WordPress Revisions 101: Everything You Need To Know

You log into your WordPress site and suddenly discover that some crucial content has disappeared. Maybe you accidentally overwrote it during an edit, or perhaps you deleted it by mistake. Panic sets in as you wonder what went wrong.

Frustration builds as you struggle to recall exactly what the missing content included. The thought of rewriting it all feels almost impossible and only adds to your stress.You may be wondering how to undo changes in WordPress—but don’t worry! There’s a solution that can save the day.

With WordPress revisions, you can easily access, compare, and restore previous versions of your content. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about WordPress revisions, so you can easily recover what you thought was lost forever.

TL;DR: WordPress revisions can track, save, and restore different versions of your posts. It can act as both an activity log and a safety net. Managing them may require editing your WordPress core files, so it’s crucial to back up your entire site for safety.

What are WordPress revisions?

WordPress revisions are a built-in feature that saves different versions of your posts and pages each time you click the Save or Publish button. Simply put, WordPress keeps a snapshot of your content, creating a history log.

Here’s how revisions can help you:

• Track changes: You can see what changes were made and when.
• Compare versions: Easily look at past versions next to your current one to see what has changed.
• Restore previous versions: If you accidentally delete or overwrite something, you can go back to an older version and restore it.

This feature is like having a safety net for your content. It ensures that even if something goes wrong, you can always go back and recover your previous work. Plus, it acts as an activity log, letting you track all the changes made to your posts and pages.

How to use WordPress revisions

Using WordPress revisions is simple and can save you from a lot of headaches. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Navigate to your post or page: Start by logging into your WordPress admin dashboard. Navigate to the Posts or Pages section. Find the post or page you need and click the Edit button.

2. Find the revision you want: Once the edit page opens, click on the Revisions option. This can be found in the publishing panel under Post on the right side. A new window will appear displaying all your posts or page revisions.

3. Restore the version: Use the slider at the top of the screen to navigate through different versions of your content. The differences between versions will be highlighted so that you can easily spot what has changed.

Once you’ve found the version you want to go back to, click on the Restore This Revision button.

4. Edit and save the restored version: Once the version is restored, go over it and make sure it’s what you want. You can make any additional edits if necessary. Finally, click Update to save the restored version of your content.

Managing WordPress revisions

Efficiently managing WordPress revisions is important for keeping your site running smoothly and maintaining a healthy database. Here are some methods to handle revisions effectively:

The following methods require you to edit your WordPress core files. Making changes to these files can be risky—even a small mistake could break your site. Therefore, it is crucial to take a complete backup of your site before proceeding. 

Limiting the number of revisions saved

One way to manage revisions is by limiting how many of them are saved. This helps by:

• Preventing database bloat: By storing only the most recent revisions, you avoid cluttering your database with unnecessary data.
• Improving site performance: Less data means your site can run faster and more efficiently.

To limit WordPress revisions, you can adjust settings in the wp-config.php file or use plugins designed for revision management. This ensures that your WordPress site remains optimized while still giving you the safety net of past revisions.

Deleting old revisions

Keeping your WordPress site running smoothly also requires you to clean up old revisions. Here’s why you should do it:

• Helps maintain a clean database: Removing outdated revisions keeps your database tidy and free of unnecessary data.
• Improves site performance: Fewer old revisions mean your site can run faster, and it reduces the risk of slowdowns.

If you frequently update content, deleting old revisions can be especially helpful.

The easiest way to delete old revisions is by using plugins like WP-optimize designed for database cleanup. These plugins can quickly clean out the old stuff, so your site stays fast and efficient.

Disabling the revisions feature

If you’re looking to minimize data storage and improve your site’s performance, you might consider turning off the revisions feature. However, doing so means you won’t be able to track or revert any changes made to your posts and pages. Here’s why you should do it: 

• Completely removes revision saving: Disabling this feature means WordPress won’t save any versions of your posts or pages.
• Reduces database size: Without storing revision data, your database stays smaller and leaner.

Note: This is a good option if you’re confident in managing your content and don’t need a history of changes. Additionally, having a daily backup with BlogVault means you can retrieve content changes as far back as 90 days, should you need to.

