning. Next, select the Library or List tab from the ribbon and then click the Library Settings or List Settings button. From the settings page, click the Versioning Settings link. On the Versioning Settings page, you can then select the versioning options you want to enable. You can choose to enable versioning for major versions, minor versions, and you can also choose to limit the number of versions that are saved.

Once you have chosen the versioning options you want to enable, click the OK button to save your changes. Versioning will now be enabled for the library or list you selected.

What are the benefits of Versioning in SharePoint?

The main benefit of versioning in SharePoint is that it allows users to track changes that are made to a file. This helps to ensure that any changes that are made are approved and that the original version of the file can be restored if needed.

Versioning also allows users to quickly recover from accidental changes or mistakes. If a mistake is made, users can simply restore the file to a previous version. This can save time and effort that would be required to manually fix the mistake.

What are the limitations of Versioning in SharePoint?

The main limitation of versioning in SharePoint is that it can take up a lot of storage space. As more versions of a file are saved and stored, the amount of storage used by the file can increase significantly. This can be an issue if storage space is limited.

It is also important to note that versioning only tracks changes that are made to a file. It does not track who made the changes or when the changes were made. This can make it difficult to identify who made changes to a file and when they were made.

What are the best practices for Versioning in SharePoint?

The best practice for versioning in SharePoint is to limit the number of versions that are saved. This can help to reduce the amount of storage space used by a file and also helps to ensure that only the most recent versions of a file are available.

Another best practice is to ensure that users are aware of the versioning feature and how it works. This can help to ensure that users are aware of the versioning options and can make sure that changes are properly tracked and approved.

By turning on versioning in SharePoint, you can easily manage and restore previous document versions, as well as track changes in your documents. With versioning enabled, you can easily view, save, and restore previous versions of a file with a few simple clicks. With this feature, you will be more productive and confident in knowing that your documents are properly stored and managed.