Sketch "Browse All Versions" restore: no reliable way to confirm what was actually recovered
0 reputation · 25 Feb 2025, 12:09 UTC
After using Sketch's native macOS version history (File > Revert To > Browse All Versions) to roll a .sketch document back to an earlier state, there is no built-in report showing what changed between the restored version and the one it replaced. The goal is a dependable way to verify that a restored document actually contains the expected pages, artboards, symbol sources, and linked libraries before continuing work on it.
The constraints make this harder than it sounds. Versions are captured on explicit saves and at automatic checkpoints whose triggers are not clearly documented, so the nearest restorable point may predate the work I actually need. Restoring also replaces the current state outright, and files stored in iCloud Drive or moved between machines may carry incomplete version metadata, so the available timeline itself is uncertain.
Assuming a recent Sketch release on a current macOS version:
- Is there any documented way to compare two versions (or diff the restored document against its pre-restore state) rather than checking pages and symbols manually?
- Which events trigger automatic version snapshots, so a predictable recovery interval can be planned around?
- Does restore behavior differ for documents managed through Sketch Workspace versus plain local files?