How collaboration works
In Heptabase, each user has a private Space where whiteboards, cards, and tags are only visible to you by default.
You can invite collaborators to specific whiteboards or share supported individual cards in your Space. Sharing does not give access to your entire Space. Access depends on the whiteboards, cards, and associated shared content available to each collaborator; a card can have access through more than one shared location.
Once invited, collaborators can switch between their own Space and yours using the "Space name" menu in the top-left corner.
Invite collaborators
To invite collaborators:
Click Share in the top-right corner of your whiteboard.
Enter the collaborator's email address (you can invite multiple people at once).
Select their email from the pop-up to confirm.
Click the Full access dropdown menu to choose the permission level.
Click Invite.
Collaborators will receive an email invitation and can immediately access your shared whiteboard.
Share an individual card
In the desktop or web app, open a card that supports sharing and click its Share button. In the collaborator-sharing section, enter the collaborator’s email, select a permission level, and click Invite. You need permission to manage sharing for that card. Journal cards do not support this sharing flow.
Inviting a collaborator and publishing a public link are different actions. Use the collaborator list to manage a person’s access. If they can also access the card through a shared whiteboard, removing a direct card invitation alone may not remove all access.
Anyone can be invited, even if they're not a Heptabase subscriber. Non-subscribers will automatically become Free Plan users with access to the content shared with them, subject to its permissions.
Collaborator permissions
Collaborators' abilities depend on the permissions you grant:
Full access: edit content, chat, and manage sharing within the shared scope.
Can edit: edit content and chat, without managing sharing.
Can chat: view content and participate in accessible Team chats, without editing the source cards or whiteboards or managing sharing.
Can view: view shared content without editing it or sending messages in its Team chats.
Chat access still depends on the chat and its source. Sharing a card or whiteboard does not expose another person’s private chats. The detailed content permissions below remain separate from permission to participate in a chat.
Space
Owner, Full access, Can edit: View Permission.
Owner, Full access: Edit Permission.
Note, media, and PDF cards
Owner, Full access, Can edit, Can chat, Can view: Read.
Owner, Full access, Can edit: Create and edit on a whiteboard; Edit in the Card Library; Trash and restore.
Owner: Create in the Card Library; Delete permanently; See version history.
Journal cards
Owner: Read; Create; Edit.
On a shared whiteboard
Whiteboard elements and card instances
Owner, Full access, Can edit, Can chat, Can view: Read.
Owner, Full access, Can edit: Create; Edit; Delete.
Whiteboards and whiteboard instances
Owner, Full access, Can edit, Can chat, Can view: Read / Enter.
Owner, Full access: Create sub-whiteboard.
Owner, Full access, Can edit: Rename.
Owner: Delete/Restore the whiteboard from trash; Delete Permanently.
If you have any questions or run into any issues with permissions, feel free to contact support!
Manage permissions
To change a collaborator's permissions:
Click the permissions button next to the collaborator's name.
Select the new permission level.
To remove a collaborator entirely, click the permissions button next to their name and select Remove access. This is different from disabling a public link. To stop public-link access, go to Share → Publish and select Remove public link.
Important: If you lower your own permission from Full access to Can edit, Can chat, or Can view, the change takes effect immediately and you lose the ability to manage sharing through that permission. You cannot grant yourself Full access again; ask the Space owner to restore it.
Common questions
Why is there a small box icon with a number next to my Share button?
This icon indicates that a collaborator has removed or deleted a card from your shared whiteboard. These cards remain accessible from your shared card library or trash and can be restored. To permanently stop sharing these cards, click the box icon and select Remove access.
Why can’t my collaborators see my embedded cards?
Embedding a card does not automatically grant collaborators access to it. Add the card directly to the shared whiteboard, or use its individual Share option if supported, to grant the intended access.
Can collaborators import their own cards into a shared whiteboard?
Not at the moment. Collaborators cannot currently import cards from their own Spaces.
Why is a collaborator unable to move or delete a highlight created in a shared PDF?
PDF cards and PDF highlights currently use separate permissions. A collaborator with Can Edit can create a highlight in a shared PDF, but that highlight remains read-only to the collaborator. As a result, dragging it onto the whiteboard or deleting it may show “Unable to execute an operation.” For now, ask the Space owner to move or delete the highlight.