Collaboration
Nebula Writer supports shared folders, invite links, presence, and real-time collaboration workflows for teams that need to work across documents and Office files.
When to Use This Page
- You want to share a project folder with other people
- You need real-time editing or presence
- You are deciding when to use local folders versus shared folders
- You work with Markdown, LaTeX, DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX in a team
Collaboration Entry Points
Use the sharing control in the project sidebar to manage shared work.
Collaboration features require sign-in. Local-only project folders remain available without sharing.
Shared Folders
A shared folder is a project area that can be opened by multiple signed-in collaborators.
Typical workflow:
- Open or create a project.
- Use the sharing control.
- Create a shared folder or move files into one.
- Invite collaborators.
- Collaborators open the shared folder in Nebula Writer.
Use separate shared folders for separate teams, clients, or deliverables.
Invite Links and Members
Invites let you bring people into a shared workspace. Depending on the workspace setup, members can be managed with roles such as owner, editor, or viewer.
Use roles to match the work:
| Role | Use |
|---|---|
| Owner | Manage members, shared folders, and final responsibility |
| Editor | Write, revise, and update files |
| Viewer | Read and review without broad edit access |
Keep sensitive drafts in a local folder until you are ready to share them.
Presence
Presence helps you see who is online and active in a shared document or folder. Use it to avoid accidental overlap during live editing sessions.
Presence can appear as:
- Collaborator avatars
- Online member indicators
- Active editing status
- Shared document state
Real-Time Editing
Nebula Writer uses collaboration systems suited to the file type.
| Format | Collaboration Behavior |
|---|---|
| Markdown | Real-time text collaboration with shared state |
| LaTeX | Real-time text collaboration with shared state |
| DOCX | Operation-based shared editing where supported |
| Spreadsheets | Operation-based workbook updates where supported |
| PPTX | Operation-based deck updates where supported |
Text formats are generally the best fit for live co-writing. Binary formats such as DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX need more careful review because a single operation can affect layout, formulas, or objects.
Local and Shared Work
Nebula Writer is still local-first. Use local folders for private drafting and shared folders for team work.
Recommended pattern:
- Draft locally.
- Move or copy stable files into a shared folder.
- Collaborate on the shared draft.
- Save final exports back to the project.
This keeps private scratch work separate from team-visible deliverables.
Working With AI in Shared Contexts
AI features can help with shared documents, but the same review rules apply.
Good shared prompts:
Summarize the current shared draft and list unresolved questions.
Suggest edits for this section, but do not apply them until I review the plan.
Compare the slide deck with the shared research brief and flag inconsistencies.
Be explicit when a file is shared:
Do not rewrite the whole shared document. Only propose changes to the introduction.
Conflict and Review Practices
For team work:
- Save before major edits
- Avoid broad AI edits during live co-writing
- Announce when you are changing structure
- Review diffs before accepting changes
- Export final DOCX/PPTX deliverables to PDF for layout checks
- Keep source data and generated outputs clearly labeled
Connectivity Notes
Collaboration requires network access. If you are offline, continue local work and sync shared work when connectivity returns. If a shared document looks stale, refresh the project or reopen the shared folder.
Best Practices
- Use shared folders intentionally, not as a dumping ground
- Keep roles narrow
- Prefer text formats for live drafting
- Use reviewable diffs for AI edits
- Separate raw data from deliverable outputs
- Keep final exports in a clearly named folder