Table of Contents
Who It’s For #
- Content managers
- Technical writers
- Documentation and operations teams
- Teams working in Google Workspace
- Anyone who needs version history, clean archiving, and monthly activity summaries without using a CMS
If you’ve ever lost track of versions, created duplicates, or struggled to show what changed this month, this system solves that.
How It Works at a Glance #
The Content Tracker is a lightweight, menu-driven versioning system that runs entirely inside Google Sheets. It handles the admin work for you:
- Assigns ItemIDs automatically
- Tracks versions and updates cleanly
- Archives items with timestamps and reasons
- Logs all changes in a structured revision log
- Generates Google Docs snapshot reports
- Shows activity counts and breakdowns on a dashboard, including Platform, Type, and Product
It keeps everything consistent, even when multiple people use the same sheet.
Using the System #
- Add an item: Enter the basics (Title, Platform, Type, Product). The sheet assigns the ID, version, and initial metadata.
- Update an item: Use Create New Version to keep history clean.
- Archive an item: Use Archive Selected Item to retire an item with full metadata.
- Set a reporting period: Choose start and end dates for snapshots.
- Generate snapshots: Creates a report summarizing counts, changes, and updates.
- View metrics: The dashboard shows totals by platform, type, product, and status.
Everything is handled through the Content Tools menu to prevent errors and avoid manual cleanup.
What’s Automated #
- ItemID assignment
- Version increments
- Change logging
- Archiving logic
- Active field enforcement
- Snapshot creation
- Dashboard ranges
- Managed dropdown lists (Platform, Type, Status, ChangeType, Product)
- Duplicate ID protection
The system maintains a clean history and prevents common data-entry errors, even with multiple collaborators.
