Etherpad Technology Intelligence

What is Etherpad?

Etherpad is an open-source, real-time collaborative text editor that allows multiple users to edit the same document simultaneously. Each user's contributions are displayed in their own color, and changes appear instantly across all connected browsers without requiring page refreshes.

Originally developed by AppJet and acquired by Google in 2009, Etherpad was released as open source and continues as a community-driven project. The "Lite" version, rewritten in Node.js, became the foundation for modern Etherpad. It powers collaborative writing in educational institutions, organizations, and communities that need simple, private document collaboration without proprietary cloud services.

Key Features

Real-Time Collaboration

• Instant Synchronization: Changes appear immediately for all users
• Author Colors: Each participant has a unique color identifier
• Unlimited Users: No artificial limit on simultaneous editors
• Conflict Resolution: Operational transformation handles concurrent edits

Document Features

• Time Slider: Playback document history to any point in time
• Revision History: Complete change history with author attribution
• Import/Export: HTML, plain text, Word, PDF, and OpenDocument formats
• Formatting: Basic formatting including bold, italic, lists, and headings

Communication

• Built-in Chat: Text chat alongside the document
• User List: See who's currently viewing/editing

Extensibility

• Plugin System: 200+ plugins available for additional features
• API: RESTful API for integration and automation
• Themes: Customizable appearance
• Authentication: LDAP, OAuth, and custom auth plugins

Use Cases

Education

Schools and universities use Etherpad for collaborative note-taking, group projects, and real-time classroom activities. Teachers can observe student work in progress and provide immediate feedback. The time slider helps assess individual contributions.

Meeting Notes

Teams collaboratively write meeting notes in real-time. Participants add their own points while seeing others' contributions. The shared document becomes the meeting record without post-meeting consolidation.

Writing Workshops

Writers share drafts for real-time peer review and editing. Workshop participants comment and suggest changes while preserving attribution through author colors.

Community Organizing

Activist groups and community organizations use self-hosted Etherpad for collaborative planning without relying on commercial services. Privacy-focused organizations appreciate data sovereignty.

Conference Sessions

Conference attendees collectively take notes during sessions. Speakers can share links to live documents, and the community builds comprehensive session notes together.

Software Development

Development teams use Etherpad for collaborative specification writing, sprint planning notes, and real-time design discussions that need to be captured as text.

Installation and API

Docker Installation

# Quick start with Docker
docker run -d \
    --name etherpad \
    -p 9001:9001 \
    -e 'ADMIN_PASSWORD=secure_password' \
    etherpad/etherpad

# With persistent storage
docker run -d \
    --name etherpad \
    -p 9001:9001 \
    -v etherpad_data:/opt/etherpad-lite/var \
    -e 'DB_TYPE=postgres' \
    -e 'DB_HOST=db.example.com' \
    -e 'DB_NAME=etherpad' \
    etherpad/etherpad

Manual Installation

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite.git
cd etherpad-lite

# Configure settings
cp settings.json.template settings.json
# Edit settings.json with your configuration

# Start Etherpad
./bin/run.sh

API Usage (PHP)

// Create a new pad
$apiKey = 'your_api_key';
$baseUrl = 'https://etherpad.example.com/api/1.2.15';

$response = file_get_contents(
    "$baseUrl/createPad?apikey=$apiKey&padID=meeting-2024-01-15"
);

// Set pad content
$content = urlencode("# Meeting Agenda\n\n1. Item one\n2. Item two");
$response = file_get_contents(
    "$baseUrl/setText?apikey=$apiKey&padID=meeting-2024-01-15&text=$content"
);

// Get pad content
$response = file_get_contents(
    "$baseUrl/getText?apikey=$apiKey&padID=meeting-2024-01-15"
);
$data = json_decode($response, true);
echo $data['data']['text'];

Embed in Iframe

<!-- Embed Etherpad with custom options -->
<iframe
    src="https://etherpad.example.com/p/document-name?showControls=true&showChat=true&showLineNumbers=true&useMonospaceFont=false"
    width="100%"
    height="600"
    frameborder="0">
</iframe>

Benefits and Considerations

Key Benefits

• Open Source: Apache 2.0 license, free to use and modify
• Self-Hosted: Complete control over data and privacy
• Real-Time: True simultaneous editing without conflicts
• Simple: No accounts needed—share a URL to collaborate
• Time Slider: Unique feature to replay document history
• Extensible: Rich plugin ecosystem for customization

Considerations

• Basic formatting compared to Google Docs or Word
• Requires server resources for self-hosting
• No built-in user management without plugins
• Limited offline capabilities

Popular Plugins

• ep_comments: Inline comments and discussions
• ep_markdown: Markdown formatting support
• ep_tables: Table creation and editing
• ep_ldapauth: LDAP authentication
• ep_adminpads: Admin interface for pad management

Alternatives

• Google Docs: More features, requires Google account
• HackMD/CodiMD: Collaborative Markdown editor
• Cryptpad: End-to-end encrypted alternative
• OnlyOffice: Full office suite with collaboration