Collaboration is a key component of good document creation in many work environments. Unlike most other functions in Microsoft Word, the collaboration tools are a little tough to use. However, this fantastic feature lets the user see what changes the other person has made to the document in real-time.

Collaborate & Share documents in Microsoft Word

Let us see how you can collaborate, edit, co-author & share Microsoft Word documents. 1] Before setting up your file to share, you must ensure that you have a common folder in your OneDrive account. On the other hand, you can utilize the “Public” folder that exists for you by default. 2] Open word and click on the File option if you want your account. From the File menu, you need to click on Save As and then Add a Place. ‘Add a place’ will provide you with the options of the services you might want to use, like SharePoint or OneDrive. 3] Complete the ‘Sign in’ screen that appears for the option you choose. Once you’re done, the new location appears on Word’s Save As option. Once saved, you can share the file by clicking on the File option and then the Share option, and you choose the option to Share with People or Invite People.

4] To invite and share the file, you would have to enter and add the email addresses of the people you wish to share it with and then send them a link to your file. When you click on the Share option and select the Get a sharing link, it will happen. After entering the email addresses, you can choose whether your coworkers want to edit the file or view it.  5] If you select the Edit option, you give your coworkers the authority to edit your document. You and the people you’ve shared the file with can both make changes to the file. However, the other party cannot make changes to the View option, making your file secure.

A popup will indicate if someone was editing your document, and highlighted part will show the changes others have made to your file. You can remove people by right-clicking on the user’s name and selecting the ‘Remove User’ option. If you enabled a coworker to alter a file and afterward changed your mind, you could change permission for that worker. Right-click on the worker’s name in the rundown and select “Change permission to Can view”. You can likewise go the other way, giving a worker authority to alter the file after enabling them to view it. When you’re done sharing, you can click the ‘X’ in the top right corner of the screen.

How do you share a Word document that everyone can edit?

When sharing the word document, set the permission to Can Edit for all those users who you want to edit the document. You can also add a message when adding permission.

Can multiple users edit a Word document at the same time in teams?

When users have the same permission, they can edit the same file. However, it will work when the document is available online and not on an offline document or one that is on your PC. That said, if a document is shared across multiple users, changes made by all users will be visible.