File Sync Collaboration
Share a Space with other people through a cloud folder. Real-time-ish task sync, member presence, assignment and completion notifications - collaboration without a server.
File Sync Collaboration is PrimeTask's answer to "I want to work on this with other people." Every member runs PrimeTask locally. Everyone's devices sync through the same cloud folder. You see who's in the Space, who was last active, and you get real notifications when a teammate assigns you a task, completes a task, or makes changes you care about.
There's no PrimeTask cloud account in the middle. The folder provider - Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, a NAS - handles moving the files. PrimeTask handles the work.
For the concept and folder providers, see File Sync. For the Personal sub-mode, see File Sync Personal.
File Sync Collaboration requires Pro
Turning Collaboration on for a Space, and joining someone else's collaborative Space, are part of the Pro tier. File Sync Personal (your own devices) is available on every license. See License Settings.
What you can do
Share a Space with other people
through a folder you all have access to.
See who's on the Space
and when each member was last active.
Get notified when a teammate assigns you a task
or completes one.
See notifications even from a different Space
with the Space name so you know the context.
Assign roles
owner, admin, member, viewer.
Protect the Space
with optional password protection.
Collaborate across macOS and Windows
mix freely.
Keep working offline
edits queue and sync when the folder is reachable.
How a collaborative Space works
Step 1
The owner creates a collaborative Space on their machine and places it in a folder the team can all reach (a shared Dropbox folder, a shared OneDrive folder, a shared iCloud Drive folder, a NAS).
Step 2
Members join the Space from their own devices by opening the same folder. See Joining a Shared Space.
Step 3
Everyone's device syncs independently through the folder. Changes flow between devices as the cloud provider moves the files.
Step 4
PrimeTask picks up changes on each member's computer and fires notifications for things that matter, such as assignments and completions.
Create a collaborative Space
Open **Settings → Spaces** and open an existing Space
or create a new one.
Step 2
Set the sync method to File Sync.
Pick a **shared folder**
one every team member will be able to access on their own machine through their own Dropbox, OneDrive, or other cloud client.
Step 4
Turn on Collaboration. PrimeTask asks for your display name and username - this is the identity other members will see.
Step 5
Optionally turn on password protection and set a password hint.
Step 6
Save. Your device is now registered as the Space's owner.
Share the folder with the people who should join (through your cloud provider's sharing tools). They run PrimeTask and join. See Joining a Shared Space.
The owner is the device that first enables collaboration
Whoever creates the Space and turns collaboration on becomes the owner. The owner is permanent - it can't be transferred to another member. Plan ownership deliberately.
Roles
Every member has a role on the Space. Roles are set and changed from the Space's Members area.
- Owner - the original creator. Permanent. Configures sync, manages membership.
- Admin - elevated role; manages members and Space settings.
- Member - the default role for people who join. Works on tasks, projects, and the rest of the Space.
- Viewer - intended for read-only access when you want someone to see the Space without actively editing it.
Roles also show in the Members area so everyone knows who's who.
Roles are social contracts, not hard locks
Today, roles surface who's meant to do what on the Space. For binding access control, rely on the folder provider - a Viewer who shouldn't be able to change anything can be given read-only access to the shared folder itself.
Notifications for teammates' work
PrimeTask notifies you about changes that matter when a sync brings a teammate's edits to your device:
Assignment notifications
When a teammate assigns a task to you, a notification appears on your computer with the task name, the teammate's avatar, and the Space name (when the Space isn't the one you're currently in). Clicking the notification jumps to the task.
Completion notifications
When a teammate completes a task, you see a notification telling you who completed what.
Unassignment notifications
When a teammate removes you from a task's assignees, you see a quick note so you're not surprised.
Cross-space notifications
Notifications from a Space you're not currently looking at include the Space name so you know where the change happened. Clicking takes you straight to the right Space and the right task.
Subtask awareness
Assignment and completion notifications distinguish subtasks from top-level tasks in their wording, so a "subtask completed" doesn't look like a top-level milestone.
Assignment notifications make handoffs visible
Use the @assignee feature on tasks as the primary handoff channel in a collaborative Space. The teammate gets notified as soon as their device syncs - no chat ping needed.
Encryption state changes
When the owner enables, changes, or removes password protection on a Space you've joined, your device shows a notification so the change is never silent:
- Password required - the owner has just turned password protection on for the Space. Your sync pauses until you enter the password. The notification names the Space and takes you to Settings → File Sync → Sync Settings when you click through, ready for you to enter the password.
- Password updated - the owner has just changed the existing password. Your sync pauses until you enter the new one. Click through to enter the updated password.
- Encryption removed - the owner has just turned password protection off. Sync continues automatically, so no action is needed. Your local copy of the Space's data is now stored without password protection. If the change wasn't expected, contact the Space owner.
Each notification stays on screen until you dismiss it and offers a clear Dismiss option alongside the main action. These notifications only fire in Spaces with collaboration turned on.
Owner-driven changes are visible to everyone
Any change the owner makes to a Space's password protection fires a notification on every member's device. There is no silent change to a Space's security posture.
Member presence
The Members area shows every person on the Space with a last-seen indicator - "Just now," "5m ago," "2h ago," and so on. Members who were active within the last few minutes show as online.
