What is Ora Docs?
Ora Docs is a professional, AI-powered collaborative document editor — built as the writing and documentation hub of the MD Colab ecosystem.
Rich Document Editor
Google Docs-style interface with 50+ fonts, formatting, images, page breaks, and multi-page layout.
Real-Time Collaboration
See live cursors, avatars, and edits from every collaborator as they happen — no refresh needed.
Ora AI (Gemini 2.5)
Fix grammar, summarize, rewrite, continue writing, and even read websites — all inside the editor.
MD Colab Ecosystem
One account connects Ora Docs, MD Invoice, MD DropShip, MD Collab, and more seamlessly.
Quick Start
Get up and writing in under two minutes.
Create an Account
Visit ora-md.vercel.app and sign up with your email address. If you already have an MD Colab account, use the same credentials — your profile syncs automatically.
Open the Dashboard
After signing in you land on the Dashboard — your home for all documents. You'll see My Documents and Shared with Me tabs. New accounts start with a welcome document already open.
Create Your First Document
Click + New Document in the top-right of the dashboard. A blank document opens instantly in the editor. Click on the title at the top to name it.
Start Writing
Click anywhere on the white page area and begin typing. Your work is saved to the cloud automatically every second after you stop typing. You'll see the Saved badge in the top bar when sync is complete.
Try Ora AI
Click the blue Ora AI button in the top-right of the editor to open the AI sidebar. Select any text in your document and hit Grammar to fix errors, or type a custom prompt to generate new content.
Your Account
Ora Docs uses Firebase Authentication. Your account is secure, persistent, and tied to the broader MD Colab platform.
Signing Up
Sign up at ora-md.vercel.app/auth/ using your email and a password (minimum 6 characters). After signing up you are redirected to the Dashboard automatically.
Signing In
Return to the same auth page. Enter your email and password and click Sign In. Ora remembers your session — you stay signed in across browser restarts until you explicitly sign out.
Signing Out
Go to your Profile page (click your avatar in the dashboard or the Profile nav link). Click the Sign Out button in the hero section or in the Security tab.
Dashboard
The Dashboard is your home base. It shows all your documents and those shared with you, lets you create new documents, and links to your profile.
My Documents
The default tab shows every document you own. Each card displays the document title, the team it belongs to (or Personal if none), and the last-modified date. Click any card to open it in the editor.
Shared with Me
This tab shows documents where another user has invited you as an Editor or Viewer and you have accepted the invitation. Documents appear here only after you accept — not while the invite is still pending.
Creating a Document
Click + New Document in the top-right corner. The document is created immediately with a default name of Untitled and opens in the editor.
Deleting a Document
On a document card, click the three-dot menu (⋯) and select Delete. Deletion is permanent — there is no recycle bin. Only the document owner can delete a document.
| Card Element | What it means |
|---|---|
| 👑 Owner | You created this document |
| ✏️ Editor | You were invited as an editor |
| 👁 Viewer | You can read but not edit |
| Team name | The workspace team this doc belongs to |
| Personal | No team assigned, visible only to you |
Creating Documents
Every document in Ora is stored in the cloud and linked to your account. There are no local files — everything lives in Firestore and is accessible from any device.
From the Dashboard
Click + New Document. The new document opens immediately in the editor. Click the title field (Untitled) at the top and type your desired name, then click anywhere else or press Enter to save the name.
Document Visibility
Every new document starts as Private — only you can see it. You can change this at any time using the Access button in the editor's top bar:
Only you (and explicitly invited collaborators) can access this document.
Anyone with the link can read the document. Nobody can edit it except invited editors.
Anyone with the link can both read and write to this document in real time.
The Editor
The Ora editor is built on Quill.js — a rich text engine that renders a pixel-perfect A4 document inside your browser, complete with real page shadows, margins, and multi-page support.
Editor Layout
Top Navigation Bar
Contains the document title (editable), the Saved/Saving status badge, the access visibility badge, and the main action buttons: Collaborators, Settings, Access, and Ora AI.
