# Document Version Conflicts

## The Problem

Multiple versions of the same document coexist in the knowledge base, causing AI to cite outdated or conflicting information.

### Symptoms

* ❌ Old and new versions both retrieved
* ❌ Conflicting information in responses
* ❌ "v1" and "v2" docs both present
* ❌ Cannot determine which is current
* ❌ Stale info mixed with current

### Real-World Example

```
Knowledge base contains:
→ "API_Guide_v1.0.pdf" (2022): Rate limit 100/hour
→ "API_Guide_v2.0.pdf" (2024): Rate limit 1000/hour
→ "API_Guide_v2.1.pdf" (2024): Rate limit 1500/hour

Query: "What's the API rate limit?"

Retrieved chunks from all three versions:
→ AI response: "Rate limit ranges from 100 to 1500 per hour
depending on version."

Confusing - which is current?
User wants latest only
```

***

## Deep Technical Analysis

### Version Tracking Challenges

**No Version Metadata:**

```
Common problem:
→ Documents ingested without version tracking
→ Metadata: {document_id: "api_guide"}
→ No version field

New version ingested:
→ Same document_id
→ Both coexist
→ Cannot distinguish
```

**Version Detection:**

```
Filename-based:
→ "guide_v1.pdf", "guide_v2.pdf"
→ Parse version from filename

Metadata-based:
→ Document properties: Version 2.1
→ Last modified: 2024-03-15

Content-based:
→ "Version 2.0" in document text
→ Less reliable
```

### Versioning Strategies

**Explicit Version Metadata:**

```
Store with each chunk:
{
  document_id: "api_guide",
  version: "2.1",
  published_date: "2024-03-15",
  is_latest: true
}

Retrieval filter:
WHERE document_id = "api_guide" AND is_latest = true
→ Only get current version
```

**Version Lifecycle:**

```
New version ingested:
1. Set all existing chunks: is_latest = false
2. Add new chunks: is_latest = true
3. Optionally: Delete old versions (if no archival need)

Automatic currency
```

### Archival vs Deletion

**Keep Old Versions:**

```
Reasons to archive:
→ Compliance (retain historical docs)
→ Support legacy product versions
→ Audit trail

Strategy:
→ Keep but mark as archived
→ Filter out by default
→ Available on explicit request

Example filter:
WHERE is_latest = true OR (version = "1.0" AND user_needs_legacy)
```

**Delete Old Versions:**

```
Simpler approach:
→ New version → delete old chunks entirely
→ Only current version exists

Pros:
+ No confusion
+ Cleaner
+ Lower storage

Cons:
- No historical reference
- Cannot support legacy
```

### Conflict Resolution

**LLM Arbitration:**

```
If multiple versions retrieved:
→ Prompt: "Prefer latest version"
→ AI should cite v2.1 over v1.0

But: Requires LLM to detect versions
→ Not 100% reliable

Better: Filter at retrieval
```

**Recency Boosting:**

```
Boost recent documents:
→ score = similarity_score * recency_boost
→ recency_boost = 1.0 + (days_since_publish / 365)

Recent docs rank higher:
→ v2.1 (2024) beats v1.0 (2022) in ranking
```

***

## How to Solve

**Track version explicitly in metadata (version number + is\_latest flag) + implement version lifecycle (mark old as non-latest on new upload) + filter retrieval to is\_latest=true by default + optionally delete old versions if no archival need + parse version from filename or document properties + boost recent versions in ranking + test that old versions don't appear in responses.** See [Version Control](/rag-scenarios-and-solutions/data-quality/version-conflicts.md).


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