Last-seen is a lightweight way to know whether a teammate is around, without a constant presence channel that depends on a real-time server.
What syncs to every member
Everything that makes the Space a real workspace:
- Tasks, subtasks, checklists, time entries
- Projects, goals, milestones, notes, metrics history, team members
- CRM - contacts, companies, activities, CRM tasks (shared and project-scoped)
- PrimeFlow canvases
- Custom fields, tags, statuses, priorities, templates
- Space members - so collaboration works
- Attachments and avatars - files uploaded into the Space
What stays device-local
A few things are per-device on purpose:
- Your profile and avatar - each device keeps its own identity.
- App settings - preferences per device.
- View preferences - UI layout per device.
- PrimeFlow Folder nodes - Folder nodes link to a specific folder on one computer, which wouldn't make sense across a team.
Password-protected Spaces
You can protect a collaborative Space with a password. When protected:
- The Space's data is unreadable from the sync folder without the password.
- Every member enters the password when joining.
- Someone with access to the folder can't read the Space's contents without the password.
This is useful when the sync folder is on a provider you don't fully trust, or when a Space contains sensitive client or CRM data.
Lose the password, lose the Space
Password recovery is not possible. Without the password, the protected data cannot be read. Store the password somewhere you and co-owners trust - a password manager shared with the team works well.
Pausing sync while you work
PrimeTask pauses sync while you're actively editing - for example, while you have a task open and you're typing. This prevents a teammate's sync from interrupting your editing mid-thought. Once you're done, sync resumes automatically.
If you lock the app, sync pauses; unlocking resumes sync and catches up any queued changes.
Changing membership and ownership
- Add members - share the sync folder with them, and they join from their own devices. See Joining a Shared Space.
- Change a member's role - open the Members area and pick a new role.
- Remove a member - remove them from the Members list to stop counting them as part of the Space, and revoke their folder access in your cloud provider or network share if they should no longer have the files.
- Ownership - stays with the device that first enabled collaboration. Not transferable.
Things worth knowing
Everyone needs the folder first
Members can't join a collaborative Space unless they can reach the sync folder. Share the folder through your cloud provider before the member tries to join.
Folder access is managed by your folder provider, not by PrimeTask. PrimeTask roles explain what someone should do inside the Space; Dropbox, iCloud Drive, OneDrive, Synology, or your network share controls whether they can still reach the folder.
Password changes pause member devices until they unlock
If the owner enables password protection after members have joined, or changes the password later, member devices pause sync and ask for the Space password in File Sync settings. This keeps the shared folder safe and prevents a member device from writing unprotected data while it does not have the current password.
When password protection is enabled, changed, or removed, PrimeTask creates a local recovery snapshot before applying the change.
Sync is real-time-ish, not real-time
Changes flow through the cloud folder. The folder's sync cadence determines how fast teammates see your edits. For most cloud providers, this is within seconds - fast enough for day-to-day work, not fast enough for simultaneous line-by-line editing of the same field.
PrimeTask handles common sync conflicts
Two members editing the same item at nearly the same time will not usually interrupt everyone with a decision. PrimeTask handles the conflict automatically. If you know two people were editing the same item together, review the final version afterwards.
Notifications are per device
Each member's device fires its own notifications when its sync pulls changes. A member on a closed laptop doesn't get notifications until they open the app and sync runs.
Space members are a Space-level list, not a company directory
The Members area shows people who've joined this Space - not your entire contact list. Use PrimeCRM for your broader contact directory.
Common questions
"Do I need a PrimeTask account to collaborate?"
No. PrimeTask doesn't have accounts. Collaboration works through your own cloud folder.
"How fast do teammates see my changes?"
Usually within seconds - as fast as your cloud provider syncs the folder. Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, and similar all sync quickly under normal conditions. A NAS on a local network is typically even faster.
"What happens if two of us edit the same task?"
PrimeTask handles everyday edit conflicts automatically. If two people edit the same task at the same time, review the final task afterwards to make sure it says what the team expects.
"Can I transfer ownership to someone else?"
No. Ownership stays with the device that first enabled collaboration. If ownership needs to move, the usual approach is to create a new Space and bring the data across.
"Can someone join without a password?"
Only if the Space isn't password-protected. A password-protected Space requires the password at join time.
"Does PrimeTask see our data on the sync folder?"
PrimeTask running on each member's device reads and writes the folder. PrimeTask as a company doesn't - we don't run a sync server. Your cloud folder provider handles the transport; they see whatever you've set up with them.
"Can Windows and macOS members share the same Space?"
Yes. File Sync Collaboration is cross-platform as long as every member's cloud provider syncs the folder on both operating systems.
"What if I want a member to have only read access?"
Set their role to Viewer in the Members area, and configure the cloud folder with read-only access on their side. Belt and braces - the role makes intent clear; the folder permission makes it binding.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Join a Space someone else is sharing | Joining a Shared Space |
| Sync only your own devices | File Sync Personal |
| Understand the File Sync concept | File Sync |
| Compare all sync modes | Sync Modes Overview |
| Flow data between your own Spaces | Space Sharing Between Spaces |
| Change sync on an existing Space | Creating and Managing Spaces |