Short answer:
You don’t need to restore the file to an old version just to read the comments that existed at that moment. In Google Docs you can:
- Open File ▶ Version history ▶ See version history, pick the snapshot you’re interested in, open its ⋮ More menu and choose Make a copy.
- In the copy-dialog tick “Copy comments and suggestions” (and, if you need them, “Include resolved comments and suggestions”). The new file will open with the body text from that point in time and the comment threads that were still stored on the document at that moment. citeturn13view0
That gives you an offline “read-only” copy of the old draft—complete with anchored comments—without overwriting the live document.
| What happens behind the scenes | Practical implication |
|---|
| Comments live outside version-history. They’re stored as separate metadata for the file. Restoring or copying a snapshot never brings back threads that have been deleted (only those still present—open or resolved). | If a thread was deleted, neither Restore nor Make a copy can resurrect it. |
| “Make a copy” creates a brand-new file. The copy can include current comment threads but it doesn’t carry over the old version history. citeturn16search0 | Use it when you only need the frozen text + comments; don’t rely on it for a forensic audit of every tiny change. |
| Anchors matter. A comment will only appear in context if the piece of text it was attached to still exists in that snapshot. If the anchor text was deleted in later revisions, copying that earlier snapshot re-creates the context, so the comment shows up inline. | Making a copy of the old version is safer than restoring: you see the anchors without disturbing collaborators on the live doc. |
| You can already read any open or resolved thread in the Comment History panel (speech-bubble icon) without restoring or copying. | Copy/restore is only needed when you want the comment bubbles visible in situ beside the old wording. |
Restore this version is better only when you actually want to roll the live file back and keep working from there (Google adds a fresh entry to version history when you do this). If you just want to inspect or archive the old draft, copying is the risk-free route. citeturn6search8