Real-time collaboration

Multiple users editing the same project simultaneously, with live cursors and synced changes.

Real-time collaboration lets multiple users edit the same project simultaneously, with live cursors, synced changes, and conflict resolution handled automatically. Real-time collaboration is a Team-tier feature available only in Multi-user workspaces.

What collaboration looks like

When multiple users are in the same project at the same time:

  • Live cursors show where other users are focused on the canvas
  • Edits propagate immediately: a node created by one user appears for everyone else within a fraction of a second
  • Selections are visible: when one user clicks a node, others can see who's looking at what
  • Active users are listed in the project's header so everyone knows who's currently in the project

The experience is similar to collaborative editors like Figma or Google Docs, applied to project structure rather than documents or designs.

How conflicts are resolved

When multiple users edit the same thing simultaneously, Tree resolves conflicts automatically:

  • Edits to different nodes apply independently, no conflict
  • Edits to different fields of the same node merge, with each user's changes preserved
  • Edits to the same field use last-write-wins, with the latest change taking effect
  • Structural changes (adding or removing edges) apply in the order they were submitted, with cycle detection running on each change to prevent invalid states

The conflict model is designed so simultaneous editing is safe by default. Users rarely encounter situations where their changes are lost.

What collaboration changes about planning

When the team can plan together in real time:

  • Whiteboard sessions can happen in Tree directly, without needing a separate brainstorming tool
  • Distributed teams can co-author project structure during video calls
  • Pair planning becomes practical, with two users actively shaping the graph together
  • Stakeholder reviews happen live, with edits captured as the conversation unfolds

The shift is similar to the shift from passing documents around to collaborative editing. The artifact is shared in real time, not handed off in turns.

Tier availability

Real-time collaboration is a Team-tier feature, available only in multi-user workspaces. Free and Paid (single-user) do not include real-time collaboration because there's no one to collaborate with.

LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-12