Auto-Archive PDF Versions on Google Doc Change
For documents that go through multiple revisions, a PDF archive captures each version at the moment it changed. You end up with a dated history of what the document looked like at every significant edit.
Naming convention for archives
Include both the document name and a timestamp in the PDF filename: docName + '_v' + Utilities.formatDate(new Date(), tz, 'yyyy-MM-dd_HH-mm') + '.pdf'. The timestamp makes each archive file distinct and sortable by chronological order.
Organizing the archive folder
Save all PDF versions to a single archive folder or create subfolders by month. A flat structure with timestamped filenames is easier to scan for a specific date. Monthly subfolders help when the archive grows large over time.
Limiting archive depth
Archiving every edit creates a very large number of files for active documents. Consider archiving only when a document crosses a milestone: a specific word count, a status change, or an end-of-day snapshot. This keeps the archive meaningful without overwhelming it with trivial changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compare two archived PDF versions?
Not directly in Google Drive. Open the two PDFs in a tool like Adobe Acrobat or a free PDF diff tool to compare them page by page.
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