Getting Started

Your managed HedgeDoc at server.camp is ready. HedgeDoc is a collaborative Markdown editor: multiple people write in the same document simultaneously, see changes in real time, and share results with a single link — no account required for guests. This guide is for freelancers, SMBs, and nonprofits that need fast, simple document collaboration — without Google Docs.

Many teams reach for Google Docs when they need quick notes and shared documents — but that means data on US servers, vendor dependency, and GDPR grey areas for sensitive content.

HedgeDoc delivers the same real-time writing experience, running on your own infrastructure at server.camp in Germany. Designed for GDPR compliance. No dependency on Google or Microsoft.

Common use cases:

• Meeting notes — everyone writes simultaneously, the transcript builds itself
• Brainstorming sessions — capture ideas in structured bullet lists instantly
• Project briefs — send a link to a client or colleague and you’re done
• Technical documentation — Markdown with code blocks and diagrams
• Shared agendas — teammates add items before the meeting starts
• Presentations — build slides from Markdown, no PowerPoint needed
• Association minutes — write board meeting notes live, share via link afterward
• Checklists and to-do lists — checkboxes built right into Markdown
• Diagrams and visualizations — flowcharts, Gantt charts, and sequence diagrams directly in the document

HedgeDoc works with notes — individual documents. Each note automatically gets a URL. Anyone with that URL can read the note (and edit it, depending on the permission setting).

The key: multiple people can write in the same note at the same time. Changes appear instantly for everyone — ideal for meetings, brainstorms, or shared documentation.

Notes are written in Markdown — a lightweight markup language that’s easy to read and write.

Every note has permission settings that control who can read or edit it. Set a note to publicly accessible (via link), restricted to logged-in users on your instance, or completely private.

Creator = note owner

The creator of a note is automatically the owner and has full control over permissions. Change sharing settings at any time to adjust visibility and editing rights.

Markdown takes minutes to learn. Write normal text and add simple characters to create formatting. HedgeDoc shows the editor on the left and a formatted preview on the right — see results immediately.

**Bold text** is marked with double asterisks
*Italic text* is marked with single asterisks
~~Strikethrough text~~ with double tildes
`Inline code` with backticks

# Heading 1 (largest)
## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4

- Bullet point 1
- Bullet point 2
  - Indented sub-point
  - Another sub-point

1. Numbered list
2. Second item
3. Third item

- [ ] Task not yet done
- [x] Task completed

[Link text](https://server.camp)

![Image description](https://example.com/image.png)

Paste images from the clipboard

To insert an image from the clipboard, press Ctrl + V in the editor. HedgeDoc automatically uploads the image and inserts the Markdown code with the URL.

> This is a quote or highlighted note.
> It can span multiple lines.

| Name  | Role      | Department |
|-------|-----------|------------|
| Lisa  | Team Lead | Sales      |
| Max   | Developer | IT         |
| Anna  | Board     | Finance    |

```javascript
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello ${name}!`;
}
```

HedgeDoc supports syntax highlighting for dozens of programming languages — just add the language name after the three backticks.

---

No need to memorize Markdown

HedgeDoc shows the editor on the left and the formatted preview on the right. Try things out and watch the right side respond. The toolbar above the editor also provides buttons for common formatting — just like a regular word processor.

1. Click “New Note” on the HedgeDoc home page
2. The editor opens — write on the left, see the result on the right
3. HedgeDoc saves automatically — no manual saving needed

Switch between three views using the buttons in the editor:

Find the share function in the top right:

• Edit link — anyone with this link can write together
• Read view (publish link) — anyone with this link sees only the formatted document
• Slide mode — the document is displayed as a presentation

Copy and send the link — no login required for external people (with the appropriate permission setting).

Use the lock icon on any note to configure permissions:

Protect sensitive content

Set permissions to “Limited” or “Private” for sensitive content (budgets, HR topics, customer data). Only logged-in users on your instance can open the document — the link alone is no longer enough.

HedgeDoc generates diagrams directly from text — no external tool needed. Describe the diagram in a specialized syntax and HedgeDoc renders it automatically.

