Word’s Version History lets you review earlier saved versions of a document stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. If the file exists only on your computer, Word may not show this cloud version history. Check where the file is saved before following the steps below.
How to see version history in Word
- Open the document in Word while signed in to the Microsoft account that has access to the OneDrive or SharePoint file.
- Open Version History. In current Word apps, click the document name in the title bar and choose Version History. Depending on your Word version, you may instead find it under File > Info > Version History or File > Version History.
- Select an earlier version from the list to inspect its contents and date. Available versions depend on the service and its retention settings; the list is not a record of every keystroke.
- Restore only if you want that version to become current. Review the older version before restoring it. Restore makes that version current; OneDrive keeps the previously current file as an earlier version. Save a separate copy first if you need an independent backup of your present draft.
Word for the web and OneDrive
In Word for the web, open the document and choose File > Version History. You can also find the file in OneDrive, right-click it, and select Version History. Open the version you need, then choose Restore if you want to make it current.
Word on a Mac
With a OneDrive or SharePoint document open, click the document name in the title bar and choose Browse Version History. Select a version to review it before restoring it.
Recover one passage without restoring the whole file
- Open Version History and select an earlier version that contains the missing text.
- Compare its date and contents with the current document. Open another version if the first one is not the right point in time.
- Copy only the needed passage from the older version into the current document, then save the current document.
- Reopen the current file and check the repaired passage alongside your newer changes.
Use Restore only when you want the entire older version to become current. Version History records saved file versions, not a complete keystroke-by-keystroke editing log. If your goal is to see revision marks or individual suggestions from collaborators, read our edit history guide for the difference between Version History and Track Changes.
If your experiments keep saving before you can review them, our AutoSave guide explains the per-file switch and when to make a separate copy.
Why is Version History missing or empty?
- Check the file location. Save a copy to OneDrive or SharePoint for future cloud versions. Moving a local document to the cloud does not create a history of edits made before the move.
- Check the account. Sign in with the account that owns or can access the cloud file.
- Check the available versions. The number and age of versions can vary by account and SharePoint library settings.
If you lost work in a file stored only on your computer, try AutoRecover, backups, or the steps in our guide to recovering an unsaved Word document. Those are different from cloud Version History and cannot guarantee recovery.
Microsoft’s instructions
- View previous versions of Office files
- Restore a previous version of a file
- Restore a previous version in OneDrive
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com