Collaborative Editing
The Collaborative Editing extension transforms your Directus project into a real-time collaborative platform where multiple users can edit content simultaneously. This extension provides conflict-free collaborative editing through smart field locking, user awareness indicators, and instant synchronization across all connected clients.
This documentation covers everything you need to know about implementing, using, and developing with collaborative editing in your Directus projects.
Overview Video
Key Features
- Real-time Collaboration - Multiple users edit simultaneously with instant synchronization
- Smart Field Locking - Automatic conflict prevention through field-level locking
- User Awareness - Visual indicators show who's editing what in real-time
- Universal Support - Works across collections, file library, user directory, and relationships
- Flexible Configuration - Deploy globally or selectively per collection
How It Works
The Collaborative Editing extension provides a sophisticated real-time collaboration experience:
| Feature | Traditional Way | Collaborative Editing |
|---|---|---|
| User Awareness | No visibility of other users | Real-time avatars show who's editing |
| Conflict Prevention | Manual coordination required | Automatic field locking prevents conflicts |
| Real-time Updates | Manual refresh needed | Instant synchronization across all users |
| Relationship Editing | Limited to single users | Multiple users can edit related content |
Getting Started
Follow these guides to implement collaborative editing in your Directus project:
- Installation & Configuration - Install the extension and configure settings
- Usage Guide - Learn the basics of collaborative editing
- Development & Custom Extensions - Integrate with custom interfaces
Requirements
- Directus 11.8.0 or higher
- WebSockets enabled in your Directus configuration
- Marketplace trust settings configured for non-sandboxed extensions (if installing through Marketplace)
Technology Overview
The extension uses Y.js CRDT technology for conflict-free collaborative editing and WebSocket communication for real-time synchronization. All collaborative actions respect Directus user permissions and access controls.
Next Steps
Ready to enable collaborative editing? Start with the Installation & Configuration guide to get up and running, then explore the Usage Guide for daily workflows.
Transform your Directus project into a collaborative workspace where teams can work together seamlessly on content creation and management.
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