---
type: entity
title: OnlyOffice
tags: [software, collaborative-editing, office-suite, document-server, document-editing, collaboration, nextcloud, office, floss, productivity]
related: [nextcloud, collaborative-editing, format-conversion, collaborative-conflict, concepts/floss]
created: 2026-07-01
updated: 2026-07-01
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud_bedienung_bearbeitung.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud--1sk6jfj", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud_bedienung_wiederherstellung.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud_clients.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_nextcloud_faq_nextcloud.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_support_dokumentation_floss.md"]
---

# OnlyOffice

**OnlyOffice** is an open-source office suite recommended by the [[universitatsrechenzentrum-urz]] for text processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. It is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. 

In the university's [[nextcloud]] instance (URZ Nextcloud environment), it is integrated as a web-based office suite and backend document server used for the real-time editing of documents directly within the web browser.

## Functional Scope
- **Supported File Types**: Text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- **Collaborative Features**: Enables [[collaborative-editing]], allowing multiple authorized users to work on or modify a single document simultaneously in real-time within the web browser, with changes being visible to all participants.

### Format Handling
- **Modern Formats**: OnlyOffice requires and supports modern file formats.
- **Legacy Formats**: It cannot edit legacy formats (like `.doc`) directly.
- **Conversion**: Legacy files must undergo [[format-conversion]] to a modern format (like `.docx`). One source version notes that OnlyOffice provides the technical capability for this conversion within the browser.

## Saving Behavior
Users should be aware that OnlyOffice does not use a traditional continuous autosave to the cloud storage in all scenarios. The saving mechanism operates as follows:

- **Triggered Save**: Files are automatically saved back to Nextcloud only when the **last active user closes the browser tab** containing the document.
- **Manual Save**: Users can force a save to Nextcloud by clicking the **disk icon** on the left edge of the screen or by using the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl + S`.

Failure to close the tab or manually save may result in data not being persisted to the cloud storage.

## Version Management
OnlyOffice provides a dedicated **Version History** feature (accessible via **File** $\rightarrow$ **Version History**) that allows users to view and restore previous iterations of a document. This feature is restricted to a limited number of supported file types.

## Synchronization Warning
There is a critical functional tension between OnlyOffice and the Nextcloud Desktop Client. Because OnlyOffice operates on the server side in real-time, any user who edits a file locally via the desktop client and then synchronizes it may overwrite the collaborative changes made by others. This phenomenon is described as a [[collaborative-conflict]].

## Troubleshooting Loading Issues
If a document does not load completely, it is often due to a browser cache conflict or conflicting plugins.

### Resolution Steps
1. **Test Incognito Mode**: If the document loads in a private window, the issue is cache-related.
2. **Disable Network Cache**:
   - Open Browser Developer Tools (`F12` or `CTRL+SHIFT+i`).
   - Navigate to the **Network** tab.
   - Check the **"Disable cache"** checkbox.
   - Reload the page (`CTRL+R`).
3. **Alternative Browser**: Test with a different browser to rule out conflicting add-ons or plugins.