Scripto is designed to auto-save, ensuring your changes are always preserved as you write. But writing often involves deleting and what if you cut a joke and now you want to get it back?
While auto-save keeps the most current version of your script, Snapshots let you preserve significant drafts or versions. These tools make it easy to retrieve earlier content—like that cut joke you now want to bring back—so you're never locked into one version of your script.
What is a Snapshot?
A snapshot captures your script at a specific moment in time, allowing you to revisit it whenever needed. Snapshots are stored in the script's Snapshot history, where you can browse, read, export or compare them.
Snapshot History
To access, click the Snapshot history icon located to the right of your script's title.
How to Save a Snapshot
Manual Snapshots:
With a script open in the editor, you can manually take a snapshot any time you want by clicking Snapshot in the upper toolbar.
It's a good idea to save a snapshot whenever you have a version you might want to revisit—especially during key moments in your workflow, like handing off the script for notes or edits.
Snapshots can be created as often as you wish, even if no changes have been made to the script. Each snapshot is automatically named Snapshot - by [user name] with the date and time for easy reference.
Automatic Snapshots:
Scripto automatically saves snapshots as you write. If a newer version is backed up while you’re viewing Snapshot history, you’ll see a red refresh indicator next to the refresh button in the upper right of the panel.
New version notifications appear 1-2 minutes after edits have been made. But since waiting even a minute can feel like forever during crunch time, you can always hit the refresh button to check for the latest autosaved draft anytime.
💫 Note: If no changes have been made, you won’t see a new autosaved version.
Need a fresh snapshot right away, even when nothing has changed and there’s no new autosaved version? Head to the editor and take a manual snapshot instead.
Other Snapshots:
Additionally, a snapshot is created when you perform specific actions from the editor, such as printing, exporting, or pushing the script to the prompter.
💫 Note: You'll only see a new snapshot if the version differs from the last one exported. If no changes are made, these actions will not overwrite or update the date and time of a previously exported version.
Snapshot Panel
For those who like to keep an eye on everything, you can view a list of snapshots without leaving the editor. Simply click the Snapshot count icon to open a dropdown displaying all available snapshots.
💫 Selecting any snapshot will take you directly into Snapshot History.
How to Rename a Snapshot
In Snapshot history, click the pencil icon next to the snapshot you want to rename. Give your snapshot a unique and descriptive name, such as "Act Two Rewrite" or "Rehearsal Draft," to make it easier to identify later. Press Enter to save the updated name.
💫 Currently, renaming a snapshot can only be done in Snapshot History.
How to Compare Snapshots
In Snapshot history, you will have three options: Snapshot, Side by side, and Asterisk.
Snapshot
Upon entry, your most recent snapshot will auto-populate, or click on any snapshot from the Snapshot history list to view it. You'll be reading the script as it was written at the moment that snapshot was taken.
💫 Note that snapshots are read only. You cannot make edits to a saved version, but you can:
Copy text from a snapshot to paste back into your current script
Print the snapshot
Export the snapshot as a PDF or Final Draft (FDX)
Copy a link to the snapshot and share it with a collaborator.
Side by Side
In this option you can select any 2 versions of the script and compare them side by side.
Side-by-side shows text of the most recently timestamped script on the right and the text of the older snapshot on the left. Changes between the two drafts are called out, with new text highlighted in green and deleted text highlighted in red.
By default, comparisons cover the full document, but you can focus on a single slug (Studio script) or scene (Screenplay). This feature is particularly helpful for isolating changes in a specific segment, especially when the full comparison recognizes a re-ordered slug or scene as a modification. Use the Compare slugs/scenes tool to pinpoint edits within a specific slug or scene, regardless of its new position in the script.
In the Settings menu, you can change the number of lines of context that you see around the changes. You can also switch between the changes being called out in color or in black & white.
Copy URL copies the current view’s URL to your clipboard, making it easy to share. When distributing script revisions, you can include this link to let recipients quickly review changes between the most recent version and the previous distribution.
From the Export menu, you can Print the current view or export as a PDF.
💫 Note that the black & white view is useful for printing if you don't want to use up all your expensive color ink.
Asterisk
The Asterisk view shows the most recent script with revision marks showing where additions and deletions were made since the older selected snapshot. New text is highlighted in green with a green + in the right margin. Deletions are indicated by a red - in the right margin, but the deleted text is not shown.
Create a PDF with Revision Asterisks
From the Asterisk view, you can Print or Export PDF that will have industry-standard revision asterisks in the right margin of the document.