Menu Bar
Below the nav bar, a Google Docs-style menu bar provides access to Edit (undo/redo), Insert (image, link, page break), Format (clear formatting), Tools (Ora AI), and File (dashboard, PDF download, print).
Toolbar
The floating toolbar below the menu bar provides one-click access to all formatting options: heading levels, font family, font size, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, font color, background color, lists, indentation, alignment, links, and images.
Bottom Controls
A floating pill at the bottom of the screen contains: word count, previous/next page navigation, Add Page Break, zoom out/in controls, and current zoom percentage.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Formatting & Fonts
Ora Docs supports extensive rich text formatting through its toolbar. Every formatting option applies to the currently selected text — select first, then click the toolbar button.
Text Formatting
Font Library
Ora includes 50+ Google Fonts accessible from the font dropdown in the toolbar. Every font is loaded from Google Fonts CDN and applies immediately to selected text. Some notable options:
Font Size
The size selector in the toolbar provides four preset sizes: Small, Normal, Large, and Huge. These correspond to approximately 10pt, 12pt, 16pt, and 22pt respectively.
Images
Insert images via the toolbar's image button or Insert → Image in the menu bar. Images are automatically compressed (max 800px wide, 60% JPEG quality) before being stored in Firestore to keep document load times fast. Once inserted you can resize and reposition images by clicking and dragging their handles.
Pages & Layout
Ora renders your document as a sequence of A4 pages (816 × 1056px at 96dpi) — exactly as they would appear printed or exported to PDF.
Adding Pages
Pages are added automatically as your content overflows the current page. You can also insert a manual Page Break at any time:
- Click Add in the bottom control bar, or
- Go to Insert → Page Break in the menu bar
A page break forces all following content onto the next page regardless of how much space is left.
Page Navigation
Use the ← → arrows in the bottom control bar to scroll between pages. The current page number is shown in the center (Page 1, Page 2, etc.).
Zoom
Use the − and + buttons in the bottom bar to zoom the page view between 40% and 200%. On mobile devices, Ora automatically sets zoom to 100% for optimal readability. Zooming is purely visual — it does not affect the document content or export.
Page Settings
Click the ⚙ Settings cog in the top-right to open Page Settings. You can adjust:
- Side Margins — slide from 40px to 150px
- Top/Bottom Margins — slide from 40px to 150px
- Line Height — Single (1.2×), 1.5 Lines (1.6×), or Double (2.0×)
Saving & Sync
Ora Docs saves your work automatically and continuously. There is no manual save button — your content is always persisted to the cloud.
Auto-Save Behavior
Every time you stop typing for 1 second, Ora triggers a cloud save. The status badge in the top bar shows the current state:
Conflict Resolution
When multiple users are editing simultaneously, Ora uses a last-write-wins strategy per save. Each save includes the lastSessionId of the saving user, so updates from other users are only applied when they originate from a different session — preventing your own typing from being overwritten.
Offline Behavior
Ora Docs requires an internet connection for saving. If your connection drops, the editor remains functional locally, but changes are not persisted. On reconnection the next edit triggers a save. Always keep an eye on the status badge to confirm your work has been saved.
Export & Print
Ora supports exporting documents as PDF and printing directly from the browser.
Download as PDF
Click File → Download as PDF in the menu bar, or use the PDF icon button in the toolbar. Ora uses html2pdf.js to render the document at 2× scale for high-quality output. The file is saved as [document-name].pdf to your downloads folder.
Click File → Print or use the print icon in the toolbar. This triggers the browser's native print dialog. The document is pre-styled for print with background colors stripped and page breaks preserved. Choose Save as PDF in the print dialog as an alternative export method.
Inviting Collaborators
You can invite specific people to collaborate on any document. Invited users receive a notification in their Profile → Teams & Workspaces page, and must accept before gaining access.
Prerequisites
- You must be the document owner
- The document must be set to Public (View) or Public (Edit) — not Private
- The document must be linked to a team (see Teams)
- The invitee must have an Ora Docs account
Step-by-Step
Open the Collaborators Panel
Click your avatar in the top-right of the editor. The Collaborators dropdown opens showing all current collaborators with their roles.
