Collaboration

Real-time multiplayer editing and collaboration features in Zed.

Overview

Zed includes built-in collaboration features:

• Channels: Persistent team spaces
• Screen Sharing: Share your editor view
• Multiplayer Editing: Real-time co-editing
• Voice Chat: Built-in audio communication

Getting Started

Sign In

Collaboration requires a Zed account:

1. Click the profile icon (bottom left)
2. Select "Sign In"
3. Authenticate with GitHub

Requirements

• Zed account (free)
• Internet connection
• Participants need Zed installed

Channels

Channels are persistent spaces for teams to collaborate.

Create a Channel

1. Open Collaboration panel (Cmd+Shift+C)
2. Click "+" to create channel
3. Name your channel
4. Invite members

Channel Structure

Organization
├── #general
├── #engineering
│   ├── #frontend
│   └── #backend
└── #design

Channel Permissions

• Admin: Manage channel, invite members
• Member: Join calls, share projects
• Guest: View-only access

Invite Members

1. Right-click channel
2. Select "Manage Members"
3. Search by GitHub username
4. Set permission level

Sharing a Project

Start Sharing

1. Open project in Zed
2. Click "Share" in title bar or
3. Command Palette > "call: share project"

Share with Channel

1. Join a channel call
2. Share project automatically visible to participants
3. Click "Follow" to sync views

Direct Sharing

1. Start a call with contact
2. Share project
3. Participant can request access

Joining a Shared Project

From Channel

1. Open Collaboration panel
2. Click active channel
3. See shared projects
4. Click to join or follow

Accept Invite

When invited directly:

1. Notification appears
2. Click to accept
3. Project opens in new workspace

Multiplayer Editing

Following

Follow a collaborator to see their view:

1. Click their avatar in the title bar
2. Your view syncs with theirs
3. Click again or navigate to stop following

Co-editing

• Multiple cursors visible in real-time
• Each participant has a unique color
• See who's editing what instantly

Presence Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
Colored cursor	Active editing
Colored selection	Selected text
Avatar in tab	File being viewed
Line highlight	Current line

Voice Chat

Start Voice Chat

In a channel:

1. Click microphone icon
2. Audio starts automatically

Or via Command Palette:

• "call: toggle mute"
• "call: toggle deafen"

Audio Controls

Key	Action
Cmd+Shift+M	Toggle mute
-	Toggle deafen (Command Palette)

Audio Settings

{
  "calls": {
    "mute_on_join": true,
    "share_on_join": false
  }
}

Screen Sharing

Share Screen

1. During call, click screen share icon
2. Select screen or window
3. Participants see your screen

Viewing Shared Screen

• Appears in collaboration panel
• Click to focus
• Works alongside code sharing

Workflow Examples

Pair Programming

1. Create/join channel
2. Share project
3. Partner follows you
4. Voice chat while coding
5. Take turns driving

Code Review

1. Share project with reviewer
2. Navigate to changes
3. Reviewer follows and comments
4. Discuss via voice

Team Planning

1. Create channel for team
2. Share architecture docs
3. Everyone views together
4. Discuss and edit collaboratively

Settings

Collaboration Settings

{
  "calls": {
    "mute_on_join": true,
    "share_on_join": false
  },
  "collaboration_panel": {
    "dock": "left"
  }
}

Notification Settings

Control collaboration notifications in system preferences or Zed settings.

Privacy

Project Sharing

• Only shared projects are visible
• Sharing can be revoked anytime
• File changes sync in real-time

Audio Privacy

• Mute by default available
• Push-to-talk coming soon
• Audio is peer-to-peer when possible

Keybindings

Key	Action
Cmd+Shift+C	Toggle collaboration panel
Cmd+Shift+M	Toggle mute
-	Share project (via palette)
-	Follow participant (click avatar)

Troubleshooting

Can't Connect to Channel

1. Check internet connection
2. Verify Zed account signed in
3. Check channel permissions
4. Restart Zed

Audio Issues

1. Check system audio permissions
2. Verify microphone selected
3. Check mute status
4. Restart call

Sync Lag

1. Check network stability
2. Large files may have delay
3. Close unused projects

Best Practices

1. Mute when not speaking: Reduces background noise
2. Use channels: Organize by team/project
3. Follow actively: Stay synced during reviews
4. Share specific projects: Don't over-share
5. Use voice: Faster than typing for discussions