> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.apryse.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.apryse.com/web/get-started/samples/showcase-demo-document-collaboration.md).

# Document Collaboration Showcase Demo Code Sample

Add real-time document collaboration into your application, with synchronized user permissions, annotations, comments, and status updates

{% hint style="info" %}
**Requirements**

*These packages are required to use these features in production. Trial keys have unlimited access to all features*

<a href="/web/get-started/readme.md" class="button primary">Web SDK</a><a href="https://showcase.apryse.com/document-collaboration" class="button primary">Live demo</a>
{% endhint %}

Easily integrate real-time document collaboration into your application with synchronized user permissions, annotations, comments, and status updates.

This demo allows you to:

* Add users and their permissions to edit documents. In this sample: "Ruby" and "Cedrick".
* Display two viewers that load a document from the same URL.
* Add edits on one document and view the same on the other document:
  * Annotations
  * Shapes
  * Comments
  * Status icons

**Implementation steps** To add real-time document collaboration with WebViewer:

Step 1: Choose your [preferred web stack](/web/get-started/readme.md). Step 2: Add the ES6 JavaScript sample code provided in this guide.

Once you generate your license key, it will automatically be included in your sample code below.

{% @apryse-license-key/apryse-license-key platform="WEB\_VIEWER" variant="compact" %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="index.js" %}

<pre class="language-js" data-line-numbers><code class="lang-js">// ES6 Compliant Syntax
// GitHub Copilot v1.0, Claude Sonnet 4, October 28, 2025
// File: index.js

import WebViewer, { Core } from '@pdftron/webviewer';

// Document Collaboration Demo
// This code demonstrates how to embed real-time document collaboration in WebViewer, supporting user permissions and syncing of annotation data.

const viewers = [
    { elementId: 'leftPanel' },
    { elementId: 'rightPanel' },
];

// Example users for each viewer
// Ruby is using the left viewer, Cedrick is using the right viewer
const userList = {
    Ruby: { permissions: 'user', canView: true, hidden: [] },
    Cedrick: { permissions: 'user', canView: true, hidden: [] },
};

// This will store WebViewer instances for each user
let userInstances = {
    Ruby: null,
    Cedrick: null,
};

// URL and history management
const searchParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
const history = window.history || window.parent.history || window.top.history;

// License key for WebViewer and PDF worker
const licenseKey = '<code class="expression">visitor.claims.wvKey || "YOUR_WEBVIEWER_LICENSE_KEY"</code>';

// Normally, the webviewer automatically creates and manages the PDF worker internally
// Since multiple WebViewer instances are being created, 
// implicitly create the worker and share it across all instances to save resources
let workerTransportPromise = null;

// Initialize webviewer function
const initializeWebViewer = (viewerElement, viewerUser) => {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        // This code initializes the WebViewer with the basic settings
        WebViewer({
            path: '/lib',
            licenseKey: licenseKey,
            useDownloader: false
        }, viewerElement).then((instance) => {
            // Enable the measurement toolbar so it appears with all the other tools, and disable Cloudy rectangular tool
            const cloudyTools = [
                instance.Core.Tools.ToolNames.CLOUDY_RECTANGULAR_AREA_MEASUREMENT,
                instance.Core.Tools.ToolNames.CLOUDY_RECTANGULAR_AREA_MEASUREMENT2,
                instance.Core.Tools.ToolNames.CLOUDY_RECTANGULAR_AREA_MEASUREMENT3,
                instance.Core.Tools.ToolNames.CLOUDY_RECTANGULAR_AREA_MEASUREMENT4,
            ];
            instance.UI.enableFeatures([instance.UI.Feature.Measurement, instance.UI.Feature.Initials]);
            instance.UI.disableTools(cloudyTools);

            // Set default toolbar group to Annotate
            instance.UI.setToolbarGroup('toolbarGroup-Annotate');

            // Set default tool on mobile devices to Pan.
            if (UIElements.isMobileDevice()) {
                instance.UI.setToolMode(instance.Core.Tools.ToolNames.PAN);
            }

            instance.Core.documentViewer.addEventListener('documentUnloaded', () => {
                if (searchParams.has('file')) {
                    searchParams.delete('file');
                    history.replaceState(null, '', '?' + searchParams.toString());
                }
            });

            instance.Core.annotationManager.enableAnnotationNumbering();
            instance.UI.NotesPanel.enableAttachmentPreview();

            // Add the demo-specific functionality
            customizeUI(instance, viewerUser).then(resolve).catch(reject);
        }).catch(reject);
    });
};

const customizeUI = async (instance, viewerUser) => {
    // Store the instance for this user
    userInstances[viewerUser] = instance;

    // Since multiple WebViewer instances are being created,
    // Share the PDF worker across all instances to save resources
    instance.Core.setWorkerTransportPromise(workerTransportPromise);