Click "Invite User"
Click the blue Invite User button at the bottom of the panel. If the document is private, you'll see a toast prompting you to change access first. If no team is linked, you'll be prompted to link or create one.
Enter Email & Select Role
In the invite modal, type the collaborator's email address and choose their role — Editor (full read/write access) or Viewer (read-only).
Send the Invite
Click Send Invite. A record is created in Firestore and the invite appears instantly in the recipient's Profile → Teams & Workspaces under Pending Invitations.
Invitee Accepts
The recipient opens their Profile, clicks the Accept button on the invitation card. Only at this point does the document appear in their Shared with Me tab on the Dashboard.
Managing Collaborators
After someone accepts, they appear in the Collaborators panel. As the owner you can:
- Change their role — use the dropdown next to their name to switch between Editor and Viewer
- Remove them — click the red trash icon to revoke their access immediately
doc_invites Firestore collection. Accepting adds the user to the document's collaborators map and accessList array. Declining simply marks the invite as declined — no access is ever granted.Teams & Workspaces
Teams are shared workspaces that group documents and members. A team must be linked to a document before you can send collaboration invites for it.
Creating a Team
Go to Profile → Teams
Click your avatar in the Dashboard or Profile link in the nav, then select the Teams tab.
Click "+ New Team"
Enter a team name (e.g. Design Squad) and click Launch Team. The team is created and you become its owner.
Invite Members
Click the team card to open its details. In the Members tab, enter an email address and click Invite. The invitee receives a Team Invitation card in their own Teams page.
Linking a Team to a Document
When you click Invite User in the editor and the document has no team linked yet, Ora shows the Link a Team modal automatically. You can either:
- Assign an existing team — pick from the dropdown and click Assign & Continue to Invite
- Create a new team — type a team name and click Create Team & Continue
Once linked, the teamId is written to the document and all team members gain read access.
Team Documents Tab
Inside a team's details modal, click the Documents tab to see all Ora documents linked to that team, ordered by last-modified date. Click any document to open it in the editor.
Viewing Your Teams
The Teams page shows all teams you own and all teams you have joined as a member, sorted with owned teams first. Each card shows the team name, your role (👑 Owner or 👤 Member), member count, and creation date.
Real-Time Editing
Ora Docs supports live simultaneous editing. Multiple people can work on the same document at the same time and see each other's changes instantly.
Live Cursors
Each active collaborator has a colored cursor that moves in real time as they type and select text. The cursor displays their name. Colors are assigned randomly per session and are visible to all participants.
Presence Avatars
The avatars in the top-right of the editor show who is currently active in the document. Each avatar has a colored ring matching their cursor color. If a collaborator has a profile photo, it is shown; otherwise their initials appear.
Typing Indicator
When any collaborator is typing, a "[Name] is typing…" indicator appears below the avatar row. Multiple typers display as "[A] & [B] are typing…" or "Several people are typing…" for three or more.
Presence Heartbeat
Presence data (cursor position, typing status, photo) is broadcast to Firestore's presence subcollection every 30 seconds. Avatars older than 2 minutes without a heartbeat are automatically removed from the UI to keep the active-user list accurate.
Sync Architecture
The document content is synced via Firestore's onSnapshot real-time listener. When a remote save is detected (different lastSessionId), the editor re-renders the content while preserving your cursor position.
AI Overview
Ora AI is powered by Google Gemini 2.5 Flash — one of the fastest and most capable large language models available. It lives in a collapsible sidebar inside the editor and assists with writing, editing, and research tasks.
Gemini 2.5 Flash
Ultra-fast responses, long context window, superior instruction-following, and built-in web understanding. Free during the Ora beta period.
Opening the AI Sidebar
Click the Ora AI button in the top-right of the editor. The sidebar slides in from the right. Click the button again or the overlay to close it. On mobile, the sidebar fills the full screen.
API Key
The first time you use Ora AI, you may be prompted for your Gemini API key. Get a free key from Google AI Studio. The key is stored in Firestore's settings collection and reused for all future sessions.
