When a Project contains version documents, the Master Document will initially be read-only when opened.

1. This is shown by some toolbar buttons being disabled (e.g. Save, Resize Document, etc.), and a message saying Versions not locked being displayed in the top-right corner if you try to open the text or image editor (this message is not shown in the screenshot).
2. Click the Padlock icon to lock the version documents in this project. Clicking this opens the Lock Versions dialog.

The Lock Versions dialog displays a list of all the version documents in the Project.

If there is a checkmark beside the version document, that means it is not currently open, and it can be locked.

If there is an X beside any version document, that means is currently open by a user and cannot be locked.

Once all versions have checkmarks next to them, click Lock to lock the versions.

NOTE: The status will update dynamically when version documents are opened/closed.

The Default Settings: Version Documents dialog is where you choose how changes made to the Master Document will be pushed out to the version documents.

NOTE: Deleting elements from the Master Document will affect all version documents, regardless of the settings chosen here. These settings apply to changed content, not removed content.

NOTE: If no changes will be made to any content, then no options are required to be chosen here. For example, if you are editing the settings of a Content Group or assigning content to a Content Group, etc.

These options in the top-left of the dialog determine how changes made to any text segments in the Master Document will be applied to the selected version documents.

1. Set status of text in version documents to...
   • Needs Edit / Translation: The status of any changed segment will be reset to Needs Edit/Translation, i.e., to the very beginning of the workflow. You would choose this option if, for example, the text change means the text must be re-translated.
   • Needs Adaptation: The status of any changed segment will be set to Needs Adaptation, i.e., it has been translated, but still needs to be adapted due to the changes made. You would choose this option if, for example, only the styling of the text was changed in the Master Document.
   • Needs Review: The status of any changed segment will be set to Needs Review, i.e., to the start of the Review workflow steps. You would choose this option if, for example, the changes made in the Master Document will need to go through the review/approval process, but not require re-translation.
2. Set text in version documents to...
   • this text & formatting: The updated segments will be changed in the version documents to the new text and formatting, even if they had previously been worked on in a Job. You would choose this option if, for example, the meaning of a text segment has changed and the text needs to be reset.
   • this text & formatting, if version item was not already changed: The updated segments will be changed in the version documents to the new text and formatting only if the segment has not already been changed in a Job. You would choose this option when, for example, correcting a simple typo in the source text, but your translators would probably still have entered the correct translation.

NOTE: If no options are chosen, no text changes made in the master document will be applied to any of the selected version documents. This can lead to technical issues if you are, for example, changing swatches that have been applied to text using local overrides. In such a case, the swatch is a part of the text tagging, so the text must be updated to use the new swatch. This is not an issue if your text is styled according to InDesign best practice (i.e. via Paragraph and Character Styles).

NOTE: Items with a Needs Adaptation status are active in the initial Edit/Translation workflow step. From a user perspective, there is no material difference between the Needs Edit/Translation status and the Needs Adaptation status.

NOTE: No Set status... option needs to be chosen if the text being changed is not assigned to any Content Group.

These options in the centre-left of the dialog determine how changes made to any images in the Master Document will be applied to the selected version documents.

1. Set status of image in version documents to...
   • Needs Edit / Translation: The status of any changed image will be reset to Needs Edit/Translation, i.e., to the very beginning of the workflow. You would choose this option if, for example, the image change means the image must be re-localized.
   • Needs Adaptation: The status of any changed image will be set to Needs Adaptation, i.e., it has been localized, but still needs to be adapted due to the changes made. You would choose this option if, for example, the image change means the fitting, position, etc. may need to be re-done.
   • Needs Review: The status of any changed image will be set to Needs Review, i.e., to the start of the Review workflow steps. You would choose this option if, for example, the changes made in the Master Document will need to go through the review/approval process, but not require re-localization.
2. Set image in version documents to...
   • this image: The updated images will be changed in the version documents to the new images, even if they had previously been worked on in a Job. You would choose this option if, for example, a new image has been chosen for the final document.
   • this image, if version image was not already changed: The updated images will be changed in the version documents to the new images only if the image has not already been changed in a Job. You would choose this option when, for example, replacing a placeholder image in the Master Document, which would not require resetting any images already localized in a Job.

NOTE: If none of these options are chosen, no image changes made to the master document will be applied to any of the selected version documents. This would be the correct option if you were only, for example, updating a content group with new content rules.

NOTE: Items with a Needs Adaptation status are active in the initial Edit/Translation workflow step. From a user perspective, there is no material difference between the Needs Edit/Translation status and the Needs Adaptation status.

NOTE: No Set status... option needs to be chosen if the image being changed is not assigned to any Content Group.

These options in the bottom-left of the dialog determine how changes made to any frames and/or groups will be applied to the selected version documents.

• Set frame or group in version documents to...
  • this frame or group: All layout changes (e.g. resizing or moving frames) made in this master document will be pushed to the selected version documents.
  • this frame or group, if version frame was not already changed: Any layout changes made in this master document will be pushed to the selected version document, but only if those frames/groups have not yet been changed in the selected version documents.

NOTE: If none of these options are chosen, no layout changes made to the master document will be applied to any of the selected version documents. This would be the correct option if you were only, for example, updating a content group with new content rules.

NOTE: There is no option for setting the status of a frame/group, because a frame/group cannot be added to a Content Group.

Once your options have been set, click OK.

The padlock icon will disappear from the top-right corner of the window, and the Master Document and Content Groups can now be edited.