Version History

Storytellr automatically maintains a version history of your story, allowing you to preview and restore previous saves. This feature protects against accidental data loss and gives you the confidence to experiment with your writing.

Overview

Version history is embedded directly in your story file and maintains:

• Last 5 manual saves - Versions created when you explicitly save (Ctrl+S or File → Save)
• Last 5 auto-saves - Versions created on every auto-save
• Total of up to 10 versions - Manual and auto-saves are tracked separately

Each version snapshot includes:

• Complete story content (using diff compression for space efficiency)
• All bookmarks and notes
• Notebook entries
• Manuscript settings
• Word count and page count
• Timestamp and save type

Accessing Version History

1. Open the File menu
2. Click Version History (only available when a document is open)
3. Browse the list of saved versions sorted by most recent first

Understanding the Version List

Each version in the list shows:

• Time ago - “Just now”, “5 minutes ago”, “2 hours ago”, etc.
• Detailed timestamp - Full date and time (e.g., “Jan 20, 2026, 3:45 PM”)
• Save type badge - “Manual Save” or “Auto Save”
• Word count and page count - Document stats at that save point
• Word count diff - Shows how many words changed from the previous version
  • Green badge with + indicates words added
  • Red badge with - indicates words removed

The current version is marked with a blue “CURRENT” badge and highlighted.

Previewing a Version

1. Click any version in the list (except the current one)
2. A preview panel opens showing the full content as it appeared at that save
3. Review the content, word count, and page count
4. Click Cancel to close the preview without making changes

Restoring a Version

1. Preview the version you want to restore
2. Click Restore This Version
3. Confirm the restoration in the dialog

Important notes:

• Your current document state is automatically saved as a new version before restoring
• This ensures you can undo the restore if needed
• The restored content replaces your current document
• You’ll need to save after restoring to persist the changes to disk

Auto-Save Version Creation

Auto-save creates a version snapshot on every auto-save that occurs.

Auto-save triggers when:

• Normal edits (20-99 characters): Save 5 seconds after you stop typing
• Large edits (100+ characters): Immediate emergency save (no delay)
• Small edits (< 20 characters): No save to prevent memory churn

This provides:

• Granular rollback through your last 5 auto-saves
• Recent recovery points without excessive file size
• Balance between data safety and storage efficiency

Manual Save Behavior

Every manual save (Ctrl+S or File → Save) creates a version snapshot. Manual saves are prioritized over auto-saves, so you’ll always have your last 5 manual saves available even if you’ve made many auto-saves in between.

Version Limits

The system maintains separate limits to ensure you always have both types of saves available:

• If you have 5 manual saves and 5 auto-saves (10 total), the next manual save removes the oldest manual save
• If you have 3 manual saves and 7 auto-saves (10 total), the next auto-save removes the oldest auto-save
• Each type maintains its own “last 5” independently

Data Loss Prevention

Version history works together with save validation to protect your work:

Blank Document Warning

If you delete all content and try to save an empty document, you’ll see a warning:

• Shows how many words will be lost
• Confirms the previous version is preserved in history
• Requires explicit confirmation to proceed

Significant Content Loss Warning

If you reduce your document by more than 90% (e.g., from 5,000 words to 400 words):

• Shows the word count reduction and percentage
• Confirms the previous version is preserved
• Requires confirmation to save

Both warnings can be bypassed if you’re intentionally making these changes.

File Storage

Version history is stored in multiple locations for different purposes:

In the story file (.html):

• All 10 versions embedded for portability
• Uses diff compression to minimize file size
• Travels with file across devices and cloud sync
• Most recent version stored in full, older versions as patches

In browser localStorage:

• Only 2 most recent versions cached (current + 1 backup)
• Used for crash recovery, not full version history
• Updates debounced (500ms) to minimize writes
• Reduces memory usage by ~80% vs caching all 10

Version History UI:

• Displays all 10 versions from file
• Quick access to restoration and preview
• Cleared when you close a document or create a new one

Best Practices

1. Trust auto-save - Let Storytellr automatically create versions as you write
2. Manual save milestones - Use Ctrl+S when you complete important sections or before major edits
3. Preview before restore - Always preview a version to confirm it’s what you expect
4. Check version list - Periodically review your version history to understand your writing progress
5. Don’t rely solely on versions - While version history provides excellent recovery, maintain separate backups of important work

Storage Efficiency

Version history uses diff-based storage for space optimization:

How it works:

• Most recent version: Full content (~175 KB for 31,000 words)
• Older versions: Stored as patches/diffs (typically 1-5 KB each)
• Reconstructs previous versions by applying reverse patches
• Automatically falls back to full content if patch would be inefficient

File size for 31,000-word novel:

• First version: ~175 KB
• 9 additional diff-based versions: ~30-50 KB total
• Total: ~200-225 KB (vs ~1.75 MB with full snapshots)
• 90% storage reduction compared to storing full copies

Benefits:

• Smaller file sizes for cloud storage
• Faster file saves and loads
• More efficient memory usage
• Supports larger documents without hitting browser limits

Related Features

• Auto-Save - Intelligent auto-save with character thresholds
• Cloud Storage - Sync your story files and version history across devices
• File Formats - Export manuscripts for submission