DocuSphere uses Clerk to handle authentication. When you open DocuSphere for the first time, Clerk’s sign-in UI appears automatically before you can access any documents. This page explains how to sign in, manage your account and organization, and what common authentication errors mean.
How to sign in
Navigate to your DocuSphere URL in any modern browser. If you are not already signed in, Clerk’s sign-in form appears in the center of the screen. DocuSphere supports whichever sign-in methods your Clerk application has enabled — this typically includes email and password, and may include social providers such as Google or GitHub depending on how your Clerk app is configured.
Enter your credentials and submit the form. Once authenticated, you are taken directly to your document dashboard.
Signing out
To sign out, click the user button in the top-right corner of the navigation bar. This opens a small menu where you can view your profile and select Sign out. You are immediately returned to the sign-in screen.
Organization management
DocuSphere supports Clerk organizations, which let you collaborate with teammates under a shared workspace. The organization switcher in the navigation bar shows your current context — either your personal account or an organization you belong to.
From the organization switcher you can:
- Create a new organization — enter a name and invite members by email.
- Switch between workspaces — click any organization in the list to switch context. Documents created in that context belong to the organization.
- Leave an organization — open the organization’s settings from the switcher and select Leave.
Use the organization switcher to move between your personal workspace and a team workspace. Documents you create while an organization is selected are visible to all members of that organization.
Session persistence
Clerk manages session tokens automatically. You stay signed in across page refreshes and browser restarts until your session expires or you explicitly sign out. You do not need to sign in again each time you open DocuSphere.
Understanding authorization errors
If you see an Unauthorized error or a message saying Document not found, here is what it means:
- Session expired — your Clerk session may have timed out. Sign out and sign back in to refresh your session.
- Accessing another user’s document — if you attempt to open a document you do not own and are not an organization member for, DocuSphere returns a “Document not found” or “Unauthorized” response. This is intentional — documents are only accessible to their owner and members of the organization they were created in.
- Organization context mismatch — if a document was created in an organization context and you are currently signed in under your personal workspace, switch to the correct organization using the organization switcher and try again.