When I launched the Stylabus closed alpha in early July, we already knew where we wanted to go. Creating a world in isolation is one thing; creating it together — seeing others’ work in real-time — is something else entirely. That is what I’ve been working on for the past few weeks, and this update lays the foundation for it all.
This isn’t just a minor update; it’s a complete overhaul of how you’ll collaborate on your entries, projects, and worlds.
We finally know who is doing what, in real time.
The biggest frustration with collaborative tools is never knowing if someone else is working on the same record as you. That problem is now a thing of the past: with real-time presence indicators, you can see exactly who is viewing what — right in the interface.
To avoid unpleasant surprises (two people editing the same character sheet simultaneously rarely ends well), we’ve introduced a collaborative edit lock. As soon as a member opens a record for editing, it locks for everyone else for the duration of the changes. It’s simple, but it makes a world of difference in day-to-day work.
Speak directly on your record cards.
I’ve added a commenting system to the entries. You can now discuss a character, a quest, or a piece of worldbuilding without leaving Stylabus or juggling a separate Discord window. The context stays right where it belongs: on the entry itself.
To ensure you don’t miss a thing, in-app notifications alert you in real time. And if you prefer to keep track via your inbox, a preference toggle lets you enable email notifications — either globally or on a project-by-project basis.
An activity feed so you don’t miss a thing
The activity feed now provides more information: who created, modified, or commented on what, and when. Combined with real-time presence indicators, your project overview page transforms into a truly dynamic dashboard rather than just a static list.
An organization that reflects how you really work
With the introduction of new collaborative features, we now clearly distinguish between personal and group projects in your project list. Each project page now displays an owner and group badge, so you can see at a glance who owns what and who has access.
We’re also rolling out avatars wherever it makes sense — in the sidebar, groups, comments, notifications, and projects. It’s a small visual detail, but one that makes the whole experience feel much more personal: you see the actual people you’re building your world with, not just names.
To-do lists finally make sense when working as a team.
Project to-dos can now be assigned to specific members via a simple dropdown menu with avatars. No more generic task lists — everyone knows exactly what they are responsible for.
This update transforms Stylabus from a tool for solo creation into a genuine space for collaborative creation, without sacrificing fluidity or clarity. It is a milestone I had planned from the very start of the alpha phase, and it lays the groundwork for all future collaborative features on the platform.
A huge thank you once again to our early users for your feedback and your trust!