Workiva Support Center

Workiva's Evergreen roll forward, also known as Copy to Archive, is the recommended approach for maintaining reporting files across periods. After finalizing a reporting period, you create an archived copy and continue working in your original files for the next period. This preserves revision history in your active files and lets you compare reporting periods using milestones and blacklines.

Because your files stay active, you won't need to update Wdata connections or exhibit hyperlinks when you move to a new period.

For documents with XBRL, complete this process first, then roll forward XBRL dates.

Step 1: Finalize your files

Before rolling forward, complete the following to establish a clean final version for the reporting period.

1. Open each file in the folder individually. This includes documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and common narratives.
2. Make sure all tracked changes have been accepted or rejected in all working files.
3. Check that all comments have been addressed.
4. Make sure all links have been published from your document, spreadsheet, and common narrative files.
5. Perform a Document health check in each file and address any issues.
6. Run a linked files report on the folder to confirm all expected linked files are included before rolling forward.

Step 2: After finalizing a file

1. Create a milestone in each file to mark the final version before archiving.
   • In the History panel, select the dropdown and choose Create Milestone on the most current revision.
   • Rename the milestone to reflect the reporting period and version using a consistent naming convention. For example: Q1 2025 As Filed, Q1 2025 Final Signed/Distributed. Learn more about milestones.
2. After the file has been distributed or filed, clear all applied filters before copying the folder. This ensures the copied files start the next reporting cycle with all content visible.

Step 3: Confirm folder readiness

Copy the folder — not individual files. Make sure all linked documents are included in the folder before rolling forward, otherwise links won't preserve correctly in the copied files.

As a best practice, create subfolders to keep your files organized after rolling forward multiple times. To create a subfolder, right-click the folder and select New Subfolder from the menu.

For example, you can create a parent folder for the year with subfolders for each reporting period.

Step 4: Copy a folder

Copying a folder creates copies of its contents without changing the original files. Links between files copied together are preserved. Links to source files outside the folder depend on the copy settings you choose.

Note: Only Workspace Owners, Content Managers, and Copy Managers can copy files.

1. From Home, select Files .
2. Right-click the folder you want to roll forward and select Copy. 
   
3. Confirm the file breakdown contains all the files you want to roll forward and click Next.

4. In Copy settings, select what to include with your copied files and review Location to choose where to put the copied files.

   Note: If your enclosed files have automations, they'll automatically be included in the copy. To reduce errors in the copied automations, include anything else needed for your automations to run.

   

5. Unselect Links and Process References.

   Note: Files linked together within the same folder structure are still preserved in the copies. This setting only affects links to files outside the folder.

6. Unselect Connections.

   Note: Unselecting Connections prevents data refreshes in your archived files without removing connections from your original files. If you use content placeholder connections, review them in the archived copies before updating active files for the next period.

   

7. Under Location Settings, set the New Folder Name to reflect that this folder contains historical files.

   

8. For Location, you can either:
   • Select the current year and quarter folder, which will become the historical parent folder, or
   • Select Create a destination folder, title the copy to reflect that it's archived, and choose the year-end parent folder. Then rename the live folder in Files.
9. Select Copy.

The copy will run in the background. You'll receive a notification and an email when it's ready.

Note: Any permission updates made before copying will carry over into the copied file.

Step 5: Update and review your files

After the copy is complete, rename all files and then lock your archived files.

Note: You can only rename files to a unique name.

1. Navigate to your original Evergreen files, right-click, and select Rename to reflect the new reporting period.
2. Navigate to your copied files, right-click, and select Rename to reflect the prior reporting period.

3. Right-click each file in the archived folder and select Lock Editing to prevent changes to the historical files.
   

   Note: Lock Editing prevents direct content edits but doesn't prevent updates from destination links in other files. Confirm your archived files don't retain links to active sources that could change historical content.

4. Confirm all expected files were included in the copy.
5. Return to your original Evergreen folder and open the primary spreadsheet to update the dates for the new reporting period. Once reviewed, publish the changes.
   
6. Check your documents to ensure all dates are linked and rolled forward to the new reporting period. For example, if rolling forward from Q2 to Q3, verify six months has changed to nine months, second quarter has changed to third quarter, and so on.
7. Check for updated dates on signature pages and exhibits.
8. Update hyperlinks as necessary. If there are no new changes to the hyperlinks, skip this step.
9. Check Document health.
10. Begin next period's edits.