Skip to main content

Viewing Active Users

OfficeDocs shows when other people are viewing or editing the same document. These presence indicators help teams stay aware of who is active in the file and make collaboration easier to manage. 

Where to see active users

You can usually see active user indicators in the editor interface while a shared document is open. These indicators may appear in the editor header and show how many people are currently working in the file. 

Look for active users in:

  • the editor header or toolbar area
  • user avatars or initials
  • participant count indicators or user badges 

image.png

User information displayed

When you hover over or click a user indicator, you may see more details about that person’s activity in the file.

This information can include:

  • Name — the user’s display name
  • Status — whether the user is viewing or editing
  • Color — the color associated with that user during collaboration 
Cursor presence

During collaborative editing, OfficeDocs can show where other people are working in the document. In some collaboration modes, edited areas and active cursors are visible to help users avoid overlapping work.

In collaborative sessions:

  • each user may have a colored cursor
  • the cursor can show the user’s current position in the document
  • labels can identify who the cursor belongs to
  • selections or edited areas may appear in user-specific colors 

image.png

Internal vs. external users

Depending on how the document is shared, the people shown in the active user list may include both internal users and external users. External users can access shared documents through external links, while portal users are part of your organization’s workspace. 

Internal users

Internal users are users from your organization or workspace.

  • they belong to your organization’s workspace
  • their names can appear in the user list
  • they may have profile pictures or account information associated with their account 

External users

External users are people who access a document through a shared link instead of through a full portal account. In ONLYOFFICE materials, these users are tracked separately from portal users.

  • they access the file through a shared external link
  • they may appear separately from internal users
  • depending on your setup, their displayed identity may differ from portal users
Using presence information

Presence indicators can help teams work more efficiently when several people are involved in the same file.

You can use this information to:

  • avoid editing the same section as someone else
  • know when to start a collaborative discussion
  • see whether reviewers or collaborators have opened the document
  • coordinate handoffs between team members
When presence updates

Presence information updates automatically as users join or leave a shared document session.

  • opening a document adds your presence to the session
  • closing the document removes your presence
  • if the connection is interrupted, your status may update temporarily
  • reconnecting restores your active presence in the file 
Privacy note

Presence indicators are visible to people who already have access to the document.

  • other users can see when you open a shared file
  • collaborators may be able to see where you are working in the document
  • user presence is part of the collaboration experience in shared editing sessions 
Back to top