Real-Time Collaboration

Write together in real time with co-writers, editors, and collaborators.

Overview

OpenDraft supports real-time collaboration — multiple people can edit the same screenplay simultaneously, with changes syncing instantly. You can see each collaborator's cursor position and edits as they happen.

Collaboration syncs everything in real time: screenplay text, character profiles, script notes, tags, beats, and scene synopses.

Setting Up Collaboration

Before you can collaborate, you need to configure a collaboration server and create an account.

Configure the Collaboration Server

1. Open System Settings (from the app menu or gear icon).
2. Find the Collaboration Server section.
3. Enter the server URL. Use wss:// for encrypted connections (recommended) or ws:// for local networks.
4. Click Test Connection to verify the server is reachable.

Create an Account

1. In System Settings, find the Collaboration Account section.
2. Click Register to create a new account with your email and password.
3. If email verification is enabled on the server, enter the 6-digit code sent to your email.
4. Alternatively, use Sign in with Google if the server supports it.

Starting a Collaboration Session

As the host, you invite others to your screenplay by creating invite links.

1. Open the screenplay you want to share.
2. Go to Tools > Collaborate... to open the Share dialog.
3. Enter the collaborator's name (for your reference).
4. Choose a permission level:
   • Co-Edit — Full read-write access. The collaborator can modify the screenplay.
   • Read Only — View-only access. The collaborator can see the screenplay and follow edits in real time but cannot make changes.
5. Set the Token Valid For duration (how long the invite link stays active). Options range from 30 minutes to 30 days.
6. Click Invite to generate the link.
7. Click Copy Link to copy the invite URL and share it with your collaborator.

Joining a Collaboration Session

1. Go to Tools > Join Collaboration...
2. Paste the invite link or token you received.
3. Click Join.
4. The shared screenplay opens in your editor with the permissions assigned by the host.

During a Collaboration Session

While collaborating, a green Live Collaboration bar appears at the top of the editor showing the session status and connected users.

• Colored cursors — Each collaborator has a unique color. Their cursor position and name tag are visible in real time.
• Instant sync — All changes (text edits, formatting, metadata) sync automatically.
• No conflicts — OpenDraft uses CRDT technology (Yjs) to merge concurrent edits without conflicts.

What Gets Synced

Everything syncs in real time between all connected collaborators:

• Screenplay text and formatting
• Character profiles
• Script notes and general notes
• Tags and tag categories
• Beats and beat board structure
• Scene synopses

Managing Invites

The Share dialog (Tools > Collaborate...) shows all active invites for the current screenplay.

For each invite, you can see:

• The collaborator's name and role (Co-Edit or Read Only)
• When the invite was created and when it expires

You can:

• Copy Link — Re-copy the invite URL
• Revoke — Cancel a specific invite, disconnecting that collaborator

Ending a Session

To end a collaboration session:

• As host: Click End Session in the collaboration bar, or revoke all invites from the Share dialog. All collaborators are disconnected.
• As guest: Close the editor tab or navigate away. Your connection ends but the session continues for others.

Invite Defaults

In System Settings > Invite Defaults, you can set the default token expiry time for new invites. This saves you from changing it every time you create an invite. The default is 1 hour.