This article explains how to use check out a document manually. Checking out a document creates a draft version. This lets you make changes without affecting the main version immediately.

Learn more: What is check-out / check-in?

Important: Check-out / check-in can be manual or automated:
– If a check-out was triggered manually, the check-in must be manual.
– If a check-out was triggered through a workflow, the check-in must happen through a workflow transition. Learn more: Workflow example with version control.

Automatically generated table of contents

Check out a document

By default, only the user who checked out the document and library administrators can view or edit the draft. As the creator of the draft, you can share the draft version with other users if you want them to view or edit it.

Check out from a document

In your document, there are two ways to create a draft version:

• in the Versions tab, click the Check out button
• in any tab, select Check out in the More actions menu

Note: The Versions tab may not be visible if a library administrator has restricted its visibility. Learn more: Restrict who can see the list of previous versions.

A new draft version of the document is created. Learn how to view the draft version of your document.

Check out from a view

1. Select the required document in a view.

2. Select Check out in the More actions menu.

A new draft version of the document is created. Learn how to view the draft version of your document.

View the draft version of a document

In a view, users who have access to the draft version of the document see a Draft version tag next to the document title (in the standard version of views they can see a lock icon). Users who don't have access to the draft version don't see the tag.

Note: In the standard version of views, a lock icon is displayed next to the document title.

Important:
– If you have access to the draft, the view displays the properties and workflow state of the draft (if there's a workflow defined).
– If you don't have access to the draft, the view displays the properties and workflow state of the main version (if there's a workflow defined).

When you open the draft version of the document, you can see:

• an orange Draft version tag next to the name of the draft version
• a check-out banner containing:
  • text indicating when the document was checked out and who checked out the document
  • a link to the main version of the document
  • a Discard draft button
  • a Check in button
• a workflow banner (if there's a workflow defined), indicating that workflow actions are unavailable because the document was checked out manually — click More details

View the main version of a document

Users who have access to the draft version of a document can click the link to the main version from the check-out banner in the draft version.

The main version of the document:

• has the same content as before the check-out
• has a banner indicating that a draft version exists — click More details to display when the document was checked out and who checked out the document
• is read-only while the draft version exists

Note: Users who don't have access to the draft version see the main version when they open the document. The banner and tag aren't displayed.

Share the draft version with other users

1. Select the document in a view and click the Document permissions action button.

Alternatively, in your document click the Edit permissions button in the More actions menu.

The Document permissions dialog opens.

2. Enter the name of a person or a group.

3. Click Add.

4. Select the required permissions for the person or group you added.

5. Click Save.

Next steps

When you have edited your draft version, you can check it in to validate it. Alternatively, you can cancel the check-out to discard the draft version.