This article responds to criticism of ‘documentary’ as opposed to ‘critical’ editions. It begins with discussion of the theoretical assumptions and methodological implications of the editorial model here defined as ‘digital documentary editing’. In particular, the article reflects on the complementarity of this editorial model with respect to critical editions and on the new research possibilities that the model enables, insisting on its scholarly value throughout. The new opportunities offered by the digital medium and in particular by the wide availability of high quality facsimiles must however be regulated by rigorous scholarly motivations and criteria; this need is already felt by scholars in many countries, as several international initiatives demonstrate.