Context
Ora AI always works in the context of your document. If you have text selected before triggering an AI task, only that selected text is sent as context. If nothing is selected, the entire document content is used as context.
AI Tasks
The AI sidebar has four one-click task buttons at the top. Select text in your document before clicking for best results.
Grammar
Corrects all spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and awkward phrasing in the selected text. The corrected version is returned as a formatted response that you can insert or replace with.
Summarize
Creates a beautifully structured summary with bullet points from the selected or full document text. Useful for creating executive summaries or condensing long passages.
Continue
Continues writing naturally from the end of the selected text or the document. Ora AI matches your existing tone, style, and subject matter.
Rewrite
Rewrites the selected text into a formal, professional format. Ideal for turning informal notes into polished reports or business communications.
Using AI Responses
Every AI response appears in the chat area with two action buttons:
- Insert — pastes the AI response at your current cursor position in the document
- Replace — replaces your current text selection with the AI response
The chat history persists per-document in Firestore. All collaborators on the same document see the same AI chat history in real time.
Custom Prompts
At the bottom of the AI sidebar is a custom prompt input. Type any instruction and press Enter or the send button.
Example Prompts
Response Format
Ora AI always responds in Markdown format, which is then rendered to HTML in the chat panel. Headers (### Title), bold (**text**), and bullet lists (- item) are all supported and rendered properly.
Web Context
One of Ora AI's most powerful features: paste a URL in your custom prompt and Ora will read that webpage and use its content to answer your question.
How It Works
When Ora AI detects a URL in your prompt, it uses the Jina Reader API (r.jina.ai) to fetch the page and convert it to clean Markdown. Up to 20,000 characters of that content is sent to Gemini as additional context.
Example Prompts with URLs
Your Profile
Your profile page is your personal hub for account management, teams, and ecosystem status. Access it by clicking your avatar on the Dashboard.
Profile Tab
The hero section shows your avatar, name, role badge, bio, email, and join date. The stats row shows your total document count, team count, documents shared with you, and AI credits (unlimited during beta).
Editing Your Profile
Click Edit Profile to open the edit modal. You can change your:
- Full Name — displayed everywhere in Ora Docs
- Role / Title — shown as a badge (e.g. Web Developer, Designer)
- Biography — a short description visible on your profile
Sync MD Colab
Click Sync MD Colab to pull your name, role, bio, and photo from your MD Colab account into Ora Docs. This also marks Ora Docs as connected in your MD Colab profile.
Recent Documents
The profile page shows your 5 most recently modified documents with quick-click access to open them directly in the editor.
Security
Ora takes your account security seriously. All data is stored on Google Firebase with strict server-side security rules.
Changing Your Password
Go to Profile → Security. Enter a new password (minimum 6 characters) and click Update Password. Firebase requires a recent sign-in — if you get an error about "requires-recent-login", sign out and back in first, then try again.
Session Management
Ora uses Firebase's persistent auth sessions. You remain signed in across browser restarts until you explicitly sign out. To end your session, click Sign Out Now in the Security tab.
Data Deletion
The Delete My Account button in the Security tab permanently deletes:
- Your Ora Docs user profile
- All documents you own (and their content)
- Your Firebase Authentication account
Firestore Security Rules
All data access is governed by Firestore Security Rules on the server side. Key rules:
- Only document owners can delete their documents
- Collaborators can only read/write if explicitly invited and accepted
- Private documents are inaccessible to non-owners without an accepted invite
- Users can only modify their own profile document
- Team data requires team membership to access
MD Colab Ecosystem
Ora Docs is one app in the broader MD Colab ecosystem — a suite of business and productivity tools sharing a single account, identity, and infrastructure.
AI-powered collaborative document editor
Professional invoice creation, customer management, and payment tracking
Dropshipping marketplace connecting suppliers and store owners
Project management, task boards, file sharing, and direct messaging
Ecosystem Tab
In your Profile page, the Ecosystem tab shows all connected apps, your activity stats across the platform, and your Business/Supplier profile if you have one registered in MD DropShip.
