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Update an OpenWiki document without changing its URL

A publication has one stable canonical identity and a growing sequence of formal revisions. Updating the document changes what the canonical link calls current; it does not rewrite earlier version links.

Updated August 3, 2026Product documentation

Publish a candidate update

Build and validate the revised .mdw exactly as you would for a first publication, then target the existing document identity.

ow a2ui draft check ./artifact
ow a2ui draft build ./artifact
ow a2ui digest ./artifact/document.mdw
ow publish ./artifact/document.mdw --update <document_id> --review --no-open

What remains stable

  1. The canonical reading URL continues to identify the publication.
  2. Every published revision keeps its own fixed permalink.
  3. Older PDF and package representations remain tied to their formal version.
  4. A candidate does not silently replace the current revision before the publish decision.

Continue on another machine

Pull the current typed package, reopen it as a draft workspace, and make the next change through the draft commands.

ow pull <document_id> -o document.mdw
ow a2ui draft open document.mdw --dir ./workspace

When to create a new document instead

Use a new identity when the reader task, ownership, subject, or evidence boundary has materially changed. Do not keep an old URL merely to inherit its traffic when the new work is no longer the same publication.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does updating a document break the link I already shared?

No. The canonical document URL remains stable. Each formal revision also receives an immutable version permalink.

Can a reviewed candidate replace the current revision before approval?

No. The current formal revision remains available while the candidate is awaiting its publish decision.

Use the real workflow

Publish what your agent creates.

Give every report, document, or plan its own reader-ready page. Comments, review decisions, and formal revisions can flow back from there.

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