When automatic versions are created
After you stop editing for about 90 seconds, Compose can create an automatic version. It also saves version history at important points, so recovery does not depend on leaving the document untouched.
Compose skips an automatic version when the document has not actually changed. Version history is therefore a set of useful recovery points, not a copy of every keystroke.
Create a named snapshot for a milestone
Named snapshots are manual versions for moments you want to recognise later. A name such as “Second draft” or “Before editor review” is much easier to find than a timestamp alone.
Free allows one named snapshot per document. Pro and Teams remove that creation limit.
How much history each plan shows
Free shows the five most recent automatic recovery versions and allows one named snapshot. Pro and Teams show up to 50 automatic versions and allow as many named snapshots as needed.
Moving to Free does not delete named snapshots you already created. The plan changes what new snapshots you can create and how much automatic history is exposed.
Preview before you restore
Open Versions and preview the version you are considering. The preview shows it without replacing your current document.
Use preview to check a missing passage or confirm that you chose the right point in time. You do not need to restore simply to inspect an older draft.
Restore an earlier draft safely
When you restore, Compose first creates a safety version of the document you are leaving. It then replaces the active document with the snapshot you selected.
The safety version lets you undo a mistaken restore. Restoring is separate from Undo because it replaces the document with an earlier saved version.
- Preview the version you think you need.
- Choose Restore when you are sure.
- Check the restored document. If necessary, return to Versions and use the safety version to recover what you had before restoring.
Version history is not a backup of the device
Versions live with the local Compose document data. They help with editing mistakes and earlier drafts, but they do not protect you if the browser data or device itself is lost.
For important work, keep a separate .compose file somewhere included in your normal backups.