# Budget Versions

![Allocation dashboard with the version switcher set to Initial Version, the Compare button showing two selected versions, and the Monthly Budget Allocation chart drawing a Growth Scenario and a Conservative scenario as dashed lines around the current plan](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards/version-compare.webp)

A budget can hold more than one version of its plan. Use a version for a reforecast or a scenario, compare it with the live plan, and make it active when the decision is made. Versions are available on the Pro and Custom plans.

## How versions work

Each version has its own plan. Everything else belongs to the budget and is the same in every version.

**Per version:**
- Line items
- Planned amounts
- [Targets](https://docs.etropo.com/budget-planning/targets), including the budget target

**Shared by all versions:**
- Actuals. Manual entries, invoices, and ad platform syncs show the same values in every version.
- Categories
- Category access

One version is always **active**. The active version is what your team sees by default and what your integrations write to.

## Switch between versions

The version switcher is in the header of the Budget Editor, the Allocation dashboard and the Forecasts page. It appears when the budget has more than one version. Admins always see it.

1. Click the version name in the header.
2. Click the version you want to open. The **Active** badge marks the live plan.

The selected version stays with you when you move between the Budget Editor, the Allocation dashboard and the Forecasts page. The version is also part of the page address, so you can send a teammate a link to it.

You can also open a version from the [All budgets](https://docs.etropo.com/getting-started/budget-list) page. Expand a budget to see its versions.

## Create a version

Only admins can create versions.

1. Click the version name in the header, then **New version…**.
2. Follow the steps in the dialog, then click **Create version**.

The dialog asks for a name, the version to copy from, and the **Budget amount**. The budget amount is the budget target of the new version. A copied version also gets the targets of the version it copies. You can start the version in three ways:

- Copy a version with **Copy planned amounts** on to start from its numbers.
- Copy a version with **Copy planned amounts** off to keep its line items with empty plans.
- Click **Start empty** to start with no line items.

![New version dialog at the Review step, summarizing the name Q4 Reforecast, the source version with planned amounts, the budget amount, and the Draft status](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards/new-version-dialog.webp)

The new version is a draft. Etropo opens it for you, and the rest of your team continues to see the active version.

## Make a version active

Only admins can activate a version.

1. Open the version you want to activate.
2. Click **Make this version active** next to the version switcher.

When you activate a version:

- The Budget Editor, the Allocation dashboard, the Forecasts page and the budget list show the new version to everyone.
- Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Meta Ads, and TikTok Ads mappings move to the line items with the same name in the new version. Google Sheets connections move to the new version.
- The previous version keeps all of its data. You can activate it again at any time.

Etropo shows which connections moved. If a mapped line item has no match in the new version, the mapping stays on the previous version and Etropo names the line item. Its spend still syncs to the shared actuals. To move it, open the integration's **Synced Line Items** tab and map the account to a line item in the new version.

## Compare versions

The **Compare** button is on the **Allocation** tab of the Allocation dashboard. The **Distribution** tab has stacked charts, so it cannot show a comparison.

1. Open the Allocation dashboard and select the version you want to use as the baseline.
2. Click **Compare**.
3. Select up to four versions.

The **Monthly Budget Allocation** chart draws each selected version as a dashed line. The **Budget Growth Analysis** table adds a column for each selected version. Click **Clear comparison** to remove them.

## Manage versions

Only admins can rename and delete versions.

1. Click the version name in the header.
2. Click **Manage versions…**.

![Manage versions dialog listing five versions of the FY2026 budget, with the active version first, and the budget amount, line item count, creation date, and actions menu for each](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards/manage-versions-dialog.webp)

The active version is listed first. Each row shows the budget amount, the number of line items, and the creation date. Use the row's actions menu to **Rename**, **Make active**, or **Delete** a version.

### Delete a version

1. Open **Manage versions…**.
2. Click the actions menu in the version's row, then click **Delete**.
3. Read the summary, then click **Delete version**.

Deleting a version removes its line items, disconnects its Google Sheets connections, and removes its ad platform mappings. Actuals stay in the other versions. You cannot delete the active version or the last version of a budget. Deletion cannot be undone.

## Permissions

- **Admins** can create, rename, activate, and delete versions.
- **All members** can open and switch between the versions of a budget they have access to.

Versions do not change who can see what. Access is set per category and applies to every version. See [Access Control](https://docs.etropo.com/budget-planning/access-control).

For additional help you can reach out to our support team at: help@etropo.com

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Source: https://docs.etropo.com/budget-planning/versions