The quick answer
In a controlled test template, load a known earlier version by adding or replacing the version parameter in the editor URL. Check the actual source, then use Template Setup to give the recovered copy a distinct title and choose Save As. Reopen the copy and original through their normal Edit links to verify both saved states.
Loading an earlier version does not itself save a recovery. This example preserves the latest Express delivery source and creates a separate copy of the earlier Standard delivery source. Names and sample values are fictional.
Before you start
Work in a sandbox or with a controlled, unassigned custom template. Preserve the complete latest source separately before starting. Your role needs access to edit Advanced PDF/HTML Templates. Menus and permissions vary by account.
The prepared example has two known saved versions of Dispatch Summary PDF/HTML Template: version 2 contains Express delivery, and version 1 contains Standard delivery. Creating these starting versions is outside the recording. Both templates remain unpreferred, with no form assignments changed.
The URL behavior was observed in the inspected account. It is not a documented public revision API, and this guide does not establish which older versions are retained or accessible in every account. Stop if the requested version is unavailable or the source does not match the intended recovery.
01. Check the latest source
Go to Customization > Forms > Advanced PDF/HTML Templates and choose Edit for the controlled template. Turn on Source Code if needed. Confirm the original title, displayed template version 2, and the complete source. Here, the dispatch note reads Express delivery.
Check Template Setup and confirm Preferred is unchecked. Cancel the dialog after inspection. Keep the complete latest source backup; a short marker is useful for comparison but is not a substitute for the full source.
02. Load the known earlier version
Use the browser’s address bar. Preserve the editor URL’s template ID and other parameters, add version=1 as a query parameter, then press Enter. Use &version=1 when the URL already contains ?, or ?version=1 when it does not. If a version parameter already exists, replace its value instead of adding another one. The address-bar action is outside the recording canvas; the recording shows the editor before and after navigation.
The URL parameter selects the source to load; the displayed version label is a separate confirmation. Verify both, then compare the complete source.
Wait for the editor to load. Confirm the same original template title, displayed version 1, and the complete intended earlier source. In this example, the note changes to Standard delivery and Express delivery is absent.
A changed version label alone is insufficient. Compare the actual source with the known earlier version. If the source is unexpected, unavailable or indistinguishable from the wrong version, stop before saving. Do not assume that subtracting one from the current counter always identifies an available revision.
03. Save a separate copy
Open Template Setup. Set Title to Recovered Dispatch Summary PDF/HTML Template and keep Preferred unchecked. Choose Save inside that dialog to return to the editor. That dialog action updates the editor’s setup; it does not establish that a separate template has been saved.
Open the dropdown beside the editor’s top Save button and choose Save As. Do not choose the ordinary Save action on the original template. After saving, the template list shows the recovered copy and original as separate entries. If your account leaves the editor open, return to Customization > Forms > Advanced PDF/HTML Templates and locate both entries by title.
04. Reopen the recovered copy
Use the recovered entry’s normal Edit link from the template list. Confirm a different template ID, the recovered title and the complete Standard delivery source. The normal editor URL must not retain the historical version parameter.
The new copy displays version 1 in this example. It has its own version sequence; that label does not mean it shares the original template’s history. Confirm Preferred remains unchecked.
05. Confirm the original is unchanged
Return to the list and use the original entry’s normal Edit link. Check its original ID and title, with no historical version parameter left in the URL. Confirm version 2, the complete Express delivery source and Preferred still unchecked.
These checks establish saved source recovery and original preservation. They do not establish rendered PDF output or change which template a form uses. Before using the recovered template, separately test representative previews, actual printing and any form assignment you intend to change.
Common questions
Does loading an earlier version restore the saved template?
No. Loading changes the source shown in the editor. This workflow uses Save As to persist that source in a separate template, then reopens it to verify the saved result.
Can I retrieve every previous version this way?
This guide does not establish that. The parameter worked for a known saved earlier version in the inspected account. Availability, retention and behavior may differ. Keep independent source backups and stop when a requested version is unavailable or unexpected.
Is the version number enough to confirm recovery?
No. Compare the complete source with the intended earlier revision. The example also uses an obvious Standard versus Express marker so the difference is visible.
Why does the recovered copy show version 1?
The separate copy starts its own version sequence in this example. Verify its distinct record identity and persisted source rather than interpreting its counter as the original template’s history.
Why does the original still seem to show the earlier source?
Check whether the URL still contains the historical version parameter. Use the original entry’s normal Edit link, verify the template ID and URL, then compare the complete source. Do not infer the latest saved state from an editor deliberately opened at an older version.
Does Save As make the recovered template the printing template?
It creates a separate template. This example keeps Preferred unchecked and makes no form assignment changes. Verify the relevant form’s Print Template assignment and test actual output separately before using the copy.