Versioning

Key Features

• Automatic version capture every time a Gravity Forms form is saved (admin-side)
• Manual snapshots with optional labels, notes, and a lock to prevent deletion
• Side-by-side comparison (diff) between any two versions (fields + settings + confirmations + notifications)
• One-click restore (rollback) to a prior version, with an automatic safety backup captured before restoring
• JSON export of a single version or all versions for a form (for deployment between environments)
• JSON import with:
  • form ID mapping support
  • optional “create missing forms”
  • conflict detection / overwrite controls
• Optional email notifications when forms change
• Duplicate detection using a SHA-256 checksum (can skip capturing identical versions)
• Version retention limits per form (with cleanup of old versions); locked versions are retained

Requirements

• WordPress 6.0+
• PHP 7.4+
• Gravity Forms 2.5+

Installation

1. Upload the plugin folder to /wp-content/plugins/gravityformsversioning/ (or install via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin).
2. Activate Gravity Forms Versioning from the WordPress Plugins screen.
3. In WordPress, go to Forms → Settings → Versioning to configure:
   • auto-capture behavior
   • retention limits
   • notifications
   • duplicate-skip behavior (if available in settings)
4. Open any form and go to Form Settings → Version History / Version Control to view history, compare, restore, export, or import versions.

Setup: Configuring Versioning Settings

This add-on stores form snapshots and related metadata in its own database table and captures versions on form saves.

Typical settings you’ll configure in Forms → Settings → Versioning include:

• Auto-capture on form save (default behavior)
• Skip duplicate versions (uses a SHA-256 checksum of the form JSON to avoid saving identical snapshots)
• Max versions per form (retention limit; old versions are cleaned up automatically)
• Notifications (optional email notifications on changes)

Using the Add-On: Version History (Per Form)

To manage versions for a specific form:

1. Go to Forms → (choose a form) → Settings → Version History / Version Control.
2. From this screen you can typically:
   • View version details (including the stored form JSON)
   • Compare two versions (diff)
   • Create a manual snapshot (label/notes/lock)
   • Restore a prior version (one click)
   • Export a version (JSON)
   • Import versions (JSON)

Capturing Versions

Automatic captures

• A snapshot is captured when a form is saved in the admin.
• The add-on hooks into Gravity Forms’ form-meta update process to capture a single version per form save.

Manual snapshots

Manual snapshots can be created from the Version History screen and may include:

• Version Label: a human-friendly name
• Version Notes: optional notes about what changed
• Locked: prevents deletion and exempts from retention cleanup until unlocked

Comparing Versions (Diff Viewer)

You can compare two versions side-by-side to see changes across:

• Form fields (label, description, required, placeholder, choices, conditional logic, etc.)
• Form settings (title, description, button text, scheduling, honeypot, save & continue, and more)
• Confirmations
• Notifications

Restoring (Rollback)

Restoring a version:

• Replaces the current form configuration with the selected snapshot.
• Automatically creates a backup version of the current form before applying the restore, so you can revert the restore if needed.

Export / Import (Deploy Between Environments)

Export

You can export:

• A single version (includes metadata like export date, plugin version, GF version, WP version)
• All versions for a form

Exports are JSON and intended for moving changes between environments (e.g., staging → production).

Import

Import supports scenarios like:

• Importing versions into the same form ID
• Mapping imported form IDs to different target form IDs
• Optionally creating missing forms (if enabled)
• Overwriting when conflicts exist (if enabled)

Developer Hooks

This plugin exposes action hooks you can use for custom integrations:

• gf_versioning_after_capture_version
• gf_versioning_before_restore_version
• gf_versioning_after_restore_version

Logging & Troubleshooting

If versions aren’t capturing or actions fail:

• Confirm your site meets WP 6.0+ / PHP 7.4+ / Gravity Forms 2.5+.
• Verify the current user has permission to edit the target form (imports/restores check capabilities).
• If duplicate skipping is enabled, saving the form without changes may intentionally create no new version.
• Check for errors during import (malformed entries, missing forms when “create missing” is disabled, or insufficient permissions).