How to View, Edit, & Delete Version History in Google Sheets

Want to open and edit an older version of your spreadsheet? Google Sheets offers a version history feature. Here's how to use it.

Google Sheets provides many features that most premium spreadsheet tools provide, but for free. One of those features is the ability to see, edit, and delete version history.

Because of the ease of use Google Sheets provides, more people are moving to adopt Google's suite of Office apps than using software like Excel. But, sometimes, the features can be a little different from what users are used to. This guide will cover the Google Sheets version history and everything it’s capable of doing.

Why Use Version History?

When multiple employees tackle the same spreadsheet, there are bound to be mistakes due to miscommunication between the employees. These errors could cause disruptions in sensitive spreadsheets that contain financial information. When this happens, it's very beneficial to have backups you can return to.

You may have also made errors in your work, but not be able to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Being able to open a previous version of a spreadsheet can be an absolute lifesaver. This can be critical if you’re a solo entrepreneur using Google Sheets.

What Is Google Sheets Version History?

Google added a feature that saves all the changes made to a document. Even a change as small as a comma is documented, and this feature is available on most of the services in the Google suite of applications.

As Google Docs and Google Sheets are cloud-based services, the backups are made almost instantly and can be accessed anytime, provided that you have an internet connection.

Only the spreadsheet owner can view these changes and the people the owner gives the edit access to. People with view-only access to the spreadsheet can not view or make changes to the version history. This is mainly a privacy feature.

The version history feature in Google Sheets removes the need to make multiple copies of the same spreadsheet on local hardware. You can simply access the version history and find the particular version you're looking for.

How to View and Edit Version History in Google Sheets

Before viewing or editing the version history, ensure that you have made enough changes for Google Sheets to create a log of these changes. You won't be able to view the version history on a new spreadsheet. Before we start, load up your spreadsheet.

Here are the steps you need to follow to check the version history in Google Sheets

1. Navigate to File in the menu bar.
2. Select Version history. This will open another sub-menu.
3. There, click on See version history. This will show a sidebar towards the right side of the screen with a list containing all the spreadsheet versions.
4. Click on the three dots beside the name of the version.
5. For older versions, click on Restore this version, and Google Sheets will reload the page with the older version of the spreadsheet.

On the current version of the spreadsheet, you can change the name of the spreadsheet, or you can make a copy of it. When clicking the three dots icon on any version other than the current one, you will also get an option to restore it.

How to Name Important Google Sheets Versions

It can be extremely jarring to see the dates as the filenames and become confusing quickly, especially if multiple changes are being made per day to the sheet. Instead of dates, it's much more helpful if you could name the sheet based on the changes made.

Let's say there is a sheet that contains all the changes and the most up-to-date version. It would be better to name it "Final" than "June 14, 9:38 AM", right?

Naming important spreadsheet versions can be highly beneficial to you later when you need to find a specific version among a sea of edits. Here are the steps to follow to name a current version:

1. Click on File in the top bar.
2. Choose Version history.
3. Click on Name current version.

This will open a new window in the middle of the screen, allowing you to set a name. Once done, click on Save.

If you want to rename an older version, follow the same steps as before, but instead of choosing Name current version, click on See version history. This will show a list of the changes made to the spreadsheet. There, click on the name of the version you wish to rename and type the name. Press Enter to save the changes once you are done.

How to Delete Version History in Google Sheets

There currently isn’t a way to delete a specific version in the Google Sheets version history. But, you can start fresh by making a copy of the spreadsheet. This will wipe away all the changes in the version history. Only the latest version will be saved and copied.

The steps to do this are simple, click on File in the top bar. This will show a dropdown menu. Here, click on Make a copy.

You will be prompted to enter the name for the new spreadsheet. After adding a name, choose the location of the spreadsheet and select whether you want the spreadsheet to be shared with the same people it was shared with before. You can also choose if you want the comments to be copied. Once you’re done choosing your desired options, click on the green Make a copy button.

Things to Know About Version History in Google Sheets

Here are a few things you should know about the version history in Google Sheets:

1. The Version History can go back an infinite value. However, Sheets optimizes the Google Drive space by merging older versions. It may also delete some earlier changes if the storage is almost full.
2. If you can't see the Version History, it's probably because you don't have the required permission or are even completely locked out. You’ll need to ask the spreadsheet owner to change your permission to "can edit" rather than "can view."
3. The version history can be accessed by the individual who owns the file on their account. If you're using the sharing features in Google Sheets, then only the people able to see the version history are individuals with owner or editor privileges.

Mastering Google Sheets

Viewing and editing version history is just a small part of the collaborative environment in Google Sheets. Now that you've mastered it, you’ll need to keep learning to have your team perform at full capacity on this powerful web-based app.