# Nobody knows which drawing revision is current

> For the full documentation index, see https://250highstreet.com/llms.txt

> Keep a SharePoint list that records each sheet, its revision letter, date and who got it, with one current row per sheet. The drawings stay in a library.

Keep a register, not the drawings: one SharePoint list with one row per issued revision of each sheet, with the sheet number, revision letter, date, issued to and a file link. Add a Status of "1 Current" or "2 Superseded" and a unique sheet-plus-revision key so the same revision cannot be entered twice. A saved view that shows only "1 Current" rows answers "which revision is current" in one screen. The list records what your team typed. It does not hold the drawings, it does not check them, and it does not tell you what your contract or local rules require. Exact names may differ on your screen.

## Why the question comes up

A set of drawings changes. Someone sends revision B on Monday. Someone else still has revision A saved on a laptop. A crew works from the older sheet, because nobody could say which one was current.

Signs:

- People ask in email, "Is this the latest?"
- Two files have almost the same name, and only one is right.
- The only record of who received a revision is an old email.
- Someone keeps a private spreadsheet that nobody else can find.

A shared register does not fix every problem. It gives everyone one place to look, and one rule for what "current" means.

## A list holds the register, not the drawings

The drawing files themselves belong in a document library or the system your team already uses for them. Your list is the index. Each row points to the file with a link.

This split matters for three reasons:

- A list row is a short record. It is the wrong place for large files.
- The register stays small and easy to filter.
- Whoever manages the drawing files keeps their own rules for those files. Your register does not replace those rules.

This guide does not make any claim about drawing standards, review or approval. It shows a simple way to record which revision was issued, when, and to whom. For a column that holds a link, see "[Link will not save: hyperlink column limited to 255 characters](/guides/sharepoint-list-hyperlink-255-character-limit/)". If you are new to lists, see "[Replace a spreadsheet tracker with a SharePoint list](/guides/replace-spreadsheet-with-sharepoint-list/)".

## Decide the one rule first

Write this rule on one line before you build anything:

"For each sheet, exactly one row has the Status 1 Current. Every older row for that sheet has the Status 2 Superseded."

Everything else in the list supports that rule. When a new revision is issued, a person adds a new row with Status "1 Current" and changes the old row for the same sheet to "2 Superseded". Both changes happen on the same day, by the same person.

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: give that job to one named person, such as the document lead. Several people editing Status can leave two "Current" rows.

## Step 1. Create the list

Microsoft's help page on creating a list says to "Choose to start a list from scratch." and "Select Create." Name the list "Drawing register".

## Step 2. Set up the columns

Use the Title column for the sheet number.

1.  Title (Single line of text). Rename it "Sheet number". Type the number the way your drawing set shows it, such as "A-101".
2.  Sheet title (Single line of text). A short name, such as "Level 1 floor plan".
3.  Revision (Single line of text). The letter or number, such as "B".
4.  Revision date (Date and Time, date only). The day this revision was issued.
5.  Status (Choice). Add two choices: "1 Current" and "2 Superseded". The number prefixes keep your order when the list is sorted by this column. Set the default to "1 Current".
6.  Issued to (Single line of text). Keep it short, such as a company name. Plain words are enough.
7.  File link (Hyperlink). Paste the link to the drawing file in your library.
8.  Revision key (Single line of text). Type the sheet and revision together, such as "A-101 rev B".

Why a key column? The same sheet number and the same revision should not appear twice. Microsoft's page on unique columns says "When you create a column, you can specify that the column must contain unique values." It lists "Single line of text" as a supported type. It also says "A unique column must also have an index." If prompted, accept the index. Turn on the unique setting for Revision key. The list then refuses a second row with the same key.

Do not use a Yes/No column for the unique setting. Microsoft's page lists "Yes/No" as unsupported for unique values. That is one more reason to use a Choice column for Status.

## Step 3. Add the first rows

Add one row for each sheet in your current issue. Set Status to "1 Current". Fill in Revision, Revision date, Issued to, File link and Revision key.

If your set has old revisions that were sent out earlier, add them only if you need that history. Set their Status to "2 Superseded". A shorter register that you keep up to date is better than a long one that is wrong.

## Step 4. Issue a new revision

When revision C of a sheet is issued:

1.  Open the register and find the row for revision B of that sheet.
2.  Change Status on that row to "2 Superseded".
3.  Add a new row. Use the same sheet number, then revision "C", today's date, who it was issued to, the file link and the key "A-101 rev C". Leave Status as "1 Current".
4.  Check the "Current sheets" view (Step 5). The sheet should show once, at revision C.

Do this in one sitting. If you change only one of the two rows, the register shows the wrong thing until someone notices.

## Step 5. Build the saved views

Views do the filtering so that nobody has to scan the whole list.

View 1: "Current sheets"

1.  Open the list. Open the view menu and choose "Edit current view" to open the classic view editor. Microsoft's help page on filtering a view describes this editor.
2.  Under Filters, choose "Show items only when the following is true".
3.  Pick Status, then "is equal to", and type "1 Current".
4.  Show the columns Sheet number, Sheet title, Revision, Revision date, Issued to and File link. Sort by Sheet number. Save the view as "Current sheets".

This is the view to open when someone asks which revision is current.

