# Publishing Plans (https://yapl.app/en/docs/user-guides/plans/publishing-plans)

# Publishing Plans

Publishing transforms a draft plan into a finalized version that can be shared with stakeholders and used as an official baseline.

## Understanding Publishing

Publishing a plan:

- **Finalizes the version** - Marks plan as official
- **Limits editing** - Reduces accidental changes
- **Creates baseline** - Reference point for tracking
- **Enables sharing** - Official version for stakeholders

## Draft vs. Published Status

| Status | Description | Editing | Use Case |
|--------|-------------|---------|----------|
| **Draft** | Work in progress | Full access | Active planning |
| **Published** | Finalized | Limited | Official record |

## When to Publish

Publish a plan when:

- **Planning is complete** - All tasks defined and scheduled
- **Stakeholder approval** - Client or management sign-off
- **Baseline needed** - Starting execution phase
- **Sharing required** - External distribution needed

<Callout type="info">
You can continue creating new versions after publishing. Publishing affects only the current version.
</Callout>

## How to Publish

### Step 1: Review the Plan

Before publishing, verify:
- All tasks are defined
- Dependencies are correct
- Dates are finalized
- Resources are assigned

### Step 2: Access Publishing

1. Open the plan
2. Navigate to **Versions** tab or plan settings
3. Find the **Publish** action

### Step 3: Confirm Publishing

1. Click **Publish**
2. Review the confirmation dialog
3. Understand editing limitations
4. Click **Confirm**

## Publishing Effects

### Immediate Changes

| Aspect | Before Publishing | After Publishing |
|--------|-------------------|------------------|
| Status | Draft | Published |
| Editing | Full access | Limited |
| Baseline | Not set | Can be frozen |
| Sharing | Internal | External ready |

### Editing Limitations

After publishing:
- Major structure changes restricted
- Task additions may be limited
- Timeline modifications tracked
- Create new version for significant changes

### What Remains Editable

Published plans typically allow:
- Progress updates
- Actual dates recording
- Status changes
- Notes and comments

## Baseline and Publishing

### Relationship

Publishing often coincides with baseline:
- **Publish** = finalize the plan version
- **Baseline** = freeze effort/schedule for comparison

### Setting Baseline

When publishing:
1. Consider setting baseline simultaneously
2. Baseline captures planned values
3. Compare actual vs. baseline later

See [Baseline Comparison](/docs/user-guides/gantt/baseline-comparison) for details.

## Unpublishing

### Can You Unpublish?

In most cases:
- Published status is permanent for that version
- Create new version for major changes
- New version starts as draft

### Working with Published Plans

If changes needed:
1. Create a new version
2. Make modifications
3. Publish new version when ready

## Sharing Published Plans

### Export Options

Published plans can be:
- Viewed by stakeholders
- Exported to PDF (Professional tier)
- Shared via project access

### Access Control

Published status doesn't change access:
- Team permissions still apply
- Project assignments control visibility
- Publishing is about finalization, not sharing

## Best Practices

### Before Publishing

1. **Complete review** - All tasks verified
2. **Dependencies checked** - Correct relationships
3. **Dates finalized** - Schedule locked in
4. **Stakeholder review** - Approval obtained
5. **Documentation** - Version notes added

### Publishing Checklist

- [ ] All tasks are complete and verified
- [ ] Dependencies are correctly defined
- [ ] Timeline is realistic and approved
- [ ] Resources are properly assigned
- [ ] Budget is set (if applicable)
- [ ] Stakeholder approval received
- [ ] Version name is descriptive

### After Publishing

- Create baseline if tracking variance
- Communicate to team
- Begin tracking actual progress
- Use new versions for changes

## Multiple Published Versions

### Handling Multiple

Over time, you may have multiple published versions:
- Original baseline
- Rev A after scope change
- Rev B after re-baseline

### Best Practices

- Mark which is "current" or default
- Archive superseded versions
- Document reason for new versions

## Troubleshooting

### Cannot Publish

**"You don't have permission"**
- Verify you have plan editing rights
- Check team role

**"Plan not ready for publishing"**
- Check for validation errors
- Ensure required fields complete

### Publishing Failed

- Check for conflicts
- Verify no active edits by others
- Try refreshing and retry

### Need to Edit Published Plan

- Create new version for changes
- Minor updates may still be possible
- Contact admin for special cases

## Professional Tier Features

Publishing benefits from Professional tier:

| Feature | Basic | Professional |
|---------|-------|--------------|
| Export to PDF | No | Yes |
| Full version history | Limited | Yes |
| Baseline tracking | Basic | Advanced |
| External sharing | Limited | Full |

## Related Topics

- [Plan Versions](/docs/user-guides/plans/plan-versions) - Version management
- [Creating Plans](/docs/user-guides/plans/creating-plans) - Plan setup
- [Baseline Comparison](/docs/user-guides/gantt/baseline-comparison) - Tracking variance