How to edit materials and manage versions and statuses

In Smart Way LMS, each material has its own status and file history. Changing the description does not create a new file version, and a prepared file replacement does not replace the current version until an administrator publishes it.

How to find a material to edit?

1. Open Manage knowledge base.

2. On the Materials tab, enter the title in the search field.

3. If necessary, open the additional filters and use them to search by:

   • status;

   • type;

   • category;

   • tags;

   • access;

   • administrator;

   • update period;

   • review required;

   • sort order.

4. Select the material title or the edit icon. A side panel containing the editable details will open.

How to change the description, category, tags or access?

1. Open the material.

2. Update the required fields.

3. Select Save changes.

Access changes to a published material take effect immediately. Before saving, check that a team which uses the document in its work will not lose access.

If another administrator has already changed the material, the system may report a conflict. Do not overwrite the data without checking it: select Load the current version, review the changes and repeat your edits.

How to replace a file and create a new version?

For a File material:

1. Open the material editor.

2. Under the source settings, select 'Upload a new file' or 'Choose from File Manager'.

3. Save your changes.

4. Preview the new version.

5. When everything is ready, select Publish new version.

Until the new version is published, users will continue to see the previous version, which remains current. After publication, the new file becomes current immediately, while full indexing finishes in the background.

If you selected the wrong file, select Cancel file replacement. The current published version will not change.

How to use version history?

The Version history section shows the following for each version:

• number;

• file name;

• creation date;

• Current label;

• Awaiting publication label;

• Preview button;

• Restore button, if the action is available.

Restoring a historical version does not switch the material immediately. The system creates a new candidate version based on the selected file. Preview it, then select Publish new version separately.

You cannot restore:

• the current version;

• a candidate version that has already been prepared;

• an external-link version;

• an older version if another active replacement already exists.

What do the material statuses mean?

How to unpublish or archive a material?

Unpublish

Use this when you need to hide a material temporarily, revise it and publish it again.

After confirmation, the material:

• becomes a draft;

• is no longer visible to readers, in search or in AI assistant responses;

• retains its history and editor data.

Archive

Use this when a material should no longer be used, but its history needs to be retained.

After archiving, the material is unavailable to readers. The form cannot be edited while the material is archived. If there is an unfinished file replacement, cancel it first.

Restore

An archived material is restored as a draft. It does not become available to users automatically: check the fields, access and version, then publish it.

How to delete a draft?

The Delete draft button is available only for a material that has never been published.

After deletion:

• the material record disappears;

• the file remains in File Manager;

• the action must be confirmed.

Archive a material that has already been published.

How to delete a material permanently?

Permanent deletion is available only from the archive.

1. Open the archived material.

2. Select Delete permanently.

3. Review the dependencies in the confirmation window:

   • versions;

   • related materials;

   • favourites;

   • feedback;

   • usage events;

   • shared files.

4. Enter the exact material title to protect against accidental deletion.

5. Confirm the deletion.

This action cannot be undone. Shared files used in File Manager or courses are retained; only the Knowledge Base material and its associated data are deleted.

What file processing states are there?

The following states may appear next to a material:

• Uploaded — the file is waiting to be processed;

• Extracting text;

• Processing;

• Indexed;

• Indexing failed.

The Published status and Indexed state are not the same. For a short time after a material is added, it may only be available in search by its title and metadata while the system prepares content search and data for the AI assistant.