    // Customize UI elements to show only relevant tools
    instance.UI.disableElements([
        'freeHandToolButton',
        'freeHandHighlightToolButton',
        'toolbarGroup-Insert',
        'toolbarGroup-Measure',
        'toolbarGroup-Edit',
        'toolbarGroup-Forms',
        'toolbarGroup-FillAndSign',
        'toolbarGroup-EditText',
    ]);
    instance.UI.setActiveRibbonItem('ribbonGroup-Annotate');

    // Load the default document
    await instance.UI.loadDocument('https://apryse.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/files/samples/WebviewerDemoDoc.pdf');

    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        // Set up the mentions user data using the userList defined above
        // This allows users to mention each other in comments using @username
        const userData = Object.keys(userList).map((user) => ({
            value: user,
            email: `${user.toLowerCase()}@apryse.com`,
        }));
        instance.UI.mentions.setUserData(userData);

        // Set the current user for the annotation manager
        const { annotationManager } = instance.Core;
        annotationManager.setCurrentUser(viewerUser);
        annotationManager.disableReadOnlyMode();
        annotationManager.demoteUserFromAdmin();

        const allAnnots = annotationManager.getAnnotationsList();
        annotationManager.showAnnotations(allAnnots);

        // Configure annotation change listener to store export xfdf strings for each user
        annotationManager.addEventListener('annotationChanged', (annotations, action) => {
            if (action === 'add' || action === 'modify' || action === 'delete') {
                annotationManager.exportAnnotationCommand().then((xfdfString) => {
                    syncAnnotations(xfdfString, viewerUser);
                });
            }
        });

        // Default annotation tool: Highlight text
        instance.UI.setToolMode(instance.Core.Tools.ToolNames.HIGHLIGHT);

        resolve();
    });
};

// Function to sync annotations across all user instances except the one who made the change
const syncAnnotations = (xfdfString, viewerUser) => {
    Object.keys(userInstances).forEach((user) => {
        if (user === viewerUser) return; // Skip syncing to self
        else {
            const instance = userInstances[user];
            instance.Core.annotationManager.importAnnotationCommand(xfdfString).then(() => {
                instance.Core.documentViewer.refreshAll();
                instance.Core.documentViewer.updateView();
            });
        }
    });
};

// Cleanup function for when the demo is closed or page is unloaded
const cleanup = (instance) => {
    if (typeof instance !== 'undefined' &#x26;&#x26; instance.UI) {
        if (instance.Core.documentViewer.getDocument()) {
            // Insert any other cleanup code here
        }
        console.log('Cleaning up document-collaboration demo');
    }
};

// Register cleanup for page unload
window.addEventListener('beforeunload', () => cleanup(instance));
window.addEventListener('unload', () => cleanup(instance));

// Helper function to load the ui-elements.js script
function loadUIElementsScript() {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        if (window.UIElements) {
            console.log('UIElements already loaded');
            resolve();
            return;
        }

        const script = document.createElement('script');
        script.src = '/showcase-demos/document-collaboration/ui-elements.js';
        script.onload = function () {
            console.log('✅ UIElements script loaded successfully');
            resolve();
        };
        script.onerror = function () {
            console.error('Failed to load UIElements script');
            reject(new Error('Failed to load ui-elements.js'));
        };
        document.head.appendChild(script);
    });
}

// Initialize both viewers side by side
const initializeViewers = async () => {
    try {
        const viewerElement = document.getElementById('viewer');

        // Create left and right panels for two viewers
        const leftPanel = document.createElement('div');
        leftPanel.id = viewers[0].elementId;
        viewerElement.appendChild(leftPanel);

        const rightPanel = document.createElement('div');
        rightPanel.id = viewers[1].elementId;
        viewerElement.appendChild(rightPanel);

        // Set worker path
        Core.setWorkerPath('./lib/core');

        // Get backend type and wait for worker transport to initialize
        const pdftype = await Core.getDefaultBackendType();
        Core.preloadPDFWorker(pdftype);
        workerTransportPromise = Core.initPDFWorkerTransports(pdftype, {}, licenseKey);

        // Initialize both WebViewer instances
        await Promise.all([
            initializeWebViewer(leftPanel, Object.keys(userList)[0]), // Ruby
            initializeWebViewer(rightPanel, Object.keys(userList)[1]) // Cedrick
        ]);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('❌ Error initializing viewers:', error);
    }
};

// Load UIElements script first, then initialize WebViewer
loadUIElementsScript().then(() => {
    initializeViewers();
}).catch((error) => {
    console.error('Failed to load UIElements:', error);
});

</code></pre>

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="index.css" %}
{% code title="index.css" lineNumbers="true" %}

```css
/* Styles for the document collaboration demo */

/* Left panel styles */
#leftPanel {
  width: 50%;
  height: 100%;
  float: left;
}

/* Right panel styles */
#rightPanel {
  width: 50%;
  height: 100%;
  float: right;
}

/* Viewer container styles */
#viewer {
  display: flex;
  gap: 10px;
}

```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


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