Baselining
Description
In structured content environments, multiple teams work on modular components (like topics, images or maps) that evolve at different speeds. Without a way to "freeze" these components, publishing a document can be risky – you might accidentally include a work-in-progress draft instead of the approved text. Baselining solves this by taking a snapshot of the specific versions of all components that make up a publication at a given moment.
This frozen state becomes the "version of record." It allows authors to compare current content against previous releases, manage updates safely and ensure that everyone – translators, reviewers and regulators – is working from the same approved set. Baselines are essential for audit trails in regulated industries, as they provide irrefutable proof of what was published and when. They also facilitate efficient localization; by comparing baselines, systems can identify exactly which components have changed since the last release, ensuring that only new or updated text is sent for translation.
Example use cases
- Component identification: Identify and lock all components used in a specific manual or guide.
- Version control: Define the exact version of each content item at the moment of release.
- Reuse: Share and reuse stable baselines across related publications to ensure consistency.
- Localization: Manage localized versions by tracking changes between baselines.
- Compliance: Support audits by providing a traceable history of published content.
Key benefits
RWS perspective
RWS helps organizations manage structured content at scale with Tridion Docs, where baselining provides the stable foundation for version control, multilingual publishing and compliance. By combining granular content management with intelligent tooling, teams can deliver accurate, repeatable and audit-ready publications across global markets. We ensure that your "single source of truth" is always versioned, verified and ready for the world.