Proposal: Seamless Document Creation and Editing with OnlyOffice

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Ralf_Stockmann proposes integrating OnlyOffice with Discourse via Nextcloud to enable seamless, in-platform creation and collaborative editing of Office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). The goal is to make Discourse a fully capable enterprise intranet by letting users edit documents directly within discussions, wikis, or knowledge bases—without leaving the interface or managing files manually. In Phase 1, a plugin adds a composer button to create documents, which are auto-generated from templates and uploaded to Nextcloud via WebDAV. A public share link is inserted into the post, opening the document in OnlyOffice’s real-time editor. Storage and permissions are abstracted: documents live in a shared Nextcloud folder with public edit links (security by obscurity), managed by a single backend service account. The system prioritizes ease of use over granular control. A proof-of-concept is underway, with source code and progress to be shared soon. The team invites feedback and collaboration, viewing this as a critical step toward making Discourse a first-class open source enterprise platform with modern, frictionless document workflows.

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Proposal: Seamless Document Creation and Editing with OnlyOffice in Discourse (via Nextcloud Integration)

As part of our ongoing efforts to establish Discourse as a true enterprise-ready intranet solution, we are working towards a seamless document workflow within Discourse—enabling users to create and edit Office documents (e.g., .docx, .xlsx, .pptx) directly inside the platform.

Vision:

Our long-term goal is to allow users to collaboratively edit documents in OnlyOffice, without ever having to leave Discourse or interact with backend storage layers like Nextcloud. From a user perspective, document creation and editing should feel native to Discourse, making powerful collaborative content possible within discussions, wikis, or knowledge bases.

Technical Approach (Phase 1):

  • Composer Extension:

    • A custom plugin adds a toolbar button to the Discourse composer.
    • When clicked, users can specify a filename and file type.

  • Automatic Document Provisioning:

    • The plugin’s backend generates an empty Office document (from a local template) and uploads it to a shared Nextcloud instance using WebDAV.
    • The resulting public (share) link is automatically inserted into the post.

  • OnlyOffice Editing:

    • With Nextcloud’s OnlyOffice integration, clicking the link opens the document in the OnlyOffice online editor, enabling real-time collaborative editing—without managing files outside Discourse.

  • Transparent Storage:

    • All document management (creation, sharing, storage) is handled by the backend; Nextcloud remains invisible to end users.

Security & Scope:

  • Documents reside in a shared Nextcloud folder with public edit links (security by obscurity, trading fine-grained control for ease of use).
  • No per-user accounts or uploads—just one backend service account and standardized templates.

Next Steps:

We are currently developing a proof-of-concept for this workflow and will share our progress and source code in the coming weeks.

Feedback, ideas, and collaborators are very welcome!

We see this as an important step towards making Discourse a first-class, open source enterprise intranet — including modern document workflows and real-time collaborative editing — without additional barriers for end users.

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