Framapad is a free, open-source online collaborative text editor powered by Etherpad. It lets you create a shared document that anyone can access via a simple link, with no sign-up required. Anyone who opens the link can write, edit, or comment on the text in real time, with each person’s contributions identified by a different color.
Framapad sharing link: what the URL contains (and what it doesn’t protect)
A Framapad pad generates a unique URL as soon as it is created. This URL is the only key needed to access the document: anyone who has it can edit the content.
Etherpad’s documentation explains that there are two types of links. The first provides write access and is displayed in the browser’s address bar. The second is a read-only link, available from the pad interface via the share icon.
Before sending a link, make sure you know which one you’re copying. Sending the main link to a large group gives everyone unrestricted access to the document. To share meeting notes without risking accidental edits, you can share a document with Framasoft like you would with Excel by copying the view-only link instead.
Creating a public Framapad pad: the practical steps
Creating a public pad requires neither an account nor a password. Everything happens on the Framapad homepage.
Go to Framapad and name the document
On framapad.org, a button lets you create a public pad. A text field prompts you to name the document. This name will appear in the generated URL, making it easier to identify the pad among several open tabs.
Choose how long the pad is kept
Framapad lets you set a lifespan for the pad, ranging from one week to one year. This period starts from the document’s last edit, not its creation date. If no one makes changes during the selected period, the pad will be deleted automatically.
Etherpad’s documentation notes that deleting inactive pads is an administrative option that is disabled by default in the software, but enabled on some instances, such as Framapad, to prevent databases from growing indefinitely. In other words, how long a pad is kept depends on the hosting provider.
Copy and share the link
Once the pad is created, the browser opens the document, ready for editing. The URL in the address bar is the sharing link. Simply copy it and send it by email, messaging app, or any other channel.
- Depending on your needs, check that you’ve copied either the address bar link (write access) or the link from the share icon (read-only access).
- Send the link only to the people who need it, since anyone who receives it can access the document.
- Ask collaborators to enter their names in the pad so their contributions can be identified by color.
Public or private pad: when to create a Framapad account
A public pad is suitable for most one-off tasks: taking meeting notes, collaboratively writing a short text, or planning a project. No password or access management is required.
A private pad requires creating an account on MyPads, Framapad’s management extension. This password-protected account gives you access to a dedicated space where pads are organized into groups. Each group can be shared with specific users, restricting access to invited people only.
A private pad makes sense when a document contains sensitive information or when a team needs to find its pads over time, organized and protected. For a quick brainstorming session with colleagues, a public pad is simpler and faster.
Exporting a Framapad document: don’t rely on the revision history alone
Etherpad keeps a revision history that you can access from the pad interface (the clock icon). This history lets you browse previous versions of the text and restore an earlier version.
The project’s technical documentation notes that some maintenance operations can irreversibly reduce the revision history. Relying solely on this feature to archive a working document therefore carries a risk.
To keep a lasting copy, the pad’s Import/Export menu offers several formats:
- HTML, for a file that can be viewed in any browser and easily added to a website.
- Plain text, for a lightweight, unformatted file that works with any text editor.
- Etherpad, a native format that preserves collaboration metadata (colors, authors).
Exporting the document at the end of each work session is the most reliable way to avoid losing anything, especially with a public pad that has a limited lifespan.
Framapad and Etherpad alternatives: choosing an instance
Framapad isn’t the only service that offers Etherpad. The Framasoft association is part of the CHATONS collective (Collectif des Hébergeurs Alternatifs, Transparents, Ouverts, Neutres et Solidaires), and other members offer their own instances of the collaborative software.
Your choice of instance can affect how long pads are kept, document size limits, and which features are enabled. Framapad explicitly limits how long pads are kept. On other instances, automatic deletion of inactive pads may be disabled, allowing for a longer lifespan without manual intervention.
If your team uses pads regularly, checking the terms of the instance you choose can help you avoid discovering too late that a document has disappeared. The CHATONS collective’s help page lists available services and their respective terms.
The Framapad link is a quick collaboration tool, provided you keep two things in mind: the type of link you share (write access or read-only) and regularly backing up the content by exporting it. These two habits are enough to prevent data loss and unwanted edits.
