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Share documents privately and collaborate in real time

Invite specific people to a Goodnotes document, manage their access, and collaborate across supported platforms.

Important: Private document sharing and Turbo Sync require Goodnotes Pro. Essential subscribers can join a real-time collaboration session when invited; Pro subscribers can initiate one by inviting others. On Apple devices, iCloud Sync must be enabled to share or accept documents.

How collaboration works

  • Turbo Sync: Delivers near-instant updates in shared documents for Pro subscribers.
  • Real-time collaboration: Shows collaborators’ pen strokes, laser pointers, and lasso selections while they work.
  • Shared tab: Contains documents you shared and documents shared with you.

Real-time collaboration starts automatically when eligible participants open the same shared document. For more detail, see Real-time collaboration in shared documents.

Share a document privately

  1. Open the document and select Share and Export.
  2. Turn off “Shareable Link” so access is limited to invited people.
  3. Under Invite Collaborators, enter each collaborator’s email address and select Invite.

    Invite Collaborators field for private document sharing

  4. Each invitee opens the one-time link sent to their email address.
  5. The invitee signs in to Goodnotes to open the shared document.

Manage a collaborator’s access

  1. Open the shared document.
  2. Open Share and Export.
  3. Under People with Access, select the menu next to a collaborator.
  4. Choose the access permission or action.

Leave a shared document

  1. Open the shared document.
  2. Open Share and Export.
  3. Select “Leave Shared Document”.

    Leave Shared Document option in Share and Export

After leaving, you can reopen a publicly shared document using its active share link. For a privately shared document, ask the owner to invite you again.

Work offline

Basic editing works offline. When the device reconnects, changes sync to the shared document. Real-time collaboration and AI features require an internet connection.