0.5 Sharing, co-authoring and comments
Two people can work on the same file at once without either losing changes.
Before:nothing requiredUnlocks:01. Excel — First Steps07. Word — Core09. PowerPoint — Core11. Outlook & OneNote12. Copilot Across the Apps
Office files today are usually shared as links rather than attachments, and this topic covers how sharing, live co-authoring and comment threads actually work. It sits in the opening module because group work starts on day one, and the difference between edit and view permissions matters before anything complicated does. The classic confusion is between sending a copy and sending a link: a copy forks into two diverging files, while a link keeps everyone in one. Knowing when a PDF is the right thing to send instead is part of the same judgement.
Work through these
Share links, permissions and who can edit vs view
A share link carries a permission with it. The difference between letting somebody edit and letting them read is decided when you create the link. Getting this wrong is how documents get changed by people who meant only to look.
Co-authoring live; seeing other people's cursors
Two people editing at once see each other's changes as they happen, which removes the merge problem entirely. It also means there is no longer a moment where a file is safely yours alone.
Comments, @mentions and resolving threads
Comments attached to a place in the document, notifications to a specific person, and threads that get closed are how a review stays organised. Discussion by email about a document nobody can see is the alternative.
When to send a PDF instead of a link
Sometimes what you want is a frozen copy that nobody can alter and everybody can open. Knowing when the exported document is the right answer stops you sharing a live file by reflex.
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