Overview
ZiaSign's Document Editor and Document Studio provide a complete document workspace for creating, editing, and transforming documents — all from within your dashboard.
- Document Editor — A rich text editor for creating and editing documents with real-time collaboration
- Document Studio — An all-in-one workspace combining the editor with AI actions, PDF tools, and export capabilities
Document Editor
Navigate to Documents → Editor from the sidebar.
Creating Documents
Click New Blank Document to create a new document. The landing page displays your 8 most recently updated documents for quick access.
Editing Features
The editor provides a full rich text editing experience:
- Format text with headings, bold, italic, lists, and more
- Autosave — Content is automatically saved 2 seconds after you stop typing
- Manual Save — Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac) to save immediately
- Save Status — The toolbar displays the current save state and last-saved timestamp
Real-Time Collaboration
- Collaborator Avatars — See who else is viewing or editing the document
- Cursor Awareness — Collaborator cursor positions and selections are visible to all participants
- Offline Support — If you lose connectivity, an offline banner appears and pending changes sync automatically when you reconnect
Side Panels
Three collapsible panels are available from the toolbar:
| Panel | Description |
|---|---|
| Clause Library | Browse and insert pre-built contract clauses directly into your document |
| Comments | View and add comments, with a badge showing the total comment count |
| Version History | Browse previous versions and restore earlier revisions |
Document Actions
From the toolbar menu:
- Export — Download in PDF, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, or Plain Text
- Duplicate — Create a copy of the current document
- Delete — Permanently remove the document (with confirmation prompt)
Document Stats
Click the stats icon to view:
- Word count, character count, sentence count, paragraph count
- Estimated reading time
- Readability score
Document Studio
Navigate to Documents → Studio for the full workspace experience. The Studio combines the document editor with integrated PDF tools and AI capabilities.
Start Screen
The Studio start screen offers four entry points:
- New Blank Document — Create a fresh document
- Upload — Drag and drop or browse to upload a file
- Quick Tools — One-click access to popular tools: merge, split, compress, watermark, encrypt, convert, extract, summarize, rotate, crop, and redact
- Recent Documents — Open your 6 most recently edited documents
Action Menus
The Studio toolbar provides five action menus:
AI — Analyze documents with AI:
- Summarize, Extract Clauses, Detect Risks, Translate, Classify, Extract Tables, OCR (Enhanced), Key Terms
Transform — Process PDFs:
- Merge PDFs, Split, Compress, Watermark, Encrypt, Rotate, Crop, Redact, PDF to Word, Word to PDF
Insert — Add content to your document:
- From Clause Library, Drawing (canvas), Table, Image, Horizontal Rule
Review — Collaborate and compare:
- Comments, Version History, Compare Documents
Export — Download your document:
- PDF, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, Plain Text
Integrated Tool Panel
When you select a PDF tool from the Transform or AI menus, the tool processor opens in a panel on the right side of the workspace. Upload your file, configure options, and process — all without leaving the Studio.
Tip: You can also open the Studio with a specific tool pre-selected by navigating to Studio with the ?tool= parameter, e.g., ?tool=merge or ?tool=ai-summarize.
Next Steps
- Explore 118 public PDF tools available in the dashboard and Studio
- Set up templates for documents you use frequently
- Learn about AI contract analysis for automated clause detection and risk assessment
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Editor and the Studio?
The Document Editor is a focused rich text editor for creating and editing documents. The Document Studio is an all-in-one workspace that combines the editor with AI actions, PDF tool processing, and advanced export capabilities.
Can multiple people edit a document at the same time?
Yes. The editor supports real-time collaboration powered by SignalR and Yjs. You can see collaborator avatars and their cursor positions in real time.
Does the editor auto-save my work?
Yes. Content is automatically saved 2 seconds after you stop typing. You can also manually save with Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac). An offline banner appears if you lose connectivity, and pending changes sync when you reconnect.
What export formats are supported?
You can export documents as PDF, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, or Plain Text from both the Editor and Studio.
What AI actions are available in the Studio?
The AI menu includes: Summarize, Extract Clauses, Detect Risks, Translate, Classify, Extract Tables, OCR (Enhanced), and Key Terms. These tools analyze your uploaded PDF directly within the Studio workspace.
Related documentation
PDF Tools
Process, convert, edit, and optimize PDFs with 118 public tools across free, free-account, and paid tiers.
Document Library
Organize, store, and manage all your documents with folders, sharing, archive, and trash.
Document Templates
Create reusable templates with pre-placed fields to send documents faster and maintain consistency.