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whoistyping.wtf

Google Docs-style real-time collaboration in Bubble

Last updated 15 October 2026.

Short answer

There are two routes, and they are different products. Embedding a Google Doc puts Google's editor inside your Bubble page. Google does the editing, comments and sharing, and access follows the document's Google sharing settings. Building a collaborative editor means your users type into a Tiptap editor inside your app, and a hosted sync server passes their changes between each other. WhoIsTyping is that sync server. It provides live text sync and remote cursors. It does not provide comments.

Two routes compared

Question Embed a Google Doc Tiptap editor with WhoIsTyping
Where editing happens In Google's document editor, embedded in your page In the Tiptap editor on your Bubble page
Who can edit Whoever Google's sharing settings allow Whoever your app lets obtain an auth token. A document name does not enforce permissions.
Several people typing at once Yes, in Google Docs Yes, in the WhoIsTyping setup. Not yet tested with two live users.
Remote cursors and names Yes, in Google Docs Remote carets and names are supported by the setup. Not yet tested end to end in Bubble.
Comments and suggestions Yes, in Google Docs Not offered
Where the document is hosted Google Drive Not published. Ask before you put personal or regulated content into a shared document.
What you build Plugin setup with a Google account that can open the document Plugin setup, a page-load token workflow, and a WhoIsTyping project

Pick the embed if your users already work in Google Docs and comments matter more than owning the editor. Pick the Tiptap route if the editing has to live inside your app and you accept the gaps in the table.

How WhoIsTyping does it

Three pieces make up the collaboration:

  1. The Tiptap editor on your Bubble page opens a WebSocket connection to wss://collab.whoistyping.wtf.
  2. A Bubble workflow generates an auth token on page load and passes it to the editor. The token is created with the project's document server secret, which stays in the server-side plugin setting.
  3. The collaboration server takes each editor's changes and sends them to the other editors on the same document. WhoIsTyping runs Hocuspocus, the open-source collaboration server Tiptap uses. Hocuspocus merges concurrent edits with Yjs, a conflict-free data type library, so two people typing in the same place both end up with the same text.

You build the app and the editor setup. WhoIsTyping runs the connection and the merge.

Presence and cursors

Presence is the part of collaboration people notice first. Set the element's user_name and cursor_color bindings so each collaborator shows a name and a colour. Test presence separately from text sync. Cursor visibility alone does not prove that edits are syncing.

In our test, one editor's caret moved in the other editor, and the reconnect check passed. Selection highlighting was not tested.

Comments

WhoIsTyping does not offer comments, suggestions or tracked changes. If you need them, Google Docs has comments in the embed route, and Tiptap Platform has comments in its own product and pricing. Comments built inside your app would be design work you own. This guide does not cover that.

Trust model

The document name routes the connection. It is not a document permission. Your app decides who can obtain a token for a project, so restrict that in your own workflow. Review the design before you let mutually untrusted users edit the same document.

Set it up

Read the Bubble collaboration setup guide for the full token workflow and the test steps. If you have not chosen an editor yet, start with the rich text editor comparison. For hosted-service pricing and limits, see the Tiptap Cloud alternative comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Is WhoIsTyping a Tiptap product?

No. WhoIsTyping is a separate hosted collaboration server for Tiptap editors. You still use the Tiptap editor in Bubble, and Tiptap Platform is a different product.

Can I avoid paying Tiptap by self-hosting Hocuspocus?

Yes. Hocuspocus is MIT-licensed and free to use, but you run, secure and scale the server yourself. Tiptap's own FAQ says its Platform runs on Hocuspocus under the hood.

Do documents count toward my plan on Tiptap Cloud?

Only documents stored in Tiptap Platform count toward your plan. Collaboration and document history need those Cloud documents.

Where is WhoIsTyping hosted?

WhoIsTyping has not published a hosting region. Ask before you put personal or regulated data into a shared document.

Can I try WhoIsTyping without a credit card?

Yes. The free tier includes one project and five documents, with no credit card required. Tiptap Platform also offers a 30-day trial without a card.

Sources

Sources consulted on 15 October 2026:

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