> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tablixhq.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sharing & Collaboration

> How to share a spreadsheet with a link, set Viewer/Editor access, and collaborate in real time.

Tablix lets you share a spreadsheet via a link, choose whether people can only view it or also edit it, and see who else is in the file with you in real time — no separate invite system, just a link.

<Note>
  Sharing requires the spreadsheet to be saved to your connected **Google Drive** first. If Drive isn't connected, clicking Share will prompt you to connect it. See [Getting Started](/getting-started#saving-your-work).
</Note>

## Opening the Share Modal

Click the **Share** button in the toolbar (visible to everyone in the file, but the actual controls are only editable by the file's **owner**).

## General Access: Private vs. Public

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Private (default)">
    Only you (the owner) can open the file. The link field shows a masked placeholder instead of a real URL, and **Copy Link** is disabled.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Public">
    Click **Get Link** to make the file accessible to anyone who has the link. This generates a unique **share token** used in the shareable URL. Click **Restrict Access** at any time to turn it back to Private — this immediately invalidates the previous link.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Access Mode: Viewer vs. Editor

Once a file is Public, the owner can set the **Access Mode**:

| Mode       | What guests can do                                                   |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Viewer** | Open and read the spreadsheet only — read-only, no changes are saved |
| **Editor** | Open, edit, and save changes back to the shared file                 |

<Warning>
  Only the file owner can change General Access or Access Mode. Anyone who opens the file via a shared link (i.e. the URL contains a token) is treated as a guest, never as the owner — even if they also have their own Tablix account.
</Warning>

## The Shareable Link

Once the file is Public, the link box shows a real URL in the form:

```
https://<your-domain>/#/sheet?id=<fileId>&token=<shareToken>
```

Click **Copy Link** to copy it to your clipboard (the button briefly shows "Copied" for confirmation). Anyone who opens this link:

* **Does not need to log in or have a Tablix account** — guest access works entirely through the link's token
* Sees the spreadsheet in **View Only** mode (title shows "(View Only)") unless Access Mode is set to Editor
* In Editor mode, their changes are saved back to the same file that the owner sees

## Real-Time Collaboration

While a file is open, Tablix shows everyone currently viewing it:

* The **"People with access"** list in the Share modal shows the owner (with an **Owner** badge) and every other online collaborator (with an **Editor** or **Viewer** badge matching the current Access Mode), each with an avatar/initial and a green "online" dot
* If the owner changes sharing settings while others are connected, those changes are **broadcast instantly** to everyone in the file — a viewer can be upgraded/downgraded to editor (or vice versa) without anyone needing to refresh

## Collaboration Limits

To keep shared files responsive, Tablix caps how many people can be active in one file at once:

| Limit                                                    | Behavior                                                                                                                                                                          |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| More than **10** simultaneous guests (via a shared link) | New guests are automatically switched to **view-only**, with a banner: *"Collaboration limit reached (10+ users). You are in view-only mode to save resources."*                  |
| More than **20** simultaneous guests (via a shared link) | New guests are blocked entirely with a full-screen message: *"File is too busy — This file has reached the maximum viewer limit of 20 users."* and a button back to the Dashboard |

<Info>
  These limits apply to guests joining through a **shared link**. The file owner is never blocked from their own file.
</Info>

## Summary: Typical Sharing Flow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Share">
    Click **Share** in the toolbar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make it public">
    Click **Get Link** under General Access.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose access mode">
    Pick **Viewer** (read-only) or **Editor** (can edit and save).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy and send the link">
    Click **Copy Link** and share it with whoever needs access — they don't need a Tablix account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Collaborate live">
    Watch collaborators appear in the "People with access" list as they join, with their current role shown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Revoke anytime">
    Click **Restrict Access** to make the file private again and invalidate the old link.
  </Step>
</Steps>