# Feature request: allow sharing/collaboration in draft mode

**URL:** <https://talk.observablehq.com/t/feature-request-allow-sharing-collaboration-in-draft-mode/403>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [February 22, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://talk.observablehq.com/t/feature-request-allow-sharing-collaboration-in-draft-mode/403 "2018-02-22T18:59:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![john-clarke](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.observablehq.com/john-clarke/32/219_2.png) [@john-clarke](https://talk.observablehq.com/u/john-clarke)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://talk.observablehq.com/t/feature-request-allow-sharing-collaboration-in-draft-mode/403/1 "2018-02-22T18:59:30Z")

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I was talking with a colleague and we wanted to collaborate on a workbook, but realized there were perhaps two issues preventing us from doing so:

1. We’d have to make it public first (can’t seem to share private notebooks) but we don’t want our work to show up on the homepage/recent changes on every change until we’re ready
2. We’re wondering how it would work to pair program (think Google Sheets/Docs with multiple cursors)

I think #1 could be really useful and hopefully not too hard to implement  
#2 would likely be hard to implement, but a really cool feature

Just some ideas to consider. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![jashkenas](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.observablehq.com/jashkenas/32/1778_2.png) [@jashkenas](https://talk.observablehq.com/u/jashkenas)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2018, 8:31pm UTC](https://talk.observablehq.com/t/feature-request-allow-sharing-collaboration-in-draft-mode/403/2 "2018-02-22T20:31:08Z")

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Hi John.

Nothing specific to announce now — but we’re highly aware of how useful and convenient it would be to collaborate on shared private notebooks, and to do so live, with real-time edits. We’re working on the problem.

For a taste of the infrastructure that’s already in place, try logging in on two different computers, and editing the same draft notebook on each, simultaneously. Although we don’t yet have a good “presence” UI for what the other cursor is up to … you’ll see the changes reflected immediately across sessions.

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**Author:** ![argyleink](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.observablehq.com/argyleink/32/298_2.png) [@argyleink](https://talk.observablehq.com/u/argyleink)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 3:23am UTC](https://talk.observablehq.com/t/feature-request-allow-sharing-collaboration-in-draft-mode/403/3 "2018-03-11T03:23:27Z")

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I have to publish to get proof reads from pals… Would be nice if I didn’t have to.

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**Author:** ![argyleink](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/talk.observablehq.com/argyleink/32/298_2.png) [@argyleink](https://talk.observablehq.com/u/argyleink)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://talk.observablehq.com/t/feature-request-allow-sharing-collaboration-in-draft-mode/403/4 "2018-03-11T20:57:28Z")

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current workflow:

- create draft, do my best, publish it
- give to a few friends
- update notebook
- repeat
- when done, fork notebook
- ensure title and url are what is newest, publish
- share out to world