ONLYOFFICE connector v9.1 for Nextcloud is available with advanced access rights and more tools for enhanced document collaboration

We are pleased to announce the release of the latest version 9.1 of the ONLYOFFICE integration app for Nextcloud. Packed with new features and improvements, like advanced access rights, new options to streamline document editing, and other updates it promises to enhance your team collaboration experience. Let’s dive into what’s new.

Enhanced document collaboration

Built with document collaboration in mind, our newest version of ONLYOFFICE connector is focused primarily on enhancing collaborative document editing and simplifying workflows. With this update, we’ve added new features to make your work on office files even more effective ensuring seamless teamwork. Let’s discover all the new options.

Advanced document permissions for public sharing and Nextcloud Talk

Previously added with the version 7.4 of the connector advanced access permissions are now available for files created within the Nextcloud Talk app and files with public access. Here are the list of advanced types of access rights, additionally available to standard Full/Read Only access:

Reviewing. Enable Track Changes, and let users with View Only access suggest alterations in the document without directly modifying the content. This permission is exclusive to text documents.

Commenting. Allow users with View Only access to leave comments and mention other users within the comments section. This permission applies to both documents and spreadsheets.

Custom Filtering When a user is granted full access to a spreadsheet, the option to disable filtering of the author’s version is available, allowing only custom filtering in personal mode.

Where to find: Go to all files -> Click on settings button and choose Open details -> Click on Provide advanced document permissions using ONLYOFFICE Docs -> Choose between Review/ Comment/ or Filtering

Fillable PDF forms

Filling PDF files launched in the version 8.0 of ONLYOFFICE Docs is now available also for the integration app, offering teams an efficient and organized way of gathering and overseeing information. Additionally, digital forms offer greater accessibility, enabling employees to complete them from anywhere using desktop or mobile devices.

To create customizable PDF forms, employ DOCXF templates, which enable the insertion of diverse field types and flexible adjustments to tailor your form’s appearance. Similar to editing a standard document, you can manipulate text with various styling and formatting options, fostering seamless collaboration among team members on form creation.

Where to find: Go to Files menu -> Press New button -> Choose New PDF form -> Click on Blank or From text document

Please be advised that when working PDF files, you have the ability to add annotations, including text highlighting, underlining, and strikethrough, as well as form filling, commenting, and drawings directly within the PDF Editor, added into our suite of editors for improved document editing experience.

Document combination from storage

Document combination typically refers to the process of merging or integrating multiple separate documents into a single cohesive file.

Imagine a marketing team working on a new product launch campaign. Each team member is responsible for drafting different sections of the campaign plan, such as market research, advertising strategies, social media outreach, and budget allocation. Each section is saved as a separate text paragraph in an online document.

Now, thanks to a new option of the connector, you can merge files from your instance with previously created files situated in the storage. So, our team lead can easily combine his draft from the storage with a marketing campaign created as a result of an online brainstorming session. This feature allows you to review and edit the entire document in one place, ensuring consistency, coherence, and completeness.

Where to find: Go to Collaboration tab -> Find the Combine option -> Choose Document from storage

User avatar support

Collaboration with your team members becomes more interactive with the newly added option of user avatars available for comments. This latest enhancement adds a personalized touch to your suggestions in documents for example, making it easier for colleagues to identify each other’s contributions.

By uploading a picture to your Nextcloud user profile, you not only personalize your interactions but also foster a more evident and seamless internal collaboration experience.

Where to find: Click the user’s icon in the upper right corner -> Click Personal settings -> Profile picture

Offline viewer for shared docs

The Offline viewer enables sharing documents in their current state for external users with public access while allowing continued editing without revealing modifications to viewers.

For example, sharing policies with new employees is standard procedure, but permission levels can vary based on policies. The offline viewer allows public access to documents for new employees, while collaborative document editing with confidential changes visible to authorized team members ensures secure policy updates. This streamlines policy management, enhancing efficiency and transparency.

Where to find: Apply public sharing from the File menu or directly from the editor’s interface

News for spreadsheet collaboration

Access in protected ranges

Now, when activating the “protected range” option within a spreadsheet, you can choose among other team members, whom you’d like to grant access with various types of permissions, like viewing, editing, commenting and so on. Or you can even block this range of table content, so nobody can apply any changes.

Where to find: Go to Protection tab -> Click on Protect range -> Click Edit to add another user and press OK

External links to cells

The latest update introduces new functionality to the spreadsheet editor, allowing users to reference data from co-editing sessions, open a reference data source, and change the reference data source. Let’s dive into more details.

In the Spreadsheet Editor, users can now create external links to cells or cell ranges in other workbooks within the same instance. These links facilitate seamless data sharing between workbooks. To add an external link, you can copy data from the source workbook and paste it into the destination workbook using the “Paste link” option.

Once your workbooks are linked, you can choose between these new options:

• Update values to ensure the seamless synchronization of data in the second table, reflecting any changes made in the source.
• Change source, which offers flexibility by allowing users to modify the origin of data retrieval, simplifying processes such as incorporating new data without altering existing connections.
• Open source, which provides instant access for editing or viewing the file from which data is sourced, facilitating efficient collaboration.
• Break link that severs connections between workbooks when they are no longer necessary, optimizing data management and workflow integrity.

This functionality enhances data integration and streamlines efficiency in collaborative editing in data-driven environments.

Where to find: Insert a link to a data range into your spreadsheet -> Go to the Data tab on the top tool bar -> Click on External links to modify them.

Other fixes and improvements

There are also minor updates and fixes available for the newly released connector like:

• Disable connection check conducting a daily background check to ensure connectivity with the Document Server.
• New empty file templates in Arabic and Serbian
• Updated list of supported formats (djvu, dot, dotm, fb2, fodt, htm, mht, mhtml, oxps, stw, sxw, wps, xml, xps, fods, sxc, xlsb, pot, sxi added)
• Adjusted mobile editor size

And other fixes and adjustments. You can find all of them on GitHub.

Please note: Nextcloud v25 is no longer supported.

Connect ONLYOFFICE Docs with the updated integration app

With these updates, the ONLYOFFICE connector for Nextcloud continues to elevate your collaborative experience, offering better flexibility, security, and efficiency. Find the newest version of the connector now live on the Nextcloud marketplace:

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