# Show collaboration presence

> Identify collaborators, assign cursor colors, and react to awareness updates.



Presence describes who is connected to a collaboration room. Supply the current user's display identity, then use awareness updates when application UI needs its own participant list or status.

## Configure identity and colors [#configure-identity-and-colors]

Pass trusted display identity from the authenticated application session. `colors` supplies the palette SuperDoc uses when a user does not have an explicit color:

```ts
const superdoc = new SuperDoc({
  selector: '#editor',
  document: sharedDocument,
  user: {
    id: session.user.id,
    name: session.user.name,
    email: session.user.email,
  },
  colors: ['#1355ff', '#00853d', '#9333ea'],
  onAwarenessUpdate: ({ states, added, removed }) => {
    renderParticipants(states);
    console.log({ added, removed });
  },
});
```

Each `states` entry represents a remote client. It can include `id`, `name`, `email`, `image`, `clientId`, and the resolved `color`. Narrow application-specific fields before using them.

The optional `users` configuration is a directory used by shared people and mention surfaces. It does not prove that those people are connected now; awareness state owns the live participant list.

## Subscribe after construction [#subscribe-after-construction]

Set `onAwarenessUpdate` when the listener is known during Editor creation. Use `superdoc.on('awareness-update', listener)` and the matching `off()` when a later component owns the subscription.

Awareness is transient. Do not use it as an audit log, durable membership record, or authorization decision.

> **Verification target (success)**
>
> Open the same room in two browsers with different users. Each browser should show the other participant with a stable
> color, then remove that participant after the other browser disconnects.


Continue with [version history](/editor/version-history) when collaborative edits also need durable snapshots.