What is real-time editing?
Real-time editing refers to when multiple team members can work on—and edit— a single file simultaneously. Any changes to that file update for every user almost instantaneously. This kind of real-time collaboration relies on online, cloud-based applications that allow any number of users to access and edit files synchronously. That could be from computers, tablets or mobile devices. And with the right tools it can be from anywhere, too.
In the past, real-time editing and collaboration were only really possible with text-based content. You could, for example, edit documents stored online in cloud storage or work in collaborative document editing tools like Dropbox Paper. Now, however, real-time video and audio editing are possible thanks to tools like Dropbox Replay.
How do teams edit files together in real time?
Teams edit files together in real time using cloud-based tools that sync changes instantly for everyone working in the same file. Each person can see updates as they happen, along with indicators showing who’s editing what, so work moves forward without overwriting changes or creating duplicate versions. Permissions, comments and live notifications keep collaboration organised and aligned in one shared source of truth.
How do I handle conflicts when two people edit the same file?
Most real-time editing tools automatically prevent conflicts by syncing changes as they happen and showing who’s editing which part of a file. If changes do overlap, built-in version history in Dropbox lets you review earlier versions, compare edits and restore the correct one without losing work. This ensures teams can collaborate confidently, even when multiple people are editing at the same time.
6 things collaborative real-time editing can unlock for your team
The ability of coworkers to collaborate in real time means you can save not just time, but money and resources too.
1. More meaningful meetings
Where in-person meetings are still necessary, real-time editing can be used to really make the most of them. Dropbox Paper has customisable agenda and meeting minutes templates which, coupled with live editing, allow for a more focused, productive meeting. Everyone can take notes in real time in the same place without needing to depend on a single minute-taker. It’s a great way to ensure that all the important info is easily accessible to the entire team.
Let’s say you and your teammates are offsite at a workshop learning about a client’s new products that you’ll be campaigning. Rather than each person taking their own notes and then having to merge them after the fact, you could instead all work on the same document, saving you time and ensuring no detail gets missed.
2. Better, synchronous multi-tasking
Imagine a team is producing an article for their website’s blog. They might have one or two people researching the topic and adding their notes to a Dropbox Paper file. At the same time, the writer of the article can monitor the research as it comes and get a head start on production.
Should there be any changes in the brief or additional notes after production has begun, team members can easily add these notes as annotations on the same Dropbox Paper document. They can even tag the writer so they’re instantly notified.
Without real-time editing, these tasks would’ve had to occur consecutively, not simultaneously. This doesn’t just take time but also means having to send new versions of files or lengthy email chains whenever there’s an update. That could lead to messy and confusing file management as versions of your content documents begin to stack up.
Real-time editing lets everyone work within a single space, so you won’t have to navigate endless near-identical files to make sure you’ve got what you need.
3. Productive review processes
Real-time editing makes the review and feedback process more efficient and productive than ever.
Once a piece of content has been produced, you may need to run it by not only a proofreader or reviewer but also clients, partners, legal teams and other relevant parties. Through real-time editing, you don’t need to wait for one person to add their notes before the next can hop in. Everyone can annotate the document or video at the same time, and talent can get straight into implementing feedback as it comes through.
If you’re working with others on a video project, you can even host a live virtual review of your video using Dropbox Replay for everyone to watch, comment on and add notes directly to your video. That’s all the comments, feedback and amends logged in one place, ready for you to action from one single source of truth.
Replay is built for reviewing video, audio and images with time-stamped, frame-accurate comments and annotations. As edits progress, you can upload new versions and compare them side by side, so feedback stays tied to the right cut and approvals move faster.
No matter what type of content you’re working with, if you have a two-step review process, real-time editing saves the hassle of having to save and send each amended version separately. The moment the first review is complete, you can quickly notify the next reviewer at the click of a button so the work can continue to flow organically.
4. Effective feedback loops
You can streamline the entire feedback process with live editing. If comments and feedback are coming from more than one person, you want to make sure that it’s easy to see all the important notes all in one place. It’s a hassle to have to go through numerous email chains, chats and document or video markups to gather all the feedback and notes you need, and it can lead to important points being missed.
Annotations on Dropbox Paper allow any user with access to add their feedback directly to the document they’re reviewing. Beyond Paper, you can annotate photos, PDFs, Excel files, Photoshop files and more without needing any additional software.
When you tag a coworker either as a comment or in the body of a Dropbox Paper document, they’ll be instantly notified, and the owner of the file is notified of any changes whether they’re tagged or not. The same goes for adding comments to a video in Dropbox Replay. This means the flow is never interrupted and you can keep the ball rolling without delays.
With real-time editing, important feedback is always easy to find, manage and implement. You can easily see:
- what the feedback is
- the specific section in a document or timestamp of a video the feedback relates to
- who gave the feedback
- any discussions among team members about that specific feedback
…all neatly arranged in digestible threads, ready for you to action.
You get notifications when files are updated through built-in alerts in tools like Dropbox. When someone edits a file, adds a comment or @mentions you, you’re notified instantly—so you can review changes, respond to feedback or take action without constantly checking the file. These notifications help teams stay aligned and keep work moving forward in real time.
You can see file changes with version history and activity tracking via powerful collaboration features. This shows what was changed, who changed it and when. You can check edits, watch progress and go back to older versions if needed. Comments or notes help explain changes to keep everyone aligned.
Tech teams can work together in real time using shared cloud files with comments and version history. They can review specs, diagrams and code, leave feedback and see updates instantly. This keeps discussions tied to the work, reduces switching between tools and makes sure everyone is up to date.
Effective feedback loops allow for a more organised work environment, which will ultimately improve the quality of the work you produce as you’ll be better equipped to identify and overcome any problems that arise, as they arise.
5. Smoother projects, happier project managers
Live editing makes project management easier, allowing project managers to bypass convoluted processes and messy communication.
Instead, they can streamline their workflow from a central space where every team member can communicate and collaborate together in real time.
6. An easy way to edit Microsoft Office and Google Docs files in real time
It’s not just Paper or video files that you can edit in real time on Dropbox. Integrate your Dropbox account with Microsoft Office, and you’ll also be able to edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files online collaboratively. You can also collaborate on Google Docs, Sheets and Slides directly from Dropbox.com.
You’ll be able to see in real time who’s working on the file and communicate directly with them through comments. Any changes made will be automatically saved to your Dropbox, and your teammates can keep working on the file even if you close it.
This lets you streamline your processes better. For instance, rather than having five separate spreadsheets being passed around for various components of an analysis project, you can all work on a single Excel file with tabs for each section, knowing any changes are instantly saved in your Dropbox.
Get real-time editing tools at your fingertips
Dropbox doesn’t just enable real-time editing, it amplifies it.
Start by transforming the blank canvas of Dropbox Paper into a fully functional workspace for every step of a project’s lifespan. Create checklists and to-do lists on the go and instantly notify your coworkers whenever changes are made. You can even add SoundCloud clips and YouTube videos.
Working on a video project? Plan and storyboard in Dropbox Paper, then when it comes to reviewing the video and requesting feedback, simply open up your video in Dropbox Replay. With a simple shared link, you can collect and collate time-stamped feedback, all in real time. Reviewers don’t even need their own Dropbox account to collaborate with you.
Keep your team’s work secure, organised and easy to share with Dropbox—everything you need to collaborate smoothly, all in one place.
From the early strategy planning to the feedback and finalisation stages, you can enhance your team’s workflow, productivity and output with real-time editing tools like Dropbox Paper and Dropbox Replay. It’s that easy to up your team’s game with real-time editing. All you need to do is get started with Dropbox.
