Using Timeline mode to compare document versions in sequence

Open the New Comparison window

Start in the New Comparison window. In the top-right corner you’ll see a row of layout icons — these let you switch between the standard single comparison and the three Bulk Compare modes (Matched Pairs, One-to-Many, and Timeline).

Switch to Timeline mode

Click the Timeline icon (the right-most layout icon). Hovering over it shows the “Timeline” tooltip.

The window changes to New Timeline Comparison, showing a stack of document slots connected by downward arrows. Each slot can be filled by browsing your computer, loading from your Document Management System (DMS), or selecting from recent files.

Add your document versions

Add your versions to the slots, oldest at the top, working down to the newest. You can add files via:

• Browse — select files from your computer
• DMS (e.g. iManage, NetDocuments, SharePoint) — select files and specific versions directly from your document management system
• Recent — pick from recently compared files
• Drag and drop — drop one or more files straight onto the slots

A new empty slot appears automatically each time you fill the last one, so you can keep adding as many versions as you need.

Check the order and the comparison summary

Once your versions are loaded, Draftable shows a summary of the comparisons it will run — for example, “2 comparisons: v0–v1, v1–v2” for three versions. The downward arrows confirm that each version will be compared against the next one in the sequence.

If the order isn’t right, drag any slot to rearrange it. You can also use the per-row Versions controls to change the version in a slot or add further versions from your DMS, and remove a file with the × button.

You can mix file types in a timeline (for example, .docx versions followed by a .pdf). Draftable checks that each consecutive pair is a compatible comparison and will warn you if a step can’t be compared.

Choose your comparison type and profile

Select your preferred Comparison Type — for example, Redline in Draftable, Tracked Changes in Word, Side by Side in Draftable, or Departures Table — and a settings Profile. Options that don’t apply to your selected files (such as Redline in Excel or PowerPoint) are greyed out.

Run the comparison

Click Compare. Draftable runs a separate comparison for each step in the sequence. A progress screen shows the status of each comparison as it completes.

As each step finishes, an Open button appears so you can begin reviewing it without waiting for the rest.

Review each comparison

Open any completed comparison to review it in the viewer. Each step opens in its own tab, showing the transition from one version to the next. From here you can use the viewer’s tools to filter, review, and take next actions such as Save, Print, Copy to Clipboard, or Email.

Export your results

When all comparisons are finished, the Comparison ready screen lets you select the comparisons you want and click Export. Use the format dropdown to choose how to export — including the new Combined Departures option, available as both a Word document (.docx) and an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx), which summarises the changes across your entire timeline in a single file.