document lock heartbeats
document lock heartbeats tell the app that someone is actively editing. this helps prevent two people from overwriting each other in the same draft.
quick answer
locks are temporary signals. wait, request edit, or coordinate with the other editor instead of forcing changes.
use this for
- active collaboration
- explaining locked documents
- debugging stale editing state
steps
- open the shared document.
- watch for read-only or active editor state.
- keep editing only if you hold the lock.
- stop editing or close the tab when done.
- wait for stale locks to clear if someone left abruptly.
details to know
- heartbeats are short periodic pings from the active editor.
- stale locks should expire rather than last forever.
- locks protect content but do not replace document permissions.
limits and edge cases
- a lock does not grant edit permission to a viewer.
- network problems can make lock state look stale for a short time.
- do not build automations that fight the lock by retrying saves rapidly.
ready to use the product instead of reading about it?
open app