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Customer sends request] --> B{Request type?}
    B -->|Support| C[Zammad ticket]
    B -->|Sales| D[CRM entry]
    C --> E[Agent handles it]
    D --> F[Sales follows up]
```

Mermaid supports many diagram types: flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, class diagrams, ER diagrams, and pie charts.

Mermaid works for most cases

Mermaid covers most use cases — it’s the most versatile and best-documented option. The Mermaid documentation has many examples to build on.

HedgeDoc renders mathematical formulas using LaTeX syntax:

Inline: $E = mc^2$

Block:
$$
\sum_{i=1}^{n} i = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}
$$

Ideal for technical documentation, scientific notes, or calculations.

HedgeDoc embeds external content directly in notes — just paste the link:

• YouTube videos — link added, video embedded automatically
• Vimeo videos — same as YouTube
• GitHub Gists — display code snippets inline
• SlideShare — embed presentations
• PDF files — PDF viewer directly in the document

Add [TOC] to a note and HedgeDoc automatically generates a table of contents from all headings. Especially useful for longer documents.

Add YAML metadata at the top of a note:

---
title: Meeting notes 2026-02-22
tags: meeting, board, Q1-2026
---

Tags make notes easy to find via the search function.

HedgeDoc can display Markdown notes as presentations — powered by reveal.js. The separator --- (three dashes on their own line) divides slides:

---
title: Q1 Quarterly Report
slideOptions:
  theme: white
---

# Q1 2026 Quarterly Report

Company GmbH – February 2026

---

## Revenue growth

- January: €120,000
- February: €135,000
- Trend: **+12% year-over-year**

---

## Next steps

1. Launch new website
2. Expand sales team
3. Build out support

---

## Questions?

Contact: team@company.com

Click the presentation icon in the top right, and HedgeDoc displays the note as a slideshow.

Customize the appearance via YAML metadata at the top:

Presentations without PowerPoint

For quick project updates, team briefings, or association introductions, HedgeDoc presentations are ideal: write content in Markdown (faster than designing slides), share the link, and everyone views the presentation in a browser — no PowerPoint, no file attachments, no compatibility issues.

HedgeDoc saves edit history. Under “Versions” (top right in the editor):

• View earlier versions of the document
• Compare changes between versions
• Roll back to a previous version

Especially valuable when something was accidentally deleted during a shared session.

Find all your notes after logging in under “My Notes”. Notes can be:

• Marked as favorites (star icon) for quick access
• Filtered by tags
• Sorted by title or creation date

Index note for teams

Create a central index note that serves as a home page with links to all important notes — meeting minutes by date, project briefs by project, recurring agendas. Pin this note and share the link with the team (e.g. as a bookmark or in Mattermost). Everyone finds the right note immediately.

Since HedgeDoc creates notes with random URLs by default, consistent titles help a lot:

HedgeDoc exports notes to several formats:

Markdown as a universal format

Markdown files work almost everywhere: as a README or wiki page in GitLab, as a page in WikiJS, as documentation in Nextcloud, or even as the basis for a website (Hugo, Jekyll). A document written in HedgeDoc is never locked into a proprietary format.

HedgeDoc supports several login methods:

• Local accounts — create users directly in HedgeDoc
• SSO via Authentik or other OIDC-compatible identity providers — if you use Authentik at server.camp, team members sign in with their central account

For external people (clients, project partners, association members without accounts), the edit link is often enough — they can start writing immediately without registering. Set the note permission to “Free” accordingly.

Tip for freelancers: Use HedgeDoc as a fast note-taking and drafting tool. It starts instantly (one click → new document), needs no app installation, and is accessible from any browser. For long-term storage, export finished documents to Markdown and save them in WikiJS, Nextcloud, or GitLab.

Onboarding tip: Create a HedgeDoc note called “Team conventions” with: naming conventions for notes, link to the index note, Markdown quick reference, and a note on permissions. New employees read this note and immediately know how HedgeDoc is used in the team.

Tip for associations: HedgeDoc is ideal as a minutes tool. The combination of real-time editing and link sharing fits association work perfectly: during the meeting, 2–3 people write together; after the meeting, the read link is distributed to all members. No formatting effort, no email ping-pong with different versions.

Export finished documents as Markdown and import them into WikiJS for permanent documentation. HedgeDoc works best as the drafting and collaboration phase (scratch pad) — WikiJS as the structured knowledge base (filing cabinet).

Share HedgeDoc links directly in Mattermost channels. Typical workflows:

• Before the meeting: post the agenda link in the channel
• After the meeting: share the read link to the minutes
• For projects: pin the link to project documentation in the channel header

Export finished documentation as Markdown and import it into GitLab wikis or as README.md in repositories. HedgeDoc is great for the drafting and collaboration phase — GitLab for permanent storage.

Save exported Markdown files in Nextcloud or Seafile for long-term archiving. HedgeDoc is ideal for writing together; Nextcloud/Seafile for structured storage.

Connect HedgeDoc to Authentik for centralized login. Team members sign in with a single account; onboarding and offboarding are managed centrally.

Need help with setup or connecting SSO with Authentik? Reach out at support@server.camp. We’re happy to help.

Find frequently asked questions about HedgeDoc on our product page.