Collaborative block editing.
Without HTTP polling.
Real-time collaborative editing is available today through the Gutenberg plugin, ahead of its arrival in WordPress core, built on Yjs. The default transport is HTTP polling. WordSocket registers as a WebSocket sync provider, replacing polling with a persistent low-latency connection the moment you connect.
What Gutenberg ships
The Gutenberg plugin introduces a collaborative block editor powered by the Yjs CRDT library, headed for WordPress core. Multiple authors can edit the same post simultaneously and changes merge automatically without conflicts.
Out of the box, editor state is synchronised over HTTP: the browser polls a REST endpoint on a short interval to exchange Yjs document updates. It works, but adds latency proportional to the poll interval and generates constant background traffic even when no one is typing.
What WordSocket adds
Gutenberg exposes a sync.providers filter that lets
plugins register an alternative transport. WordSocket hooks into this
filter and registers itself as a WebSocket-based Yjs sync provider.
Yjs document updates flow as binary WebSocket frames over the same connection already open for realtime events. No second connection, no extra configuration. The switch happens automatically when you connect your site to WPSignal.
<Setup />
Running in under a minute
No server to configure. No Yjs infrastructure to manage.
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1. Install WordSocket
Install from the WordPress plugin directory or via WP CLI. Collaborative editing also requires the Gutenberg plugin until real-time collaboration ships in WordPress core.
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2. Connect to WPSignal
Go to WP Admin > WordSocket > Connection and click Connect. Your site registers automatically and the Yjs provider is enabled by default.
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3. Open the block editor
Open any post with a second user. WordPress switches to the WebSocket transport automatically. No configuration required.
Common questions
Does this require the Gutenberg plugin?
Yes, for now. Real-time collaboration was removed from WordPress core before the 7.0 release and currently ships with the Gutenberg plugin. WordSocket detects when collaboration is available and enabled, shows a Gutenberg detected badge in its settings, and skips provider registration otherwise. When the feature lands in core, no plugin update will be needed.
Does it use a separate WebSocket connection?
No. Yjs document updates are relayed over the same persistent WebSocket connection already open for realtime events. There is no second connection.
What happens when WebSocket is unavailable?
The provider detects the SSE fallback and emits a "disconnected" status. WordPress surfaces its standard "not synced" indicator in the block editor toolbar. You can also disable the provider entirely from the WordSocket Settings tab to restore default WordPress HTTP polling.
Are Yjs document updates encrypted?
Yjs updates are relayed as binary frames and are not covered by the AES-256-GCM event encryption, which applies to JSON event payloads only. The relay forwards binary diffs without reading or storing document content.
Can I disable collaborative editing without deactivating the plugin?
Yes. The WordSocket Settings tab has a toggle to disable the Yjs provider and restore WordPress HTTP polling for all editors. Site owners can also disable collaboration globally via Settings > Writing or the WP_ALLOW_COLLABORATION constant.
Available today via Gutenberg
Switch from polling today
Free during beta. Install Gutenberg and WordSocket, connect to WPSignal, and your block editor uses WebSocket sync automatically.