To disable the revisions feature, you’ll need to tweak the wp-config.php file. But be careful—weigh the pros and cons before you take this leap. Disabling revisions can make your site run faster, but you’ll lose the safety net of being able to revert to earlier versions.

Your revisions are not showing up. Why is this happening?

If your WordPress revisions aren’t showing, there are a few reasons why this might be happening:

Manual saving required: Make sure you’ve manually saved your post or page. Revisions won’t show up unless you click Save or Publish at least once.

Settings or configurations: Sometimes, revisions might be disabled in your wp-config.php file. Check the following settings to make sure revisions are enabled: 

define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', true); 

If it is set to false, change it to true. If the line of code is not found, you can add it manually anywhere before the line that says: That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging.

Low PHP memory: If your site has a low PHP memory limit, revisions might not be saved or displayed properly. Increasing the PHP memory limit can help: 

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', 'xM'); 

Make sure you replace x with a higher value than the existing one.

Outdated installations: Make sure your WordPress core, theme and plugins are up to date. Outdated installations can cause compatibility issues that affect revisions.

Caching issues: Caching plugins or server-side caches might block the display of revisions. Clearing the cache can often resolve this issue.

Plugin conflicts: Some plugins might be interfering with the revision system. Deactivate your plugins one by one and check for revisions to identify any conflicts.

Database problems: Problems in the wp_posts table or database corruption can affect the storage of revisions. Run a database repair to fix this.

Server issues: Sometimes, server-related issues or configurations might impact the revision functionality. Contact your hosting provider for assistance.

What’s the difference between WordPress revisions and autosave

Understanding the difference between WordPress revisions and WordPress autosave can help you manage your content more effectively.

Revisions

WordPress revisions are meant to keep a history of all changes made to a post or page. Every time you click Save Draft, Update, or Publish, WordPress creates a new revision and stores it in the database. 

You can compare different versions side-by-side and revert to an earlier version if necessary. Revisions are stored permanently unless you manually delete them or limit them via settings. 

This long-term storage helps you track the evolution of your content over time and maintain a comprehensive version history.

Autosave

WordPress autosave is designed to protect your progress in case of issues like browser crashes, internet problems, or accidentally closing the window. WordPress automatically saves your post or page content every 60 seconds while you are working on it. 

Autosaves are temporary and do not accumulate over time; each autosave overwrites the previous one. This means that autosaves are not stored permanently but they help you recover your latest work in case of an interruption. 

While it doesn’t provide a historical record like revisions, it serves as an essential safety net during the initial content creation process.

Parting thoughts

WordPress revisions are a powerful tool to manage and restore your content. With revisions, you can track changes, compare different versions, and revert to previous states, while keeping your content accurate and reliable.

To keep your site running smoothly, you need to manage your revisions properly. Limit how many revisions are saved, delete old ones, or even disable them. This will help you optimize your site’s performance and maintain a healthy database.

If your revisions aren’t showing up, check for issues like incorrect settings, low memory limits, or plugin conflicts. Troubleshooting these problems can help restore your revisions.

FAQs

How do I find revisions in WordPress?

To find revisions in WordPress, go to the Posts or Pages section and locate the specific post or page you want to edit, then click the Edit button. Once the edit page loads, you will find the Revisions option in the publishing panel under Post on the right side. 

How many revisions does WordPress keep?

By default, WordPress keeps an unlimited number of revisions for each post or page. However, you can limit this number by adding a line of code to your wp-config.php file or by using a plugin that allows you to set a specific number of revisions to keep.

How to clear WordPress revisions?

You can clear WordPress revisions by using a plugin like WP-Optimize, which is designed to clean your database. These plugins allow you to delete old revisions and other unnecessary data with just a few clicks. Alternatively, you can manually delete revisions through your database management tool, but using a plugin is generally easier and safer.

Do revisions slow down WordPress?

Yes, a large number of revisions can slow down your site. While revisions themselves don’t typically impact performance, accumulating too many can bloat your database and potentially affect site speed. To keep your site running efficiently, limit the number of revisions saved and regularly clean out old ones to maintain an optimized database.

Where are WordPress revisions stored?

WordPress revisions are stored in your site’s database, specifically in the wp_posts table. Each revision is stored as a separate record in this table, linked to the original post or page.