Notifications
The bell icon in the top-right of your Profile page shows real-time notifications from across the MD Colab ecosystem — order updates, team invites, verification status changes, and more. Click the ✕ on a notification or use Mark all read to clear them.
Plans & Pricing
Free Beta Access
Every premium feature unlocked during our beta. Help us shape the future of collaborative writing.
- Unlimited Documents
- Real-Time Collaboration
- Ora AI (Gemini 2.5 Flash)
- Unlimited Teams & Members
- PDF Export & Print
- Web Context in AI
- MD Colab Ecosystem Sync
- 50+ Fonts, Rich Formatting
Pro Workspace
Enterprise-grade features for teams who need more power, control, and support.
- Everything in Free
- Priority AI Processing
- Advanced Analytics Dashboard
- Custom Branding & Themes
- Audit Logs & Access Reports
- SSO / SAML Support
- Dedicated Priority Support
- Offline Mode
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my data secure?
Yes. All data is stored on Google Firebase (Firestore + Authentication) with strict server-side security rules. Private documents are cryptographically inaccessible without your credentials. Ora never stores your Gemini API key in plaintext — it's stored in a protected Firestore collection.
Can I use Ora Docs offline?
The editor is functional offline for viewing and editing, but changes are not saved until your internet connection is restored. Auto-save triggers on the next edit after reconnection. There is no dedicated offline mode in the current version.
How many documents can I create?
Unlimited. During the beta, there are no document limits.
Can I share documents with people who don't have an account?
Yes — set the document to Public (View Only) or Public (Edit) and share the URL. Anyone with the link can access it without an account. However, to receive formal collaboration invites (appearing in Teams & Workspaces), the person must have an Ora Docs account.
Why can't I send an invite to a private document?
Ora requires documents to be non-private before inviting collaborators. This prevents accidentally exposing private content. Change the document to Public (View) or Public (Edit) via the Access button first.
Why does the invited user not see the document immediately?
Documents appear in a user's Shared with Me tab only after they accept the invitation — not when it's sent. This is by design to give recipients control over what appears in their workspace.
What is the MD Colab ecosystem?
MD Colab is the parent platform of Ora Docs. It includes MD Invoice, MD DropShip, and MD Collab — all sharing a single account and identity system. Your Ora Docs account credentials work across all MD Colab apps.
Where do I get a Gemini API key?
Go to Google AI Studio, sign in with your Google account, and create a free API key. Paste it when Ora AI prompts you. The key is stored per-project and reused automatically.
Can I export to Word (.docx)?
Not currently. Ora supports PDF export and browser print. Word export is planned for a future release.
What happens to my documents if I delete my account?
All documents you own are permanently deleted. Documents you were only a collaborator on are unaffected — only your access is revoked. This action is irreversible.
Changelog
A running log of major updates and improvements to Ora Docs.
- ✦ MD Colab Ecosystem tab — business, supplier, apps status
- ✦ Real-time notifications bell from MD Colab
- ✦ Invite flow: team-link requirement before inviting collaborators
- ✦ Accept-first invite model — docs appear in Shared with Me only after acceptance
- ✦ Full light theme for Profile page matching Dashboard
- ✦ Merged Firestore rules for Ora Docs + full MD Colab ecosystem
- ✦ Teams & Workspaces — create, join, manage teams
- ✦ Doc invites system with Pending Invitations panel
- ✦ Combined team + document invite feed
- ✦ Quill toolbar z-index fix for dropdowns
- ✦ Profile page full redesign — dark theme, glassmorphic nav
- ✦ Ora AI powered by Gemini 2.5 Flash
- ✦ Web context — paste URLs in prompts to read websites
- ✦ Image compression (800px max, 60% JPEG)
- ✦ Real-time cursors and typing indicators
- ✦ Presence heartbeat system (30s broadcast)
- ✦ Core document editor (Quill.js + Firebase)
- ✦ Multi-page A4 layout with page breaks
- ✦ 50+ font library
- ✦ PDF export via html2pdf.js
- ✦ Auto-save with cloud sync
- ✦ Firebase Auth sign-up/sign-in