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Every project in Rationale can have multiple versions, each one a complete snapshot of a design iteration. When designs change after stakeholder feedback, a user-testing round, or a technical constraint, you create a new version rather than overwriting the previous one. The old version — its screens, PRD text, and audit results — stays intact so you can always trace back the reasoning behind earlier decisions.

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What a version stores

Each version holds its own copy of:
  • Design screens — the set of uploaded or Figma-imported images active at that point in time
  • PRD text — the requirement document as it read when the version was created
  • Audit results — the last audit run against this version’s screens and PRD
  • Change notes — a source category, a reason, and optional section-by-section notes describing what changed from the previous version
Because audit results are stored per version, you can audit version 3 and still open version 2 to see exactly what the earlier audit found.

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Creating a new version

1

Open the Versions panel

In your project, navigate to the Versions view in the left panel. The timeline shows all versions in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent at the top.
2

Add a new version

Click New version. Give it a name (e.g. v2, post-testing, or a date-based label) and optionally fill in the change source, reason, and notes so the team understands what prompted this iteration.
3

Upload screens and attach a PRD

The new version starts empty. Add your updated screens and confirm the PRD text reflects the latest requirements. If the PRD hasn’t changed, you can copy it from the previous version.
4

Run an audit

Once screens and PRD are in place, run an audit on the new version. The results are scoped to this version and don’t overwrite the previous version’s findings.

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Switching between versions

Click any version row in the timeline to expand it. The expanded row shows the version’s PRD text, a grid of its screens, and its change notes. To make a different version active — so audits and the results panel use it — click Switch to this version inside the expanded row.
The active version is highlighted with a Viewing label in the timeline. The most recent version is marked Latest. You can view any version’s screens and PRD without making it the active version for audits.

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How the active version affects audits

When you run an audit, Rationale uses the screens and PRD from whichever version is currently active. Switching the active version before running an audit means the new audit is scoped entirely to the selected version’s content — it won’t mix screens or PRD text across versions.
If you’re comparing two iterations, switch to the older version, note the audit findings, then switch back to the newer version and run a fresh audit. The version timeline lets you open both sets of results side by side.

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Change source categories

When creating a version, you can tag it with the reason for the change. This context travels with the version and appears in the handoff export.
  • PRD Update — the requirements document changed
  • Stakeholder Feedback — changes driven by review feedback
  • User Testing — changes based on research or usability findings
  • Accessibility — changes to meet accessibility requirements
  • Tech Constraint — changes required by engineering limitations
  • Design Iteration — regular design exploration or refinement
  • Other — anything that doesn’t fit the above categories
Deleting a version permanently removes its screens, PRD text, and audit results. This action cannot be undone. If you’re uncertain whether you’ll need an older iteration, leave it in the timeline rather than deleting it.