Exclusive editing

By default, every editor on a schedule can write at the same time. Exclusive editing does the opposite: only one hand at a time — useful so several people don't step on each other during a burst of changes on the same site.

Turning it on

From Settings › Sharing, the Exclusive editing section: "Only one hand holds the schedule: everyone else reads, and requests the pen to write — with no answer in ten seconds, it passes." An Exclusive editing checkbox turns it on. As soon as it's checked, a banner appears under the editor's ribbon, for everyone.

What each person sees

• Whoever holds the pen sees: "Exclusive editing: you hold the pen."
• Everyone else sees: "Name is editing alone" with a Request the pen button — the screen stays readable, but any attempt to write is refused until the pen has changed hands.

Requesting the pen

Clicking Request the pen immediately changes the banner, for everyone, to "Name of whoever held the pen is editing alone pen requested · n s" — a ten-second countdown. Two outcomes, verified:

• If the pen is released (the holder lets it go, or simply doesn't answer), at the end of the countdown the pen passes automatically to the requester, with no need to click again — their banner becomes "Exclusive editing: you hold the pen."
• The owner doesn't automatically get the pen back once they've lost it: even as owner, they see the Request the pen button like any other member, and have to go through the same gesture (with the same ten-second delay if no one answers faster).

What happens when you get it wrong

• The checkbox unchecked by mistake: checking it again restores exclusivity; in the meantime, everyone could write, but nothing is lost for it (History keeps every command, with its author).
• The pen was requested by mistake when nothing needed changing: nothing to do — don't write, and the pen will pass back to the owner once someone else requests it, or by unchecking the box.

What this page doesn't cover

• Inviting someone, choosing their role: see Sharing and roles.
• Seeing who wrote what, even outside exclusive editing: see History and Compare.