ONLYOFFICE DocumentServer is a self-hosted online office suite that provides browser-based document, spreadsheet, and presentation editing with real-time collaborative capabilities. It natively supports Office Open XML formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) and can be deployed on Linux servers, either through Docker containerization or direct installation.
The server includes a cooperative editing engine that coordinates simultaneous changes across multiple users using operational transformation, with a WebSocket synchronization layer for instant state propagation. Security is handled through JWT authentication middleware that validates tokens at each API request, and HTTPS can be configured for encrypted client-server communication. A document format conversion pipeline transforms files between Office Open XML and internal representations, while a multi-format compatibility adapter preserves format-specific features during conversion.
The platform offers a plugin-based architecture for extending editor functionality, server-side document rendering for generating viewable representations before delivery to clients, and integration primitives for connecting editors to shared workspaces with file sharing and access control. Docker deployment supports configurable ports, persistent data storage through mounted host directories, and custom authentication settings.