# How does the Max Asset Versions setting affect existing versions?

> Lowering Max Asset Versions doesn't trim existing version chains immediately — each asset is trimmed the next time it's edited and submitted.

URL: https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/content-authoring/max-asset-versions-setting.html
category: Content Authoring
article-type: reference
content-kind: faq
release-availability: all
tags: interface, authoring
updated: 2026-10-06

If you adjust **Max Asset Versions** under **Administration > Preferences > Content**, and the new value means an asset has more versions than allowed, that asset's version chain is trimmed the next time it's edited and submitted — not immediately.

For example:

- **Max Asset Versions** was previously **0 (unlimited)**.
- Page A has 35 versions.
- **Max Asset Versions** is changed to **20**.
- Page A is edited and submitted.
- The oldest 15 versions of Page A are deleted, leaving the 20 most recent, including the current version.

See [Versions](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/content-authoring/versions.html) for how version history works generally.