The Original Approved Draft Was Recovered After Its Replacement Was Approved: Choose the Authority

Which approved draft is authoritative after recovery?

The authoritative LinkedIn draft is the exact revision named in a final publication decision. A recovered original approval proves that someone approved that original revision. A separate approval for a reconstructed replacement proves approval for the replacement revision. Neither record automatically cancels the other.

Start by assigning immutable IDs to both artifacts. Use an asset ID for the post package and a revision ID for each copy and creative state. Keep the recovery evidence with the original revision, including the storage location and version timestamp. Also keep the recovery method and verifier.

Version history is useful evidence, but it does not answer the publication question by itself. Google Docs lets editors inspect earlier versions. With the needed permission, editors can restore a version. They can also make a copy or name versions. Google Docs Editors Help documents those options. The team still needs a person with publication authority to select the final revision.

• Label the recovered original as `RECOVERED`, not `CURRENT`.
• Label the reconstructed version as `REPLACEMENT`, not `FINAL`.
• Use `PUBLISH AUTHORITY` only after a named approver selects one exact revision.
• Keep both approval records attached to their respective revision IDs.

What differences require another review?

Review again when the replacement differs in a way that changes what the reader sees or what the post claims. Review again if it changes where the post sends people or when it will appear. A typo correction may be immaterial. A changed offer, CTA, image, audience, link, disclosure, price, claim, schedule, or platform setting is material because the approver may not have seen that state.

Do not treat matching text as enough. The post package includes the final copy and image or document. It also includes the destination URL. Record audience controls, publication time, and any tracking or approval notes. Compare each field against the approved revision and capture the result in the reconciliation record.

If the recovered original came from a versioning system, preserve the recovery path instead of overwriting it. Dropbox states that its version history can show changes and compare versions. It can also restore prior versions, subject to the retention available on the plan. Dropbox Help, February 20, 2025 also notes that permanently deleted files cannot be viewed or restored through version history.

• Copy: headline and body. Also review hashtags, mentions, links, and claims.
• Creative: image or carousel pages. Review video, alt text, captions, and embedded text.
• Publishing state: account and audience. Record the schedule. Also note visibility and any queued job.
• Approval scope: whether the approval covered copy only. It must also state whether full creative or the scheduled package was covered.

How should the team select one publication authority?

Create one short decision record after the diff is complete. It should name the asset ID and both revision IDs. It should include the recovery evidence and both approval records. It should identify the selected authority, person making the selection, timestamp, and reason. The decision should state whether the choice relies on an existing approval or requires a fresh approval.

Use fresh review when the existing records do not clearly cover the selected package. This is the safer route when material differences exist. It is also safer when an approver's scope is unclear or the schedule changed after approval. Do not infer consent from silence, a prior comment, or a generic approval of an earlier draft.

For systems that support version restores, restoration changes the current state rather than resolving business authority. Microsoft says a restored OneDrive version becomes the current version and the former current version remains earlier in the list. Microsoft Support That history is evidence for the decision record, not a substitute for it.

• Select `POST-184-R03` only if its approval covers the exact recovered copy, creative, link, and schedule.
• Select `POST-184-R04` only if its separate approval covers the exact replacement package.
• Request a fresh approval when neither record covers the final package.
• Give one person or role the right to set publication authority. Avoid a shared, unowned decision.

How do schedules and supersession stay clear?

Keep one active schedule for one asset. When authority is selected, cancel or archive every queued job for the non-selected revision. Record the cancellation ID or queue reference. Then create or confirm one schedule that points to the selected revision ID.

Mark the non-selected revision `SUPERSEDED`, with the selected revision ID, the selector, timestamp, and reason. Do not delete it. The superseded revision remains part of the audit trail and explains why a valid approval was not used.

Apply a publication lock after the final check. The lock should prevent copy or creative changes without reopening review. It should also prevent a link change and changes to audience or schedule. If the selected revision changes after the lock, create a new revision ID and record whether a new approval is required.

• One asset ID, one selected revision, one active scheduled job.
• Zero queued jobs for the superseded revision.
• One publication lock that names the selected revision and final approver.
• A reopened change creates a new revision instead of silently editing the locked package.

What belongs in the final reconciliation record?

The record needs enough detail for a different editor to verify why a specific package published. Store it alongside the asset or in the publishing system, not in a private chat thread. Link to the exact storage versions and approval evidence where access controls allow.

Notion describes version history as a way to review highlighted changes, see who made changes, preview the effect, and restore a prior version. Notion Help Center Its retention differs by plan, so capture the evidence before it ages out of the available history.

The record is complete when a reviewer can identify the selected revision without opening several similar files. If the record does not name one revision and one publication lock, the draft is still unresolved.

• Asset ID and both revision IDs.
• Recovery evidence with the source location. Include its timestamp and verifier.
• Both approval records, including approver and time. Include the scope and comments.
• Copy and creative diff, including links and schedule state.
• Selected authority and superseded revision. Include the decision maker, reason, and publication lock.