You may notice that when viewing the version history of a Notebook entry, the option to revert to some older versions is disabled. To prevent data loss and ensure audit readiness, Benchling has a setting called Irreversible Versions; your organization has elected to turn this opt-in feature on. This is intentional behavior designed to protect the integrity and traceability of your data.
Explanation of the Behavior
Once data in a structured table (e.g., a Results, Registration, or Inventory table) is submitted, all versions of the entry that predate that submission become non-revertible. You will see a message in the version history indicating that reverting is not allowed for those versions.
The Reason for This Change: Preventing "Orphaned Data"
This restriction was put in place to prevent a problem known as "orphaned data".
Previously, it was possible to revert an entry to a version before a structured table was submitted, even after the data had been created with the submission event. When this happened, the submitted data (like a Result) would still exist elsewhere in Benchling, but the table it came from would no longer be visible in the source entry. Clicking on the source for that result would lead back to an entry where the data was missing, causing a confusing experience and a loss of data lineage.
By making versions irreversible after a submission, we ensure that all submitted data remains visibly connected to its source document, which is critical for compliance and maintaining a clear audit trail.
What You Can Still Do
This feature does not prevent you from managing the data within your tables. While you cannot revert the entire entry to a state before the table's submission, you still have the ability to:
Delete individual rows within a structured table.
Archive individual rows within a structured table.
If you have additional questions or feedback, please reach out to Benchling Support