Metabind uses a three-layer versioning system that guarantees your published content always renders exactly as intended — even as you continue developing new components and layouts.
The version chain
Each layer locks to a specific version of the layer above it:
Packages (v1.0.0, v1.0.1, v2.0.0...)
↓
Content Types (lock to a package version)
↓
Content (locks to a content type version)
Packages: versioned component snapshots
A package is an immutable snapshot of your entire component library at a point in time. When you publish a package, Metabind captures:
- All component code and compiled output
- Component metadata and properties
- Assets used by components
Packages use semantic versioning (1.0.0, 1.0.1, 2.0.0). Once published, a package version never changes.
The draft package
While developing, you work with the draft package — a special version that always reflects your latest component changes. The draft package updates automatically as you edit components.
Content types using the draft package cannot be published. You must publish a package first, then update your content type to use that version.
Content types: locked to packages
When you create a content type, you select which package version it uses. This determines which components are available and how they render.
| Package reference | Behavior |
|---|
| Draft | Uses latest component code. For development only. |
| Published version | Locked to specific component code. Safe for production. |
Update to a new package
When you publish a new package version and want a content type to use it:
- Open the content type
- Click the package version indicator
- Select the new version
- Publish the content type
The content type now uses the new package. Existing content continues using the previous content type version until you choose to migrate it.
Content: locked to content types
When content is published, it captures the content type version it was created with. This creates a complete chain:
- Content v1 → uses Content Type v2 → which uses Package v1.0.1
Even if you later update the content type to use a newer package, Content v1 continues rendering with the original components.
Why this matters
Imagine you redesign your article layout. With version locking:
- New articles use the new layout
- Existing published articles keep the original layout
- No surprises, no broken content
You control when to migrate existing content to new versions.
Draft vs. published
Each layer has its own draft/published status:
| Layer | Draft state | Published state |
|---|
| Package | ”draft” — always latest code | ”1.0.0” — frozen snapshot |
| Content Type | Can edit freely, not yet live | Version number assigned, live |
| Content | Work in progress | Live to users |
Publishing rules
The system enforces a logical publishing chain:
- Packages can be published anytime
- Content Types can only be published if they reference a published package (not draft)
- Content can only be published if it references a published content type (not draft)
This ensures published content always has a complete, stable version chain.
Migrating content
When you update a content type to use a new package or layout, existing content doesn’t automatically update. To migrate content to a newer content type version:
- Open the content
- The editor shows if a newer type version is available
- Choose to migrate when ready
- Review changes and publish
This gives you control over when changes roll out to existing content.
Version history
Both content types and content maintain full version history. You can:
- View previous versions
- Compare changes between versions
- Restore earlier versions if needed
Navigate to the item and click … → View History to access version history.
What’s next
