Docs

Docs is Coline's collaborative document editor for team writing, structured content, and knowledge sharing. It supports real-time collaboration, version history, change tracking, inline comments, templates, and flexible sharing with granular permissions.

Docs vs Notes

Docs and Notes serve different purposes:

• Docs: Collaborative documents designed for team editing, formal content, and review workflows. Includes version history, change tracking, and role-based permissions.
• Notes: Personal note-taking for quick capture, ideas, and individual organization. Simpler sharing model with folders and tags.

Use Docs when multiple people need to edit and review content. Use Notes for personal scratch space and quick thoughts.

Creating documents

There are several ways to create a document:

• New document: Click the plus button in the sidebar to create a blank document. The editor opens with the cursor in the title field.
• From template: Open the template gallery and select a pre-built template. Templates are organized by category: business, education, creative, and personal.
• Import file: Upload an existing document in .docx, .txt, or .md format. The content is converted and imported into a new doc.
• Import from URL: Paste a URL to import content from a web page.
• Paste from clipboard: Paste rich text or plain text content directly to create a new document.

Editor

The document editor provides rich text editing with a floating toolbar and slash commands.

Text formatting:

• Bold, Italic, Strikethrough
• Headings (H1, H2, H3)
• Text highlighting
• Links with inline editing

Block types:

• Bullet lists and numbered lists
• Task lists with interactive checkboxes
• Code blocks with syntax highlighting
• Math blocks for equations
• Callout boxes for notes, warnings, and tips
• Block quotes

Tables:

• Insert tables with drag handles for resizing
• Add and remove rows and columns
• Merge and split cells
• Toggle header rows

Media:

• Images via upload, drag and drop, or paste
• Video embeds
• GitHub embeds for code references
• Link cards with previews

Slash commands: Type / anywhere in the document to open the command menu. Search for any block type, formatting option, or action.

Collaboration

Docs supports real-time multi-user editing:

• Presence indicators: See who else is viewing or editing the document. Collaborator cursors appear in the editor with name labels.
• Simultaneous editing: Multiple users can edit different sections at the same time. Changes sync in real time.
• Conflict resolution: The editor handles concurrent edits automatically without overwriting changes.

Version history

Track document evolution with version snapshots:

• Automatic versions: Versions are saved periodically as you edit.
• Manual versions: Create a named version at any point to mark a milestone.
• Version browser: Open the version history panel to see all saved versions with timestamps and summaries.
• Compare versions: View the differences between any two versions.
• Restore: Revert to a previous version. The current content becomes a new version so nothing is lost.

Access version history from the document menu or toolbar.

Change tracking

Enable change tracking for formal review workflows:

• Track mode: When enabled, all edits are recorded as tracked changes rather than applied directly.
• Change types: Insertions, deletions, formatting changes, and replacements are tracked separately.
• Review panel: See all pending changes in a list with the author and timestamp for each.
• Accept or reject: Review each change individually or accept/reject all at once.
• Change status: Changes can be pending, accepted, or rejected.

Change tracking is useful for document reviews, editing passes, and approval workflows.

Inline comments

Add comments to specific text selections:

• Create comment: Select text and click the comment button, or use the keyboard shortcut. Type your comment and post.
• Threads: Reply to comments to create discussion threads.
• Mentions: Use @ to mention collaborators in comments. They receive a notification.
• Resolve: Mark comment threads as resolved when the discussion is complete. Resolved threads collapse but remain visible.
• Navigate: Click comments in the sidebar to jump to the highlighted text in the document.

Sharing and permissions

Share documents with workspace members or external users:

Direct sharing:

• Open the share dialog from the document header or menu
• Add collaborators by email address
• Set a role for each collaborator:
  • Viewer: Read-only access
  • Commenter: Can view and add comments but not edit content
  • Editor: Full editing access
• Update roles or remove collaborators at any time

Public links:

• Generate a shareable link for the document
• Set the default role for anyone with the link (viewer, commenter, or editor)
• Enable or disable anonymous access
• Set an expiration date for the link
• Copy the link to share outside the workspace

Templates

Start documents from pre-built templates:

Template categories:

• Business: Meeting notes, project briefs, proposals, reports
• Education: Lesson plans, study guides, research outlines
• Creative: Blog posts, scripts, story outlines
• Personal: Journals, goal tracking, travel plans

Using templates:

• Open the template gallery from the new document menu
• Browse by category or search by name
• Preview a template before selecting
• Create a document from the template with one click

Creating templates:

• Save any document as a template for reuse
• Templates preserve formatting, structure, and placeholder content

Document organization

Keep documents organized in the sidebar:

• Recent: Documents you opened recently, sorted by last access
• Starred: Documents you marked as favorites for quick access
• All documents: Complete list of documents you own or have access to
• Templates: Your saved templates and the template gallery

Star documents by clicking the star icon in the document header or sidebar.

Search

Find documents and content quickly:

• Document search: Filter the document list by title using the search bar in the sidebar
• In-document search: Press Cmd + F to search within the current document. Navigate between matches and use find-and-replace.

Word count

View document statistics from the toolbar:

• Word count
• Character count (with and without spaces)
• Paragraph count
• Reading time estimate

Export

Export documents in multiple formats:

• Print / PDF: Open the print dialog for printing or saving as PDF
• Markdown: Download as a .md file with formatting converted to markdown syntax
• Plain text: Download as a .txt file with formatting stripped

Keyboard shortcuts

Tips

• Use templates for recurring document types like meeting notes or project briefs. Starting from a template saves setup time and ensures consistency.
• Enable change tracking when collaborating on important documents that need review before finalizing.
• Create versions before major edits so you can easily compare or restore if needed.
• Use inline comments for feedback instead of editing directly when reviewing someone else's work.
• Star frequently accessed documents so they appear in the starred section for quick access.
• Share with appropriate roles: Use viewer for stakeholders who only need to read, commenter for reviewers, and editor for active collaborators.
• Use slash commands to quickly insert any block type without leaving the keyboard.