How to set up Etherpad on Saplo: shared notes for your team

After a meeting, you're left with several versions of notes, and you have to piece together agreements from messages and attachments. Etherpad allows participants to write in one document and see changes in real-time. In this guide, we'll show you how to set up Etherpad on Saplo, prepare your first collaborative note, and test its operation before inviting your team.

What you get with your own Etherpad

Etherpad is an open-source, collaborative text editor that runs in your browser. A document here is called a pad. Author colors help you recognize the contributions of participants, and the revision history lets you track the evolution of the text. The project's features are described on the official Etherpad website.

It's perfect for meeting notes, brainstorming ideas during workshops, and collaborative text drafting. To start, prepare one pad per topic. This will make it easier to find agreements later and share the correct document.

Etherpad requirements and hosting on Saplo

The cheapest plan to run Etherpad, as recommended for this guide, is Box S for $29 per year. Before installation, check your available resources if you're already running other applications on the same Box. The number of simultaneous users and additional extensions will impact the load during operation.

Prepare an active Box, an application name, and the address where it will be available. You can install it from the catalog in the panel, without entering commands via SSH. You'll find a service description on the Etherpad hosting page on Saplo.

Step-by-step installation

1. Log in to your Saplo panel and open the app catalog.
2. Search for Etherpad and start adding the application.
3. Give it a name, for example, notatki-zespolu, and choose a Box.
4. Select an available application address. To start, you can use the subdomain *.saploapp.pl.
5. Confirm the installation and wait for it to complete in the panel. The time depends on component downloads and server load, among other things.
6. Open the address shown next to the application via HTTPS. Saplo prepares the domain and SSL certificate as part of the application's launch.

Use the exact address displayed in the panel. There's no need to guess the port number or enter the server's IP address. If the installation reports an error, save the message and check the application status before retrying.

Your first pad and inviting participants

On the Etherpad homepage, create a new pad. You can name it, for example, warsztat-wrzesien, or use the option to create a pad with a random ID, if available in your interface version.

In the empty document, type the title and three sections: "Topics," "Agreements," and "Tasks." Below the tasks, leave space for the responsible person and deadline. This simple layout will be enough for participants to know where to add information.

Open the participant list and set your name and color. Then, copy the full pad address from your browser's address bar and share it with the meeting participants. The application's homepage address does not lead to a specific note.

Testing collaborative editing

Before your first meeting, perform a short test with sample data:

1. Open the same pad address in a second browser or on your phone.
2. Set a different participant name in the second window.
3. Type a sentence in the first window and check if it appears in the second without refreshing the page.
4. Add a reply in the second window. Check the synchronization in the opposite direction.
5. Open the change history, usually labeled "Time Slider", and check if you can see the previous editing process.
6. Close one window, reopen the same address, and check if the note still contains the saved text.

This check covers collaboration, history, and re-entry into the document. Just viewing the main page does not yet confirm that several people can work comfortably together.

Who has access to the note

In the basic way of using Etherpad, a participant joins via a link, without setting up a separate account. Do not treat the pad address as a password. Check access in the browser's private window: if the document opens without logging in, anyone with that address can also gain access.

For regular workshop notes, this method of collaboration is often sufficient. Before saving confidential information, determine access requirements and check the configuration of your installation. An account in the Saplo panel does not automatically mean that Etherpad documents are protected by the same login. Authentication extensions require separate configuration.

Export and preserve decisions

After the meeting, organize your to-do list and use the import and export features in the editor. Save the document in one of the formats available in your installation. Open the downloaded file and check for Polish characters and text completeness before considering it a final copy of the decisions.

Keep important exports outside of Box. The change history helps you review your work on the pad, but it does not replace a backup of the entire installation. Exporting a single note serves to preserve its content; restoring the entire service also requires an appropriate data backup and application configuration.

FAQ

How much does it cost to get started?

In this guide, we start with Box S for $29 per year. For a larger number of participants, monitor resource usage, especially if other applications are also running on the Box.

Does every participant need a Saplo account?

A Saplo account is used by the owner to manage the hosting. Participants open the pad's address in their browser, and access depends on the access settings in Etherpad.

Why does the second person see an empty document?

Compare the full addresses in both browsers. A different pad name or ID means a different document. Send a link to the open note, not just the application domain.

What to do if the text doesn't sync live?

Check your internet connection and editor messages. Try a different browser and another network. If the problem persists, provide Saplo Support with the application name, the time of the attempt, and the error message. Before refreshing, copy any unsaved text if the editor signals a loss of connection.

How to start working with a team?

Open the Etherpad offer on Saplo, install the application from the catalog, and create one test note. Check collaborative editing in two browsers, access via link, and export. Then prepare a pad for your first meeting.