Note: This feature is available for all permissions, including Viewer.
You can take two Workiva documents and compare them with each other. A PDF will be created to show the similarities and differences between selected sections or entire documents. This will reduce the amount of effort and time to review your reports.
You can use this feature to view various comparisons, such as:
- Two different periods of the same report (i.e. comparing a 2023 10-K with a 2024 10-K).
- Different entities or subsidiaries reports to one another.
- An entity report to a master template or another entity.
When comparing two documents, the comparison between them will only be within the generated PDF. The history and blackline within a single document won’t be affected.
In your generated PDF, there are some items that won’t be compared, for example:
- Floating objects
- Advanced settings
- Automated table of contents
- Footnote area
- Granular changes within a table. Any changes made to the table will show up as a new table.
- Existing non-printing content that reverted to printing
Compare documents
To compare:
- On the Files page, check the boxes next to two Workiva documents you want to compare.
Note: The first document selected will be used as the base to compare the second document. You can adjust the order later before you download the PDF.
- Select Compare in the toolbar.
- Select to compare all sections in a document or specific ones.
Note: Make sure that you’re selecting the same sections for each document for best results.
- Rename your PDF and check the documents. You can change the order of the documents or select new ones in the drop downs.
- To finish, click Download PDF.
Alternatively, you can access Compare documents by clicking a file's drop down on the Files page.
Viewing a comparison PDF
Once you’ve downloaded the PDF, you can open it up and view the first page to know what to expect.
It’ll include details such as which documents were compared with each other, which sections were selected to compare, time and dates of the creation of the documents and the comparison PDF. It’ll also have an explanation of the markup.