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Understanding Knowledge article version retention when linked to cases

Publish Date: Jun 23, 2026
Description

Typically, the number of archived versions retained per Knowledge Article is governed by the org's backend limit (e.g., 10 archived versions). However, there are scenarios where a user may observe more archived versions than this configured limit. This happens because of protected versions which is discussed below.

Resolution
Protected vs. Unprotected Knowledge Article Version Retention

Unprotected Version Retention (Standard Behavior)

When an org reaches its backend limit for retained archived article versions (e.g., 10), publishing a new version triggers an automatic cleanup. For example, if an article has 10 unprotected archived versions (V1–V10) and 1 online version (V11), publishing a new version will:

  1. Automatically delete the oldest unprotected archived version (V1)
  2. Archive the current online version (V11)
  3. Publish the new version
This ensures the total number of archived versions stays within the configured org limit.
 
Protected Version Retention (Case-Attached Articles)

When an article version is attached to a case, it becomes protected. Protected versions behave differently from unprotected ones:

  • They count toward the org's total KAV (Knowledge Article Version) limit.
  • They are excluded from the per-article archived version limit.
  • They are not automatically deleted during standard archival cleanups, which is why they remain visible in the UI even after the limit is reached.
Knowledge Article Number

005387522

 
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