> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rootly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Real-Time Collaboration
> Work together on retrospectives with real-time editing, collaborative cursors, presence indicators, inline comments, and live co-authoring across teams.
## How Real-Time Collaboration Works
The retrospective editor supports simultaneous editing by multiple team members. Changes sync instantly across all connected users, eliminating version conflicts and enabling true collaborative writing.
Collaboration features include:
* **Real-time editing:** See changes as others make them
* **Collaborative cursors:** See where each person is working
* **@Mentions:** Tag users and reference incidents directly in the document
* **Inline comments:** Discuss specific sections without leaving the editor
* **Invite collaborators:** Share the retrospective via Slack or email
* **Document status:** Visual Draft/Published indicators so teams know where things stand
* **Activity sidebar:** See who recently viewed or edited the document
* **Version history:** See how your document evolved based on edits made by your team
Real-time collaboration uses conflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs) to merge changes automatically. No manual conflict resolution is required.
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## Collaborative Editing
When multiple users open the same retrospective, all changes sync automatically in real-time.
### What You'll Experience
* **Instant updates** — Text typed by others appears immediately
* **No conflicts** — Edits from all users merge seamlessly
* **Shared state** — Everyone sees the same document at all times
Even if two users edit the same paragraph simultaneously, changes merge correctly without overwriting each other's work.
### Presence Indicators
Shows who's viewing or editing the retrospective with user avatars, colored indicators, and real-time updates.
### Collaborative Cursors
See exactly where other users are working in the document with real-time feedback for typing, text selection and navigation.
## Inviting Collaborators
You can invite team members to collaborate on the retrospective directly from the editor.
### Invite via Slack
Post an invitation to the incident's Slack channel so team members can quickly jump into the editor.
### Invite via Email
Send an email notification to the incident team with a link to the retrospective editor.
### Copy URL
Copy the retrospective editor URL to share it directly via any channel.
Invite options are available from the editor header. Slack invitations are only available when the incident has a linked Slack channel.
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## Document Status
Retrospectives have two states that are visible to all collaborators via a status chip in the editor header.
### Draft
A yellow **Draft** chip indicates the retrospective is still being worked on. In this state, the document is only accessible to team members with edit access.
### Published
A green **Published** chip indicates the retrospective has been finalized. Published retrospectives:
* Are accessible via a public URL (for non-private incidents)
* Display the publication timestamp (e.g., "Last published at Mar 15, 2026 at 2:30pm UTC")
* Can still be edited and re-published
If the incident has not yet been resolved, publishing requires confirmation. This ensures retrospectives aren't accidentally published for ongoing incidents.
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## Activity Sidebar
The Activity sidebar shows who has recently viewed or edited the retrospective, giving you visibility into document engagement.
To open the Activity sidebar, click **More actions → Show activity** in the editor header.
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## Comments
Add inline comments to discuss specific parts of the retrospective with your team.
### Creating a Comment
Highlight the text you want to comment on.
Click the **comment** button in the toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut.
Type your comment in the dialog that appears.
Press Enter or click Submit to create the comment thread.
### Viewing Comments
Comments appear in three ways:
* **Node indicators:** Comments appear inline, attached to the relevant node in the editor.
* **Highlighted text:** Commented text is highlighted in the document. On narrower screens, click the highlight to view the comment.
* **Comments side panel:** View all open and resolved comment threads via the comments panel triggered from the actions dropdown in the header.
Access resolved threads anytime by clicking **More actions → Show resolved comments** in the editor header
### Comment Actions
| Action | Description |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Reply** | Add a response to an existing thread |
| **Resolve** | Mark the comment as addressed (hides from active view) |
| **Unresolve** | Mark the comment as unaddressed (visible in the All Comments side panel view) |
| **Delete** | Remove the comment entirely |
| **Edit** | Modify your own comment text |
### Comments Panel
On wider screens, comments display in a dedicated panel alongside the editor.
* **All threads:** See all active comment threads in one place
* **Click to navigate:** Click a thread to jump to that location in the document
* **Reply inline:** Respond to comments directly in the panel
* **Filter options:** View open/resolved comments
#### What Happens When Someone Comments
* The comment appears immediately for all users viewing the document
* The comments panel updates with the new thread
* The commented text becomes highlighted
#### What Happens When Someone Replies
* The reply appears in the thread for all users
* Users viewing the thread see the new reply instantly
Comments are stored with the document and persist across sessions. Team members who open the document later will see all existing comments.
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### Collaboration Best Practices
#### For Effective Teamwork
* **Communicate your focus area** If working with others simultaneously, let them know which section you're editing to avoid stepping on each other's work.
* **Use comments for async feedback** Comments are ideal for review cycles where not everyone is online at the same time.
* **Resolve comments when addressed** Keep the comments panel clean by resolving threads once feedback is incorporated.
* **Check presence before major edits** Glance at who's online before restructuring or deleting large sections.
#### For Comments
* **Be specific** Select the exact text you're commenting on rather than commenting on a general area.
* **Use threads for discussions** Reply to existing comments rather than creating new threads for the same topic.
* **Resolve, don't delete** Resolving preserves the history of feedback; deleting removes it permanently.
* **Tag specific questions** Make it clear if you need a response by phrasing comments as questions.
***
## Visibility and Permissions
### User Permissions
* All users with **edit access** to the incident can collaborate on its retrospective
* Users with **view-only access** can read but not edit or comment
* **Private incidents** restrict access to assigned users
### Comment Visibility
* Comments are visible to all users who can access the retrospective
* There are no private comments. All threads are shared
Collaboration access is determined by incident permissions. Check with your administrator if you need access to a specific incident's retrospective.
### Troubleshooting
There may be a brief delay (a few seconds) before a user's presence indicator disappears after they close the document. This is normal behavior.
Yes. The editor supports @mentions in the document body — type `@` to mention users or incidents. Hovering over a mention shows a popover with details like name, avatar, teams, and incident roles. @mentions in comment threads are not currently supported.
Users can only edit or delete their own comments. To remove someone else's comment, ask them to delete it or contact an administrator.