View 2: "Issued in the last 30 days"

1.  In the classic view editor, create a view with that name.
2.  Filter it to show rows where Revision date is greater than or equal to \[Today\] minus 30. Microsoft's page gives this sentence as an example: "you can create a filter on the Date column that's greater than or equal to \[Today\] - 30."
3.  Sort by Revision date, newest first.

Microsoft's page says the \[Today\] and \[Me\] filters cannot be used from a column header, so use the classic view editor for this one. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: also use the classic view editor for blank and "is not equal to" filters.

View 3: "Issued to" by company

Group a view by the Issued to column. It shows, in one place, which revisions each company has received.

## See every revision of one sheet

Because each issued revision keeps its own row, the history of a sheet is the set of rows with that sheet number. Make a view that shows all rows, sorted by Sheet number and then Revision date, with no Status filter. Select a sheet number to see its revisions together.

SharePoint can also keep a history of edits to a single row. Microsoft says: "Right click on the space between the item or document name and date, and then click Version history from the menu." Microsoft also says: "If you don't see the Version History command, your list or library might not be tracking versions." That history shows changes to one row, such as a Status change. It does not replace the separate row for each issued revision. See "[SharePoint list version history is blank or missing](/guides/sharepoint-list-version-history-not-showing/)".

## Sample rows

The Revision column is a Single line of text column, so a letter or a number both fit. Here are three rows for one sheet:

- Row 1: Sheet number A-101, Sheet title Level 1 floor plan, Revision A, Revision date 2026-03-02, Issued to Company X, Status 2 Superseded, Revision key A-101 rev A.
- Row 2: Sheet number A-101, Revision B, Revision date 2026-04-14, Issued to Company X, Status 2 Superseded, Revision key A-101 rev B.
- Row 3: Sheet number A-101, Revision C, Revision date 2026-05-20, Issued to Company X, Status 1 Current, Revision key A-101 rev C.

The "Current sheets" view shows Row 3 only. The all-rows view shows Rows 1 to 3 together.

## Step 6. Check the register once a week

Open "Current sheets" and compare it with the drawing set your team works from. Look for these:

- A sheet that appears twice. Two rows hold "1 Current". Change the older one to "2 Superseded".
- A sheet that is missing. The set has a sheet that the register does not list. Add it.
- A row with no file link or no date. Fill it in.

A view cannot find a mistake by itself. A person has to compare the register with the drawing set.

## Privacy and who can see the list

The register can hold company names and the names of people who received a revision. Collect the least you need. Anyone with access can pick a different view and read every row, so control access with permissions, set by your admin.

## What to avoid

- Do not store the drawing files in the list. Keep them in a library and link to them.
- Do not leave two rows with Status "1 Current" for the same sheet.
- Do not delete old rows to "clean up". Change them to "2 Superseded" so the history stays.
- Do not let several people edit Status. Name one person.
- Do not use the register to make claims about review, approval or code compliance. It records what someone typed.
- Do not treat a view as a lock.
- Do not type a long note into Issued to. Keep it short.
- Do not skip the weekly check.

## Honest limits

A SharePoint list records what a person typed. It does not open the drawing and check that the revision letter on the file matches the register. If someone types "C" and the file says "B", the list cannot tell.

The list does not stop a person from sending an old file. It tells everyone which row is current. People still need to look.

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: the rule in this guide depends on a named person keeping it.

The register is only as good as the habit. Add the row on the day the revision is issued, not later.

## When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: \$5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "[What a SharePoint tracker costs to build](/guides/what-a-sharepoint-tracker-costs/)". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: [Tools I built](/portfolio/)

## FAQ

### How do I keep a drawing revision history in SharePoint?

Keep one row per issued revision and change older rows to "2 Superseded" instead of deleting them. A view with no Status filter, sorted by sheet number, shows the history.

### What does a drawing revision register look like?

Each row holds a sheet number, revision, date, issued to, status, file link and a key. For example, Row 3 reads A-101, revision C, 1 Current.

### How do I make sure only one revision is current?

Use a Status choice with "1 Current" and "2 Superseded", and a view that shows only "1 Current". When a new revision is issued, change the old row to "2 Superseded" on the same day. Name one person to keep the rule.

### Can I block a repeated sheet and revision?

Yes, with a key column. Type the sheet and revision together, such as "A-101 rev B", in a Single line of text column and turn on the unique setting. Microsoft says "A unique column must also have an index", so accept the index when asked.

### Does this register replace our drawing control system?

No. It is a list of what was issued, when and to whom, with a link to each file. Keep the drawings in the library or system you already use, and follow your own contract and local rules.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Support, Use filtering to modify a SharePoint view](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-filtering-to-modify-a-sharepoint-view-3d8efc52-0808-4731-8f9b-3dfaeacea3d4)
- [Microsoft Support, Create a list](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/create-a-list)
- [Microsoft Support, Create list relationships by using unique and lookup columns](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/article/create-list-relationships-by-using-unique-and-lookup-columns-80a3e0a6-8016-41fb-ad09-8bf16d490632)
- [Microsoft Support, View the version history of an item or file in a list or library](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/data-and-lists/view-the-version-history-of-an-item-or-file-in-a-list-or-library)

## Related guides

- [SOP version not current: how to find and keep the right one](/guides/sop-version-not-current/)
- [Default a SharePoint column to today or the current user](/guides/sharepoint-list-default-value-current-user/)
- [How to set up an asset register in SharePoint](/guides/setup-asset-register-sharepoint/)

Source: https://250highstreet.com/guides/drawing-revision-register-sharepoint/