Editing internal documents using Co-Edit

Co-edit allows multiple FYI users to work on the same internal document at the same time. As users edit the document, their updates are displayed to others, with an indicator showing who is making each change.

To use Co-edit in your practice, ensure it has been set up and configured for your team.

Opening and editing documents using Co-edit

Documents must be opened in Co-edit so they can be edited by multiple users at the same time. 

If a document isn't marked for Co-edit, you can mark and open it for Co-edit at the same time.

1. Select the document in a Document list.
    
2. From the Edit button drop-down, select Co-Edit. Or right-click and select Edit then Co-Edit from the toolbar menu.
   
3. Select Yes to confirm, and open the document in Co-edit.
   
4. The document is marked for Co-edit (it shows the Co-editing icon in the lists) and opens in the relevant Microsoft 365 application (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint).
   
5. Other users can then select the Co-Edit button, instead of the Edit button, to open and edit the document.
   
   A new version is added to the Versions section in the drawer.

Using Co-Edit

Co-editing with multiple users

The following is an example of a document opened in Microsoft 365.

If another user is editing at the same time that you have the document opened, and you are working in the same area of the document, you will also see any changes being made by the other user as they make them.

A flag displays next to where the other user is working. This displays the initials of the other user for a few seconds.

You can hover over the flag to see the name of the other user who is Co-Editing the document. 
 

As well as any changes to the filing details, the Activity section in the drawer shows the audit trail of which user Co-edited the document and when when Co-editing started and finished

Co-editing spreadsheets with linked cells

To refresh the spreadsheet calculations with linked cells, you must open the spreadsheets in the desktop app. This is a limitation of Microsoft Office.

1. Open each of the linked spreadsheets in FYI with the Co-Edit button to open them in Microsoft 365.
    
2. In each of the spreadsheets, click Open in Desktop App at the top of the Excel screen to open the spreadsheet in Excel desktop.
   
   
3. Add cross-linked cells and refresh any calculations. Leave the linked spreadsheets in Co-Edit mode until no further work is needed on them. Taking the spreadsheets out of Co-Edit will break the links.

Co-editing spreadsheets with macros and other controls

Spreadsheets features such as macros and buttons are not supported by Microsoft 365. These spreadsheets must be Co-edited in the desktop version of Excel.

1. Click Co-Edit to open the spreadsheet in Microsoft 365.
   
   The following message displayed at the top of the spreadsheet:
   "Unsupported Features There are some features in your workbook that we can't show in the browser".
   
   
    
2. Click Open in Desktop App at the top of the Excel screen to access the full functionality.
   
   

Creating links to specific worksheets

You can use Co-Edit if you want to create links to specific worksheets in a spreadsheet. For example, if you want to copy the link to somewhere external or another spreadsheet, so it is opened at a specific worksheet.

1. Click Co-Edit to open the spreadsheet in Microsoft 365.
    
2. Click Open in Desktop App at the top of the Excel screen to open the spreadsheet in Excel desktop.
    
3. If the link you're adding is to a spreadsheet in FYI, open that spreadsheet in Co-edit and the desktop app.

You can now insert the link to another worksheet or spreadsheet.

If the link is required, but the referenced value does not need to be automatically updated, you can change the startup settings of the workbook to ignore the link.

Finishing documents in Co-edit

You can finish a document in Co-edit by marking the document as finished editing. This updates the document so that it is no longer marked for Co-edit so you can perform actions on the document, for example, change the Cabinet, or save a new version from the Versions section in the drawer.