# Version History

***

## Table of Contents

* [Overview](#overview)
* [What Is Tracked](#what-is-tracked)
* [View App Versions](#view-app-versions)
* [Restore a Previous Version](#restore-a-previous-version)
* [Version History & Publishing](#version-history--publishing)
* [Best Practices](#best-practices)
* [What's Next](#whats-next)

***

## Overview

Genesis **automatically tracks every change** to your apps. Every modification — from content edits to styling updates — creates a new version (commit) you can view, compare, and restore at any time. This gives you a complete safety net for experimentation and iteration.

> **Experiment freely:** Try bold changes knowing you can always roll back. See [A Maker's Guide to AI Prompts — Experiment](https://docs.taskade.com/docs/taskade-genesis/prompt-guide#12-experiment).

***

## What Is Tracked

Every version captures the full state of your app:

| Category          | What's Tracked                                    |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Content**       | Text, copy, labels, placeholder content           |
| **UI / Layout**   | Component arrangement, page structure, navigation |
| **Styling**       | Colors, fonts, spacing, visual themes             |
| **Features**      | Functional additions, removals, and modifications |
| **Configuration** | Settings, permissions, access rules               |
| **Integrations**  | Automation connections and triggers               |
| **Design**        | Images, icons, branding elements                  |
| **Data schemas**  | Database field structures and relationships       |

> Each version is a complete snapshot — not just a diff. Restoring a version brings back the **entire app state** at that point.

***

## View App Versions

| Step | Action                                                |
| ---- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 1    | Open your Genesis app                                 |
| 2    | Go to the **Preview App** tab                         |
| 3    | Click the **History** button (clock icon)             |
| 4    | Browse the chronological list of versions             |
| 5    | Click any version to preview what the app looked like |

### Version List Details

Each version entry shows:

| Field          | Description                             |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Timestamp**  | When the change was made                |
| **Version ID** | Unique commit identifier                |
| **Preview**    | Visual preview of the app at that state |

***

## Restore a Previous Version

| Step | Action                                            |
| ---- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| 1    | Open the **History** panel                        |
| 2    | Browse and select the version you want to restore |
| 3    | Preview the version to confirm it's correct       |
| 4    | Click **"Restore Version"**                       |
| 5    | Your app is immediately reverted to that state    |

| Important Notes                     |                                                                                         |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Restoring creates a new version** | The restore itself becomes a new commit in your history                                 |
| **Non-destructive**                 | The versions between current and restored are preserved — you can restore forward again |
| **Instant**                         | The restore is applied immediately to your live app (if Auto-publish is on)             |
| **Full restore**                    | The entire app state is restored — UI, configuration, styling, everything               |

***

## Version History & Publishing

How version history interacts with your publishing strategy:

| Publishing Strategy | Behavior                                                                                         |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Auto publish**    | Every version is immediately live. Restoring a version instantly updates the published app.      |
| **Manual publish**  | Versions accumulate in draft. Restoring a version updates the draft. You choose when to publish. |

### Publish Status Indicators

| Status                 | Meaning                                                                    |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Published (Latest)** | The live app matches the most recent version                               |
| **Published (Older)**  | The live app is running an older version — newer uncommitted changes exist |
| **Unpublished**        | The app has not been published yet                                         |

> **Tip:** If you're using Manual publishing and want to test a restoration before it goes live, restore the version first, preview it, then publish when satisfied.

***

## Best Practices

| Practice                              | Why                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Make incremental changes**          | Smaller changes = easier to identify which version to restore                             |
| **Test before major changes**         | Preview your current version before making significant modifications                      |
| **Use Manual publish for production** | Keeps your live app stable while you experiment                                           |
| **Restore before re-building**        | If something breaks, restore instead of trying to fix — it's faster                       |
| **Note your milestones**              | Remember which versions represent stable, working states                                  |
| **Experiment boldly**                 | Version history is your safety net — try radical redesigns knowing you can always go back |

***

## What's Next

| Guide                                                                                                                      | What You'll Learn                               |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| [App Analytics](https://docs.taskade.com/docs/taskade-genesis/genesis/app-analytics)                                       | Track visitor data on your published app        |
| [Publish and Clone Your Apps](https://docs.taskade.com/docs/community-and-sharing/community-and-sharing/publish-and-clone) | Control how and when your app goes live         |
| [A Maker's Guide to AI Prompts](https://docs.taskade.com/docs/taskade-genesis/genesis/prompt-guide)                        | Iterate confidently with proven prompt patterns |