# Whiteboards

> Draw with a client on a whiteboard, live in a session or separately, keep a board private or share it, archive and restore it, and link it to a session.

## Goal

Draw with a client on a **whiteboard**: shapes, arrows, connectors, text and freehand strokes. A client has any number of boards, each with a title. Boards work in the browser and in the apps, on every package. Images cannot be placed on a board.

## Prerequisites

- A live client (Active or Paused; see [Create a client](https://coaching-toolkit.com/docs/clients/create-and-portal)). Any Coach of the practice opens a client's boards; creating, sharing, archiving and deleting takes the client's Coach or an Admin.

## Create and share a board

In the app: open the client, **Whiteboards**, **New board**, and give it a title. Each board shows its author (Coach or Client), whether it is shared with the client, its number of elements and when it was last edited.

- A board you create is **private until you share it** with the **Shared with client** switch. You can take sharing back, and you can rename the board.
- **The client can create boards too**, under **Whiteboards** in the portal. A client's board is visible to both from the start; the client renames, archives and deletes only the boards they created.

## Drawing together and apart

- With both of you on a board, each stroke reaches the other side within a moment. Alone, your changes are saved as you go, and the other side sees them on their next open.
- Every save is merged **per element**: moving a shape never undoes a shape the other side added meanwhile. When you both change the **same** element at the same moment, the last change wins and the earlier one is lost.
- A board holds up to **5,000 elements** or **2 MB**; a save beyond that is refused and the board keeps what it had. Start a new board instead.

## Archive, restore and delete

Nobody deletes a live board. **Archive** it first: it becomes read-only, listed under **Archived**, and can be **restored** at any time. Only an archived board can be **deleted**, which is final.

## Boards and sessions

A board created or drawn on during a session (15 minutes before its start to 15 minutes after its end) is **linked to that session** on its own; the session lists it under **Worked on**. Link and unlink by hand in the session's editor. A link you removed is not added back. A board itself shows nothing about sessions.

## When the client draws

A board the client drew on since you last opened it shows **Edited by client** in the list, and the client card and the Today screen raise an alert naming the board. Opening the board clears it. Your own drawing never raises it. No mail is sent about boards.

## Verify it worked

Open the client, **Whiteboards**. Your board is in the list with the title you gave it; with **Shared with client** on, the client sees it under **Whiteboards** in the portal. After the client draws on it, the board shows **Edited by client** until you open it.

## Failure cases

- An archived board cannot be renamed, shared or drawn on.
- A live board cannot be deleted; archive it first.
- A board over 5,000 elements or 2 MB is refused.
- Only Excalidraw elements can be saved to a board.
- A new board or a drawing for an Ended client is refused.
- Only the client's Coach or an Admin can create, share, archive and delete boards.
- A client, board or session of another practice is not found.