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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +description: The Collaborative editing product guide provides a full description of the features and benefits that this module brings to the clients. |
| 3 | +--- |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +# Collaborative editing product guide |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## What is collaborative editing |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +Collaborative editing is a feature that allows multiple users to work on the same simultaneously - whether to preview, review, or edit it. |
| 10 | +By giving users access to preview the content before it's published, review and collaboration become much easier. |
| 11 | +An additional option here is the ability to copy a link to the content item, which allows to share it through communication channels. |
| 12 | +It improves collaboration with external users, such as third-party agencies. |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +A more advanced part of the collaboration feature is the Real-time editing. |
| 15 | +Users can edit and review content in real time, making teamwork faster, more efficient, and streamlining the content review process. |
| 16 | +The system automatically tracks changes, allowing seamless collaboration within a single content item. |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## Availability |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +Collaborative editing is available in all [[= product_name =]] editions. |
| 21 | +To use Real-time editing feature, you must make arrangements with [[= product_name_base =]], and accept Terms & Conditions and Service Level Agreement in the Support Portal. |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +## Prerequisites |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +To use the **Copy link** option, which allows you to copy a link to the clipboard and share it through communication channels with other users, the Clipboard API is required. |
| 26 | +As a result, this option may not work in some browsers, such as Safari. |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +## How does collaboration work |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +### Content preview |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +The basic option provided by the Collaboration feature, is the ability to preview content. |
| 33 | +This allows the user to grant preview access to logged-in users, as well as share a public link with external users. |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +You can share a direct link to the collaborative session using the **Copy link** button. |
| 36 | +Link is copied to the clipboard and you can share it with the users through communication channels. |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +### Collaboration session |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +Collaborative editing allows to work together on the same content items. |
| 41 | +This is done through a collaboration session. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +When you create a new draft of a content item you can invite other users to join a collaboration session, thanks to [CKEditor collaboration features](https://ckeditor.com/ckeditor-5/capabilities/collaboration-features/). |
| 44 | +This action generates a unique session for that draft. |
| 45 | +Collaboration session begins when first invited user accepts the invitation and joins the session. |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +To start collaborative editing, you need to invite collaborators using the **Share** button. |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +You can invite other users to join the session, both internal and external: |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +- **Internal** - by searching their name or email address. These users can either edit the content item or preview it, depending on your choice. |
| 52 | +- **External** - by providing their email address in the field. They can only preview the content item. |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +Once they accept the invitation, they are able to join you in editing content item or reviewing it. |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +You can change the users access or remove it at any time. |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +After inviting users to a collaboration session, they receive a notification visible on the main dashboard or by email. |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +Users can also join a collaboration session using the **Join** button: |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +- available in new tabs of the **My content** block on the dashboard - *My shared drafts* and *Drafts shared with me* |
| 65 | +- by accessing a content draft in the **Drafts** menu |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +### Real-time editing |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +Real-time editing is an advanced part of the Collaboration feature. |
| 70 | +It works by syncing changes in real time, so everyone can see updates instantly. |
| 71 | +Avatars of the users invited to collaboration session are visible at the top of the editing screen, also in distraction free mode. |
| 72 | +While editing Rich Text fields, you can see colored tracking tags with user avatar thumbnails that indicate who is currently working on it. |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +Everyone in the session can see each other's updates as they happen — no more switching between tools or waiting for feedback. |
| 75 | +This makes content creation and review faster, more interactive, and much easier to manage as a team. |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +Users can edit the content only if an administrator gives them the necessary permissions. |
| 78 | +These permissions must be set before the user is invited to the session, otherwise the **Edit** access option is unavailable (grayed out). |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +#### Editing content items |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +Collaborative editing is enabled in [Rich Text](rich_text.md) fields. |
| 83 | +Other fields are disabled and can be only edited by the owner of the content item. |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +Collaboration is available for the following content types with Rich Text fields: |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +- Article |
| 88 | +- Folder |
| 89 | +- Form |
| 90 | +- Product category |
| 91 | +- Custom content types |
| 92 | + |
| 93 | +All changes made by collaborators are automatically saved when owner publishes or saves content. |
| 94 | +Collaborators can leave collaboration session any time without losing data. |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +## Benefits |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +### Simplified content review process |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | +With preview access to the content draft, reviewers can jump in, check the content, and approve it more quickly. |
| 101 | +This streamlines the entire review cycle and minimizes delays caused by version confusion or slow feedback. |
| 102 | +Review can be done even by external users without a need to set up an account in [[= product_name =]]. |
| 103 | + |
| 104 | +### Cross-functional collaboration |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | +Collaborative editing allows teams to involve users from across the organization. |
| 107 | +Their input can be integrated directly into the editing process, leading to more accurate and aligned content. |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +### Enhanced teamwork |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +All the users invited to the collaboration session can share ideas, make suggestions, and refine each other’s work in a shared environment, creating a stronger sense of team ownership and collaboration. |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +### Real-time collaboration |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +Collaborative editing enables multiple users to work on the same content item at the same time. |
| 116 | +Everyone in the session can see changes as they happen, which shortens the feedback loop and allows multiple people to work in parallel. |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +### Improved efficiency |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | +By allowing simultaneous editing, the content creation and review process becomes significantly faster. |
| 121 | +Team members can work together and finalize content in a fraction of the time it would take with a standard workflow. |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +### Seamless feedback loop |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +Users can share and receive feedback instantly within the same editing interface. |
| 126 | +This reduces the need to switch between apps or track changes manually. |
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