> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.overleaf.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.overleaf.com/groups/user-management/shared-workspace.md).

# Shared workspace

{% hint style="info" %}
This feature is only available to [Overleaf Pro group subscribers](https://www.overleaf.com/user/subscription/plans).
{% endhint %}

The shared workspace gives all members on your Pro group subscription a shared space for projects, with project ownership that sits with the group rather than with whomever created the project. In the shared workspace, every member of your group subscription can find and work on projects together without needing to invite all members of the group individually.

The group admin can decide whether the group uses the shared workspace, and how it's set up.

## Why use shared workspace?

* **Simplify team work and project hand off**: Rather than needing to invite everyone on a team to a project individually, moving a project to the shared workspace means everyone on the team can see it.
* **Reduce admin work to protect your intellectual property and maintain continuity.** When someone leaves the organization, projects in the shared workspace stay accessible under group ownership instead of leaving with the person who created them.
* **Build a central place for core documents**: Add templates, standard operating procedures, and onboarding materials that you’d like everyone on the team to be able to find and access with ease.

## Important considerations

* **Everyone on the subscription sees everything in the shared workspace.** If your subscription covers departments or research groups that don't work together, which is common with larger group subscriptions, a single shared space might not be right for you.
* **Members decide what goes in.** Any member can create projects in the shared workspace, and owners can move their own projects in. It might help to agree on what belongs there before you turn it on.
* **Moving projects in is permanent for members.** Only the group managers can move a project back to someone's personal workspace.
* **The default access level is Viewer.** All members will have Viewer access to the projects in the shared workspace. Individual users can request access to Reviewer or Editor roles within a specific project.
* **By default, the workspace is called "Your group"**. Pick a name your team will recognize in the **Workspace name** field.

<figure><img src="https://1394141003-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFkLpFt1iQKGbutGQMi1h%2Fuploads%2F8KgKiMHUdba4KPStn02Y%2FScreenshot%202026-10-30%20at%2012.49.28.png?alt=media&amp;token=4479072a-a608-4219-b32b-4517c432f90c" alt="" width="352"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## How to turn on/off shared workspace

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Go to your group's [subscription settings](https://www.overleaf.com/user/subscription), navigate to **Group management**, and open **Feature controls**.

<figure><img src="https://1394141003-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFkLpFt1iQKGbutGQMi1h%2Fuploads%2FZrov9flj1e6T6ocgtbB7%2Funknown.png?alt=media&amp;token=f41242cd-109a-4df5-9603-5c988436c281" alt="Feature controls location within subscription settings" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Select **Enable shared workspace** or **Disable shared workspace**.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Enable shared workspace" %}

<figure><img src="https://1394141003-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFkLpFt1iQKGbutGQMi1h%2Fuploads%2FSDVWWGPe4BibUAMZ5ysJ%2FScreenshot%202026-10-30%20at%2013.10.01.png?alt=media&amp;token=ce268483-4a61-44c1-8e24-defc4c6cfcab" alt="Shared workspace feature control with shared workspace disabled" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Disable shared workspace" %}

<figure><img src="https://1394141003-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFkLpFt1iQKGbutGQMi1h%2Fuploads%2FAwxeP2U1RncbEF2UwXir%2FScreenshot%202026-10-30%20at%2012.52.06.png?alt=media&amp;token=f71a5238-0811-4c16-a227-4fed2a3c0e7a" alt="Shared workspace feature control with shared workspace enabled" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Confirm that you want to enable or disable the shared workspace by selecting **Enable workspace** or **Disable workspace** in the modal.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Enable workspace" %}

<figure><img src="https://1394141003-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFkLpFt1iQKGbutGQMi1h%2Fuploads%2FC4j2OdjrBQaeOtMJDgHn%2FScreenshot%202026-10-30%20at%2013.11.18.png?alt=media&amp;token=4fa3b2e0-e48f-42a6-b14b-5384dc8d9878" alt="Enable shared workspace modal" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Disable workspace" %}

<figure><img src="https://1394141003-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFkLpFt1iQKGbutGQMi1h%2Fuploads%2Fy70G8DF53D4uoPwrfWXT%2FScreenshot%202026-10-30%20at%2012.53.53.png?alt=media&amp;token=6f58bfc1-7ec4-4326-9d1a-15ecdf60abcd" alt="Disable shared workspace modal" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
If **Feature controls** says to contact Support instead of showing a toggle, workspaces has been paused for your group. [Contact us](https://www.overleaf.com/contact) to get it turned back on. After that, you'll need to turn it on again yourself.
{% endhint %}

## Move a project out of shared workspace

Only group managers can move a project from the shared workspace back to a member's personal workspace. Once it's moved, it belongs to that member and the rest of the group can't see it anymore.

When the admin transfers a project out of the shared workspace to a member that is not the original owner, it will be tagged with `transferred-from-` followed by the previous owner's email address, for example `transferred-from-alex@example.com` .

## Frequently asked questions

<details>

<summary><strong>What happens to shared workspace projects when someone leaves or is removed from the group?</strong></summary>

Projects in the shared workspace stay with the group when the person who owns them leaves. Their project creator controls pass to the group admin. Their personal projects aren't affected.

What happens to a person's projects depends on how they leave:

* **They leave the group, or an admin removes them**: Their shared workspace projects go to the group admin, who becomes the project owner. Their personal projects stay in their own account, and the group can't access them. This works the same way whether or not your group uses Managed Users.
* **They delete their Overleaf account**: Their shared workspace projects go to the group admin. Their personal projects are deleted along with the account.
* **An admin deletes their managed account**: Nothing extra happens. As with any managed account, the admin transfers the person's projects before the account is deleted.

When projects are transferred to you as the group admin, they're tagged with `transferred-from-` followed by the previous owner's email address, for example `transferred-from-alex@example.com`. Find this tag under **Your Tags** in the left-hand navigation to see everything you received from that person.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>What happens if I turn off the shared workspace?</strong></summary>

You'll see a confirmation before anything changes. When you turn it off:

* **Your group** disappears from the navigation for everyone.
* Every project in the shared workspace goes back to the project creator's personal workspace. That includes projects that were created directly in the shared workspace.
* Group members stop having automatic access. People who were invited to a project directly keep their access.
* Everyone affected gets an email about the change. Nobody gets more than one. If no projects were ever added to the shared workspace, only you get an email.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you turn the shared workspace back on later, projects don't go back into the shared workspace automatically. Their owners need to move them in again.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>How is this different from Managed Users?</strong></summary>

They do different jobs, and you can use them together or separately.

* **Managed Users** controls people's Overleaf accounts, for example whether they can delete their account or change their email. When someone leaves, you reassign their projects yourself.
* **Workspaces** puts projects in a shared space the whole group can see. A project in the shared workspace belongs to the group before anyone leaves, so there's nothing to reassign.

Learn more about [Managed Users](https://docs.overleaf.com/).

</details>


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://docs.overleaf.com/groups/user-management/shared-workspace.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.