Skip to main content
ThinkEx enables seamless collaboration through workspace sharing. Multiple users can work together in the same workspace, with real-time synchronization and flexible permission controls.

​
Collaboration Overview

ThinkEx uses an event-sourced architecture for collaboration, ensuring that all changes are synchronized across collaborators in real-time.

​
Key Features

Real-Time Sync

See changes from collaborators instantly

Permission Levels

Control who can view or edit

Event Sourcing

Complete history of all changes

Conflict Resolution

Automatic handling of concurrent edits

​
Workspace Sharing

Every workspace has an owner and can have multiple collaborators with different permission levels.

​
Permission Levels

Full editing accessEditors can:
  • Create, edit, and delete cards
  • Reorganize the workspace
  • Invite other collaborators
  • Use the AI assistant
  • Generate share links
Editors have the same capabilities as the workspace owner, except they cannot delete the workspace itself.

​
Inviting Collaborators

There are two ways to invite people to your workspace:

​
Email Invites

Invite specific people by email address:
1

Open workspace settings

Click the workspace menu in the sidebar
2

Go to collaborators

Select “Manage Collaborators”
3

Enter email address

Type the email of the person you want to invite
4

Set permission level

Choose Editor or Viewer access
5

Send invite

The recipient receives an email with an invite link

​
Email Invite Properties

  • Single-use: Each invite can only be claimed once
  • Expiration: Invites expire after a set time period
  • Email-restricted: Only the invited email can claim the invite
  • Token-based: Secure token ensures invite authenticity
Create a multi-use link that anyone can use to join:
1

Open sharing settings

Access the workspace collaboration menu
2

Generate share link

Click “Create Share Link”
3

Set permission

Choose Editor or Viewer access for the link
4

Set expiration

Choose when the link should expire
5

Copy and share

Share the link with anyone who needs access
  • Multi-use: Can be used by multiple people
  • Open access: Anyone with the link can join
  • Expiration: Links expire at the set time
  • One per workspace: Each workspace can have one active share link
Use email invites for specific team members and share links for broader groups like classmates or project teams.

​
Real-Time Synchronization

ThinkEx uses WebSockets (via Supabase Realtime) for instant synchronization across all collaborators.

​
Event Sourcing Architecture

All workspace changes are stored as events:
  1. User makes change: Create, edit, delete, or move a card
  2. Event created: Change is recorded as an event
  3. Event broadcast: WebSocket sends event to all collaborators
  4. State updated: Each client applies the event to their local state
  5. UI updates: Changes appear instantly for all users

​
What Gets Synchronized

  • Card creation: New notes, flashcards, PDFs, etc.
  • Card edits: Changes to card content
  • Card deletion: Removed cards
  • Card moves: Position and layout changes
  • Folder operations: Creating and organizing folders
  • Renames: Card and workspace name changes
The event sourcing architecture ensures that every change is captured and synchronized, providing a complete audit trail of workspace history.

​
Workspace Events

Events are the building blocks of collaboration. Each event represents a single change to the workspace.

​
Event Properties

  • Event ID: Unique identifier for the event
  • Event Type: Type of change (e.g., “create_item”, “update_item”)
  • Payload: Data describing the change
  • Timestamp: When the event occurred
  • User ID: Who made the change
  • User Name: Display name of the user
  • Version: Sequential version number

​
Event Types

Common event types include:
  • create_item: New card created
  • update_item: Card content or properties changed
  • delete_item: Card removed
  • move_item: Card repositioned
  • rename_item: Card renamed
  • create_folder: New folder created
  • update_workspace_metadata: Workspace name or description changed

​
Conflict Resolution

ThinkEx handles concurrent edits automatically using optimistic updates and version tracking.

​
How Conflicts Are Resolved

1

Optimistic update

Changes appear instantly in your UI
2

Server validation

Server checks for conflicts with other users’ changes
3

Conflict detection

If another user edited the same content, a conflict is detected
4

Last-write-wins

The most recent change (by timestamp) takes precedence
5

UI sync

All clients update to show the resolved state

​
AI Conflict Detection

The AI assistant uses lastModified timestamps to detect conflicts:
  • Tracks when each card was last changed
  • Compares timestamps before making AI edits
  • Warns if content changed since AI last read it
  • Prevents overwriting recent user changes
If two users edit the same card simultaneously, the last save wins. To avoid losing work, communicate with collaborators about who’s editing what.

​
Workspace Snapshots

ThinkEx creates periodic snapshots of workspace state for performance optimization.

​
Snapshot System

  • Periodic creation: Snapshots created every N events
  • Fast loading: New collaborators load from snapshot + recent events
  • Version tracking: Each snapshot has a version number
  • Complete state: Full workspace state at a point in time

​
Benefits

  • Faster workspace loading for new collaborators
  • Reduced event replay overhead
  • Backup points for workspace history

​
Collaborator Management

Workspace owners and editors can manage collaborators.

​
Managing Access

See who has access to the workspace:
  • List of all collaborators
  • Permission level for each
  • Last time each person opened the workspace
  • When they joined

​
Frequent Collaborators

ThinkEx tracks who you collaborate with most:
  • Automatically suggests frequent collaborators when inviting
  • Based on shared workspace history
  • Makes it faster to add the same team repeatedly

​
Use Cases

  • Share class notes with classmates
  • Collaborate on study guides
  • Create shared flashcard decks
  • Quiz each other on material
  • Keep all group resources in one place
  • Collect research papers together
  • Share literature notes
  • Collaborate on summaries
  • Organize sources by topic
  • Track research progress
  • Share project documentation
  • Collect reference materials
  • Create project notes
  • Track action items
  • Keep everyone on the same page
  • Share course materials with students
  • Create class workspaces
  • Provide feedback on student work
  • Share resources and readings
  • Track student progress

​
Best Practices

​
Communication

  • Discuss major changes before making them
  • Use workspace naming conventions
  • Coordinate who’s working on what
  • Set expectations for response times

​
Organization

  • Create clear folder structures
  • Use descriptive card names
  • Establish naming conventions
  • Keep related content together
  • Archive completed work

​
Permissions

  • Use Viewer access for read-only sharing
  • Grant Editor access to active collaborators
  • Review collaborator list regularly
  • Remove access when no longer needed
  • Use email invites for trusted collaborators
  • Use share links for temporary access

​
Performance

  • Avoid extremely large workspaces (100+ cards)
  • Create separate workspaces for different projects
  • Archive old content regularly
  • Keep active workspace focused
For large teams, consider creating multiple smaller workspaces rather than one massive shared workspace. This improves performance and makes it easier to organize content.

​
Technical Details

​
Database Schema

Collaboration uses these tables:
  • workspace_collaborators: Tracks who has access
  • workspace_invites: Email-based invitations
  • workspace_share_links: Multi-use share links
  • workspace_events: All workspace changes
  • workspace_snapshots: Periodic state snapshots

​
Real-Time Connection

ThinkEx uses Supabase Realtime:
  • WebSocket connection for each workspace
  • Automatic reconnection on disconnect
  • Efficient delta updates
  • Low-latency synchronization

​
Security

  • Row-level security policies on all tables
  • JWT-based authentication
  • Secure token generation for invites
  • Permission checks on every operation
Collaboration features require a Supabase backend. Local-only mode does not support multi-user collaboration.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us