The WordPress block editor is excellent for content creation, but it currently lacks a built-in collaboration feature.
This feature is essential for effective teamwork, especially for multi-author blogs like CanadaCreate. Fortunately, we have discovered a simple, code-free method to integrate this functionality, allowing you to collaborate directly within WordPress.
This allows you to leave comments, suggest edits, and collaborate on posts just like in Google Docs, all without leaving the WordPress environment.
Here’s how you can incorporate collaboration features into the WordPress block editor.
Why Should You Use a Collaborative Editing Plugin for WordPress?
If you manage a multi-author WordPress site, you may frequently want to provide suggestions or feedback to an author.
Additionally, you might need to collaborate with several authors on the same article in WordPress, which often requires switching between different applications, such as email or Google Docs, for communication.
Constantly switching between apps can be inefficient and hinder your workflow.
Wouldn’t it be convenient to communicate directly within the WordPress block editor? This way, your team can collaborate more effectively to produce high-quality content for your audience.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to facilitate collaborative editing in WordPress. Below are the topics we’ll discuss, along with quick links for easy navigation throughout the article:
- Enabling Document Collaboration in the WordPress Editor
- Managing Collaborative Activities and Comments on Your Document
- Setting Up Email Notifications for Editorial Comments in WordPress
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Enabling Document Collaboration in the WordPress Editor
WordPress does not include a built-in feature for team communication within the admin area. Therefore, this tutorial will guide you through using a collaborative editing plugin.
Begin by installing and activating the Multicollab plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activating the plugin, you can either edit an existing WordPress post or page or create a new one.
On the post editing screen, highlight the text you want to draw attention to for your team members and click the ‘Comment’ button in the toolbar.
This action will open a popup window where you can leave comments for your team members to see.
Simply enter your comment in the provided field and click the ‘Comment’ button when you’re finished.
Adding a specific user to the discussion is straightforward.
Simply type the @ symbol and select their username from the list that appears.
You can also assign a specific comment to the user you tagged.
This enables them to monitor any tasks and feedback directed at them and mark them as completed.
You will see the comment linked to the user you tagged.
You can comment on nearly any text throughout the post or page.
The comment button is available on most content blocks.
This includes headings, tables, columns, blockquotes, and more.
You can also leave comments in the caption fields for images, audio, and video embeds.
Similar to Google Docs, your comments are automatically saved as soon as you submit them, ensuring your feedback is preserved even if you don’t save the entire post.
If you want to see how your comments appear to other users, log in to your WordPress site with a different account.
Ensure this alternate account has the appropriate user role or permission to edit the post or page where you made comments.
For instance, users with the ‘Editor’ or ‘Author’ roles can view and respond to comments.
After logging in, edit the post to find highlighted text areas where you previously left comments. Click on these areas to open the comment popup.
Feel free to respond to any comment. Your reply will be displayed below the original comment.
Once you’ve addressed an issue, you can close the comment thread by selecting the ‘Mark as Resolved’ checkbox.
Managing Collaborative Activities and Comments in Your Document
Would you like to view all comments for a post in a single location?
To view and manage all document activities and comments, click the ‘Multicollab’ button located in the top right corner of the screen.
The Activities tab will display recent comments. You can reply directly to comments or mark them as resolved from this section.
If you prefer not to see comments while editing your article, switch to the Settings tab and enable the ‘Hide Comments’ option.
The plugin also provides an overall summary of activities on the current document in the Summary tab.
Here, you can find information about the last edits and overall comment statistics for the current article.
How to Set Up Email Notifications for Editorial Comments in WordPress
Multicollab can notify super admins via email whenever new comments are posted.
You can enable this feature by navigating to the Multicollab section in the admin panel and selecting the ‘Settings’ tab.
Simply check the box that says ‘Notify Super Admin for all new comments’.
For consistent email notifications, we recommend using the WP Mail SMTP plugin, which ensures that all notification emails reach users’ inboxes.
We utilize WP Mail SMTP on our own websites to guarantee that crucial notification emails are reliably delivered to your team’s inbox. To learn more about our experience with this tool, check out our comprehensive WP Mail SMTP review.
The plugin also offers a free version that is more than adequate.
By default, WordPress relies on the PHP mail() function to send emails, but this function can be easily exploited, and many WordPress hosting providers do not configure it correctly.
WP Mail SMTP resolves this issue by allowing you to send WordPress emails through a proper SMTP server.
For further information, please refer to our guide on resolving the WordPress email sending issue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Discover answers to frequently asked questions about incorporating collaborative features into WordPress.
Which plugin is the best choice for Google Docs-style collaboration in WordPress?
To enable commenting and suggestions akin to Google Docs, we recommend using Multicollab, the plugin highlighted in this guide.
It seamlessly integrates with the block editor and is user-friendly for teams.
Can multiple users edit a post simultaneously in real-time?
Multicollab supports asynchronous collaboration, allowing users to leave comments for others to review at their convenience.
Currently, it does not support simultaneous real-time editing where multiple users can see each other typing live.
Are there any free collaboration plugins available for WordPress?
Yes, the basic version of the Multicollab plugin is free and includes all the essential commenting and collaboration features that most teams require to enhance their workflow.
How do user roles influence collaboration plugins?
Collaboration tools adhere to the standard WordPress user roles and permissions.
For a team member to leave comments on a post, they need to have a role such as ‘Editor’ or ‘Author’ that grants them editing permissions for that post.
We trust this guide has assisted you in establishing seamless collaboration on your WordPress site, similar to the experience in Google Docs. Additionally, you might be interested in exploring our selection of top Gutenberg block plugins and our beginner’s guide to WordPress post revisions.
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