# 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](/docs/en/guides/partage-et-roles/)*.
- **Seeing who wrote what, even outside exclusive editing**: see *[History and Compare](/docs/en/guides/historique-et-comparer/)*.