Version Control and Branching

Overview

Formula development is iterative. You tweak ratios, swap ingredients, adjust phases, and test until you get it right. Formuley's version control system tracks every change so you never lose a working formula while experimenting. This feature is available on Pro and above.

How Versioning Works

Every time you edit an existing formula and click Save, a Version Save Dialog appears. This dialog prompts you to describe what you changed -- for example, "Increased preservative to 1.2%, reduced water phase." After you confirm, Formuley saves the updated formula as a new version (v1, v2, v3, and so on) while preserving all previous versions intact.

A version badge on the formula detail page shows the current version number at a glance.

Viewing Version History

To see all versions of a formula:

1. Open the formula from the Formulas list.
2. Navigate to the Version History page at /formulas/[id]/versions.
3. Browse the list of versions, each showing the version number, save date, and your description of the changes.

Comparing Versions Side by Side

To understand exactly what changed between two iterations:

1. On the Version History page, select two versions to compare.
2. Formuley displays a side-by-side comparison highlighting differences in ingredients, amounts, phases, procedure steps, and properties.
3. Added ingredients appear as new entries, removed ingredients are crossed out, and changed amounts are highlighted with their old and new values.

This comparison view is especially useful after a long testing cycle when you need to remember precisely what you adjusted.

Restoring a Previous Version

If a recent change did not work out, you can roll back:

1. On the Version History page, find the version you want to return to.
2. Click Restore on that version.
3. Formuley creates a new version with the restored content -- the intermediate versions are not deleted, so your full history remains intact.

Restoring always creates a new version rather than overwriting, ensuring you never lose any data.

Branching and Merging

For more advanced experimentation, you can create branches from any version of a formula:

1. From a formula's detail page or version history, select Branch to create a copy that evolves independently.
2. Work on the branch -- adjust ingredients, test new ratios, iterate freely.
3. When you are satisfied with the branch, use Merge to bring those changes back into the main formula line.

Branching is useful when you want to explore a significant reformulation (such as swapping a key active ingredient or changing the emulsification system) without disrupting your current production formula.

Best Practices

• Write meaningful version notes. A description like "Replaced cetyl alcohol with cetearyl alcohol for better texture" is far more useful than "Updated formula."
• Branch before major changes. If you are considering a fundamental change to a production formula, branch first so the original remains untouched.
• Review comparisons before production. Before promoting a new version to Production status, compare it against the last Production version to confirm every change is intentional.
• Use versions alongside batch records. Each batch references a specific formula version, so you can always trace back to the exact formula used for a production run.