> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.overcut.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Workflow Versioning
> Understand how Overcut saves workflow drafts, surfaces unpublished changes, and helps you publish or discard updates with confidence.
## Overview
Workflows evolve over time. You might tweak an action, experiment with a new trigger, or roll back to an earlier definition while troubleshooting. Overcut keeps every edit safe by **auto-saving your changes as drafts** and guiding you through a lightweight review and publish flow. This page explains how drafts move from your Workflow Builder to production, where to spot unpublished work, and when to publish or discard it.
Every edit in the Workflow Builder is saved immediately, so you never lose work if you close the tab or switch tasks.
A colored chip in the workspace header shows the number of workflows with unpublished changes and links straight to a consolidated review page.
Compare the working draft to the last published version, publish or discard in one place, and jump back to the builder with a click.
Side-by-side diffs let you inspect any past version and restore it into your working copy when you need to roll back.
## Draft lifecycle
Open any workflow in the **Workflow Builder**. The moment you change a field or update YAML, Overcut creates a **draft** of your workflow. Your browser does not need to stay open. Drafts are saved server-side every few seconds.
As soon as at least one draft exists in the workspace, an **Unpublished Changes** chip appears in the workspace header. The chip's counter shows how many workflows contain drafts.
Click the chip to open the **Unpublished Changes** review page. Here you can inspect every draft, compare it to the last published version, and decide what to do next.
* **Publish** finalizes the draft and promotes it to the latest published version. You will be prompted for a commit message so teammates understand what changed.
* **Discard** removes the draft and reverts the working copy to the last published version. Nothing is deleted from Version History; you can always restore discarded changes later.
Automated triggers always execute the most recent **published** version. If no version has ever been published, automation is paused until you publish at least once.
## Finding unpublished changes
The moment a draft exists, Overcut surfaces it in multiple places:
* **Workspace header chip**: A colored **Unpublished Changes** chip appears beside the workspace name. Its badge shows the number of workflows with drafts. Clicking the chip opens the review page.
* **Version History**: Drafts show up at the top of the history list, labeled *Draft* so you can compare them against any earlier version.
The header chip disappears automatically when all drafts are either published or discarded.
## Reviewing and publishing drafts
On the **Unpublished Changes** page you will find:
* A filterable list of workflows with drafts, including last-updated timestamps and author avatars.
* An inline **side-by-side YAML diff viewer** to highlight exactly what changed.
* **Edit** buttons that reopen the draft in the Workflow Builder when you need to make further tweaks.
* **Publish** and **Discard** controls that act on the currently selected workflow.
When you click **Publish**:
1. Enter a short commit message that summarizes why you are publishing the changes.
2. Overcut saves the draft as a new version and removes it from the "Unpublished Changes" list.
3. Any future manual or automated executions will use the newly published version by default.
When you click **Discard**:
1. The draft is deleted.
2. The working copy reverts to the last published version.
3. The workflow disappears from the "Unpublished Changes" list.
Publishing is lightweight: think of it as committing code. Publish frequently to keep your workspace predictable.
## Manual executions and drafts
When you click **Run** from either the workflow list or the Workflow Builder, Overcut asks which definition you want to execute:
1. **Last published version (default)**: Overcut automatically selects the most recent published version because it is the same definition your triggers and schedules rely on.
2. **Working draft**: Choose this option to test your unpublished edits without promoting them.
If a workflow has **never** been published and you leave the default selection, the run is blocked because no committed version exists. Either publish the draft first or change the selector to **Working draft** to continue. Selecting **Working draft** executes the current auto-saved definition immediately, even if no published version exists, so you can validate changes before promoting them.
Running a draft is perfect for quick experiments, but only published versions power automation. Publish once you are satisfied with the results.
## Best practices
* **Review before you run manually.** Manual runs can target your working draft, but use the diff viewer to confirm changes before executing.
* **Discard stale drafts.** If a draft lingers for days, it can confuse collaborators. Delete drafts you no longer plan to finish. Version History keeps a record if you need it later.
* **Use commit messages wisely.** Clear messages make it easier for teammates (and future you) to understand why a change was made.
Workflows without a published version **cannot** run automatically. Make sure you publish at least once before enabling triggers or schedules.
## Related documentation
* [Workflow Version History](/docs/reference/workflow-history): compare versions side-by-side and restore earlier definitions
* [Workflow Metadata](/docs/how-to/workflow-builder): configure workflow settings in the builder
* [Workflow Execution Control](/docs/workflows/workflow-execution-control): priority queuing, resource locking, and deduplication