Version Control – Definition

A system that records changes to files over time, allowing users to recall specific versions, track modifications, and collaborate effectively.

Version control systems maintain a complete history of changes, enable rollback to previous versions, and support branching and merging for collaborative development. They're essential for both code and content management. Code version control (like Git) and content version control solve conceptually similar problems but need different interfaces for different users: developers are comfortable with commits and merge conflicts expressed as text diffs, while content editors need a simpler mental model — save, compare, and restore. Branching, a core Git concept, translates less directly to content: content teams more often need parallel draft states (a scheduled future version alongside the current live version) rather than true divergent branches that need merging. For teams evaluating a CMS, understanding whether its version control is purpose-built for content workflows or a generic library adapted for content matters — purpose-built systems typically offer better field-level comparison and simpler rollback UX.