OneDrive and SharePoint Versioning Policy

OneDrive and SharePoint automatically save different versions of your files whenever changes are made. This allows you to go back and restore an earlier copy if something is accidentally deleted or changed.

This article explains how long versions are kept and what you can expect when viewing version history.

How Versions Are Kept

OneDrive and SharePoint keep file versions for different lengths of time, but older versions are automatically trimmed down over time:

First 30 days – Every version you save is kept.
31 to 60 days – Only versions saved at the top of each hour are kept.
61 to 180 days – Only versions saved at the start of each day are kept.
After 180 days – Only versions saved at the start of each week are kept and stored until the version limit is reached.

Version Limit

Each document library has a maximum of 500 versions. Once that limit is reached, the oldest versions are automatically deleted to make room for new ones.

How to Restore a Previous Version

Go to the document library where your file is saved.
Right-click the file and choose Version History.
A list of available versions will appear.
Select the version you want and click Restore.

Tip: If the version you’re looking for is missing, it may have been automatically removed based on the 500-version limit.

Notes

This will not affect the most recent version of your file.
If you save a file very frequently, older versions may rotate out faster because of the 500-version cap.
Autosave counts toward the version limit.

Need Help?

If you need assistance recovering a file or have questions about SharePoint versioning, contact:
UCF IT Support Center
itsupport@ucf.edu
407-823-5117