# What exactly is Document Server 20 connection limit?
**URL:** https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481
**Category:** Docs
**Tags:** how-to-question
**Created:** [31 March 2023 08:55 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481 "2023-03-31T08:55:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@OnlyOfficeTester](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/OnlyOfficeTester)
#### Post date: [31 March 2023 08:55 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/1 "2023-03-31T08:55:06Z")
Hello, I found following link:-
> **[OnlyOffice Community Edition without 20 connections limitation](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/onlyoffice-community-edition-without-20-connections-limitation/59269)**
>
> Hello, After one year of using Nextcloud and OnlyOffice, I just discovered that CommunityEdition has a limit for 20 user connections (20 docs or 20 diff users) wich is not great for me… We are more and more users each day (around 30 users at the...
My question is what is this limitation exactly? Can only 20 people use document editing on 1 single document or is it for the whole portal’s only 20 people editing even if they are editing 20 different documents?
It is very ambiguous to me even after reading this article and couldn’t understand from Official website as well
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### Author:  [@Alexandre](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/Alexandre)
#### Post date: [3 April 2023 13:05 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/2 "2023-04-03T13:05:35Z")
Hello @OnlyOfficeTester
First of all, the actual comparative table of different editions is here: [https://www.onlyoffice.com/compare-editions.aspx](https://www.onlyoffice.com/compare-editions.aspx)
As you can see, we use ‘Simultaneous connections’ term to define opportunities of Document server. For open-source solution it’s limited to 20 connections.
Let me explain in details. When user A opens file for editing, an editing session is started. During this session all changes which user A has been made are located in database and cache. Other users can join the editing session and all of them can work with file at the same time.
So, simultaneous connections are connections to editing session in general. In the simple words, it’s a browser tab with the editor.
For example, 20 simultaneous connections can be:
- user A opened 1 file in 20 browsers\browser tabs
- user A opened 20 different files (each file once)
- user A and B opened 10 files each (so the sum is 20)
- 20 users opened the same file once (each user used 1 browser tab with file)
\*etc.
So when we talk about simultaneous connections, the number of users or files doesn’t matter. As you can see it can be different combinations of the number of users and files. But Document server counts simultaneous connections (each opened browser tab with file for editing).
All information above is related to open-source Document server.
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### Author:  [@OnlyOfficeTester](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/OnlyOfficeTester)
#### Post date: [3 April 2023 15:43 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/3 "2023-04-03T15:43:30Z")
I am still confused
> [@Alexandre](#):
>
> user A opened 20 different files (each file once)
1 user opened 20 different files for editing. Now all of the portal users cannot edit their documents, even if those are not what user A is editing?
> [@Alexandre](#):
>
> user A and B opened 10 files each (so the sum is 20)
Same or different files?
> [@Alexandre](#):
>
> 20 users opened the same file once (each user used 1 browser tab with file)
So if 20 users open different files at same time, there won’t be any issues?
I want to have a very clear understanding on this limit, since it determines what scale of enterprise version we need.
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### Author:  [@Alexandre](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/Alexandre)
#### Post date: [3 April 2023 15:56 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/4 "2023-04-03T15:56:06Z")
> [@OnlyOfficeTester](#):
>
> 1 user opened 20 different files for editing. Now all of the portal users cannot edit their documents, even if those are not what user A is editing?
In case of open-source Document server, you’re right. Keep in mind the simpler rule, 1 opened browser tab for editing = 1 simultaneous connection.
> > [@Alexandre](#):
> >
> > user A and B opened 10 files each (so the sum is 20)
>
> Same or different files?
It doesn’t matter. Open-source Document server counts connections, not files. Users A and B can open same files or different ones. But they open **browser tabs with editor**.
> So if 20 users open different files at same time, there won’t be any issues?
If each of them opens only one file, yes, there aren’t any issues. Because the sum of all opened connections is 20.
> I want to have a very clear understanding on this limit, since it determines what scale of enterprise version we need.
You can contact colleagues of mine from Sales department via [sales@onlyoffice.com](mailto:sales@onlyoffice.com). I believe they will help you with license questions.
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### Author:  [@OnlyOfficeTester](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/OnlyOfficeTester)
#### Post date: [3 April 2023 16:10 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/5 "2023-04-03T16:10:39Z")
Okay, Thanks
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### Author:  [@punkyard](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/punkyard)
#### Post date: [4 August 2023 21:10 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/7 "2023-08-04T21:10:39Z")
Hi
i read here : [User connection limitation on Onlyoffice Groups CE and Onlyoffice Docs CE](https://forum.onlyoffice.com/t/user-connection-limitation-on-onlyoffice-groups-ce-and-onlyoffice-docs-ce/260)
that the limitation is 20 people opening the SAME document at once, the 21st opens it in read-only mode.
Not correct ?
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### Author:  [@Alexandre](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/Alexandre)
#### Post date: [10 August 2023 10:33 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/8 "2023-08-10T10:33:43Z")
Hello @punkyard
> that the limitation is 20 people opening the SAME document at once, the 21st opens it in read-only mode.
This is correct statement. As it is described in this thread and your mentioned one, Document server counts each browser tab as 1 simultaneous connection. It doesn’t matter if 20 users opened 20 different files or one user opened one file in 20 browser tabs. The Document server CE limitation is 20 simultaneous connections (20 browser tabs with files). The 21th user will open a file in read-only mode.
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### Author:  [@punkyard](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/punkyard)
#### Post date: [21 August 2023 20:14 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/9 "2023-08-21T20:14:27Z")
… that’s very desappointing for an open source called project
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### Author:  [@netswift](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/netswift)
#### Post date: [22 August 2023 05:38 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/10 "2023-08-22T05:38:52Z")
what is the time of staying in edit connection? I mean if someone (any of the 20s) forgot to close the tab and doing nothing, would it be kicked out automatically? or there is a super admin could check every connections “login” time?
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### Author:  [@Alexandre](https://community.onlyoffice.com/u/Alexandre)
#### Post date: [29 August 2023 07:52 UTC](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/what-exactly-is-document-server-20-connection-limit/4481/11 "2023-08-29T07:52:28Z")
Hello @netswift
it is controlled by ‘sessionidle’ and ‘sessionabsolute’ parameters in the default.json config file:
[https://helpcenter.onlyoffice.com/installation/docs-developer-configuring.aspx#:~:text=services.CoAuthoring.expire.sessionidle](https://helpcenter.onlyoffice.com/installation/docs-developer-configuring.aspx#:~:text=services.CoAuthoring.expire.sessionidle)
You can change them, default value for session inactivity is one hour.
@punkyard,
Sorry for inconvenience.
As the open-source project, the entire Document server code is available on GitHub: [ONLYOFFICE · GitHub](https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE)
However, I’m not sure that I am the right person for discussion Document server limitation questions. If you have any suggestions\ideas for licensing or limitation questions, please contact colleagues of mine via [sales@onlyoffice.com](mailto:sales@onlyoffice.com)