SharePoint Version History: Settings, Limits and Restore

Here's the catch. Version history isn't unlimited, and it can stop working without warning. A library allows a maximum of 511 minor versions for each major version, and that number can't be changed. Once you hit it, the online apps and the latest desktop apps overwrite the most recent minor version, and older clients won't save or upload changes at all. Microsoft's own words: at that point your document history is no longer tracked, until someone publishes the next major version.

When SharePoint creates a new version

With versioning on, Microsoft lists these moments as the ones that create a version:

• When a list item or file is first created, or a file is uploaded.
• When a file is uploaded with the same name as an existing file.
• When the properties of an item or file change, such as a due date.
• When an Office document is opened and saved.
• Periodically while you edit and save Office documents. Not every save counts, so with autosave on each version captures a point in time, not each edit.
• During co-authoring, when a different person starts working on the document or someone selects save.

There can be up to three current versions of a file at once: the checked-out version, the latest minor or draft version, and the latest published or major version. Everything else is a historical version.

Major and minor version numbers

What happens	How SharePoint numbers it
A major version is saved	Whole numbers: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
A minor version is saved, in a library tracking both	Decimals: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
A minor version is published as major	It becomes 2.0, and the next minor versions are 2.1, 2.2
You discard a checkout	The number doesn't change, so 3.0 stays 3.0
You delete a version	It goes to the Recycle Bin and its number goes with it; delete 4.1 and you'll see 4.0 and 4.2
An item in a list is pending approval	Lists only have major versions, so pending items get decimals and count as drafts

A major version usually marks a milestone, like a file ready for review. A minor version is work in progress that isn't ready for everyone to read.

Version limits you can set, as of October 2026

Setting	SharePoint in Microsoft 365	SharePoint Server
Turn off versioning on a library	Not in Library Settings; only through PowerShell or developer APIs	Yes, select No versioning
Major versions kept in a library	100 to 50,000 in Library Settings, except libraries in communication sites	1 to 50,000
Major versions kept in a list	1 to 50,000	1 to 50,000
Minor versions per major version	Up to 511, can't be changed	Up to 511, can't be changed

Microsoft recommends keeping at least 100 versions, and says turning versioning off isn't recommended because it removes protection from version recovery.

When a limit is reached, the oldest versions go. If a library keeps 100 major versions and your latest is 101.0, version 1.0 has been deleted, and a 102nd version removes 2.0. If the library only keeps drafts for some major versions, the older minor versions such as 1.2 or 2.3 are deleted while the major ones stay. Tell your team about any limit, because people assume history goes back forever. If a legal reason means you have to keep everything, don't set a limit at all, and keep an eye on your SharePoint storage limits.

How to turn on or change versioning

1. Open the list or library.
2. Select Settings, then List settings or Library settings.
3. On the Settings page, select Versioning settings.
4. Choose whether to require content approval, and whether to keep major versions only or major and minor versions.
5. Set how many versions and drafts to keep, who can see drafts, and whether files have to be checked out before editing.

Anyone with permission to manage lists can turn versioning on or off. On many sites that's the site owner, because lists and libraries inherit permissions from the site.

How to view or restore an earlier version

1. Open the list or library with the item or document.
2. Select the three dots next to the item, then Version history. If you don't see it, select More first.
3. Hover over the date link on the earlier version and select the down arrow.
4. Choose View, Restore or Delete. Restore adds the old version back as a new version, and Delete sends it to the Recycle Bin.
5. Select X in the top right corner when you're done.

On approved documents you'll see Reject this version instead of Delete. Viewing an old version doesn't overwrite the current one, and inside a Word or Excel file you can compare two versions to see the differences.

Who can see drafts and delete versions

Drafts are minor versions, or items waiting for approval. You can decide whether people need edit permission to see minor versions. With content approval on, pending files can be visible to readers, editors, or only the author and approvers. People without draft access see the last approved or major version. One detail you wouldn't guess: if someone searches for a file that's only in a minor version, it won't show up in their results.

Deleting versions has its own permission. Delete Versions isn't the same as Delete Items, so you can let someone tidy up old versions without letting them delete the file.

Check-out, co-authoring and renames

If check-out is required, a version is only created when a file is checked in, and people are asked for comments, which makes the history far more useful. Without check-out, the first save after opening a file creates a version, later saves overwrite it, and closing and reopening starts a new one, so versions can pile up fast. Don't require check-out if your team co-authors, because people can't co-author a checked-out file, and clear the Require check-out box if the library holds Microsoft Project files synced with task lists.

Renames behave differently by route. Rename a file in the browser or through the OneDrive sync app and you get a new version. Rename it through View in File Explorer and SharePoint renames it without creating a version.

My verdict on SharePoint version history

For most small teams the Microsoft 365 default of 500 versions is fine, so leave it on. If you track minor versions, publish a major version regularly so you never reach the 511 ceiling and lose tracking. If you're still getting to grips with libraries and lists, start with my SharePoint basics guide.

If you'd like help building document workflows your team sticks to, with AI on top of the files you already keep in SharePoint, that's the kind of work I do. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement, AI automation and GEO, which is about getting your business seen and cited in AI answers. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.

Frequently asked questions

Is version history on by default in SharePoint?

Yes, in Microsoft 365. Versioning is turned on by default when you create a new library or list, and it saves the last 500 versions of a document.

Why is an old version missing from SharePoint version history?

The library probably limits how many versions it keeps. When the limit is reached, the oldest version is deleted, so with 100 major versions allowed, version 101.0 removes 1.0.

Does restoring a version delete the newer ones?

No. Restoring adds the old version as a new version, so it becomes the current one and the later versions stay in the history.

What is the maximum number of minor versions in SharePoint?

511 minor versions per major version, and this number can't be changed. Publish a major version to keep saving minor ones.

Can I turn off versioning on a SharePoint library?

Not from Library Settings in Microsoft 365, where versioning is required for libraries. It can be disabled through PowerShell or developer APIs, but Microsoft doesn't recommend it.