---
meta:
  title: "Get started with a BlockNote text editor using Liveblocks and React"
  parentTitle: "Quickstart"
  description:
    "Learn how to sync a BlockNote text editor with Liveblocks Storage and React"
---

Liveblocks is a realtime collaboration infrastructure for building performant
collaborative experiences. Follow the following steps to start adding
collaboration to your React application using
[`@liveblocks/react-blocknote`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote)
with [`LiveText`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-client#LiveText) backed by
Liveblocks Storage.

<Banner title="Beta">

The BlockNote LiveText integration is currently in beta, and LiveText documents
are limited to 2 MB. Read the [LiveText vs Yjs](/docs/guides/livetext-vs-yjs)
guide to compare both approaches.

</Banner>

## Quickstart

<PromptCta />

<Steps>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Install Liveblocks and BlockNote</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Every Liveblocks package should use the same version.

      ```bash trackEvent="install_liveblocks"
      npm install @liveblocks/client @liveblocks/react @liveblocks/react-ui @liveblocks/react-blocknote @blocknote/core @blocknote/react @blocknote/mantine
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Initialize the `liveblocks.config.ts` file</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      We can use this file later to [define types for our application](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#Typing-your-data).

      ```bash
      npx create-liveblocks-app@latest --init --framework react
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Set up the Liveblocks client</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Liveblocks uses the concept of rooms, separate virtual spaces where people
      collaborate, and to create a realtime experience, multiple users must
      be connected to the same room. Set up a Liveblocks client with
      [`LiveblocksProvider`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#LiveblocksProvider),
      and join a room with
      [`RoomProvider`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#RoomProvider).

      In Storage mode, documents are created under `root._tiptap_docs` when the
      editor first connects, so you can leave `initialStorage` empty.

      ```tsx file="App.tsx"
      "use client";

      import {
        LiveblocksProvider,
        RoomProvider,
      } from "@liveblocks/react/suspense";
      import { Editor } from "./Editor";

      export default function App() {
        return (
          <LiveblocksProvider publicApiKey={"{{PUBLIC_KEY}}"}>
            <RoomProvider id="my-room">
              {/* ... */}
            </RoomProvider>
          </LiveblocksProvider>
        );
      }
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Join a Liveblocks room</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      After setting up the room, you can add collaborative components inside it,
      using
      [`ClientSideSuspense`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react#ClientSideSuspense)
      to add a loading spinner to your app.

      ```tsx file="App.tsx"
      "use client";

      import {
        LiveblocksProvider,
        RoomProvider,
        ClientSideSuspense,
      } from "@liveblocks/react/suspense";
      import { Editor } from "./Editor";

      export default function App() {
        return (
          <LiveblocksProvider publicApiKey={"{{PUBLIC_KEY}}"}>
            <RoomProvider id="my-room">
              <ClientSideSuspense fallback={<div>Loading…</div>}>
                <Editor />
              </ClientSideSuspense>
            </RoomProvider>
          </LiveblocksProvider>
        );
      }
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Set up the collaborative BlockNote editor</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Create a BlockNote editor in `Editor.tsx`. Pass
      [`collaborationMode: "liveblocks"`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#Liveblocks-collaboration-mode)
      to
      [`useCreateBlockNoteWithLiveblocks`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#useCreateBlockNoteWithLiveblocks)
      so the document syncs through Storage. Set a `field` name and optional
      [`initialContent`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#Setting-initial-content)
      for the first visit.

      ```tsx file="Editor.tsx"
      "use client";

      import { useCreateBlockNoteWithLiveblocks } from "@liveblocks/react-blocknote";
      import { BlockNoteView } from "@blocknote/mantine";
      import { Threads } from "./Threads";

      export function Editor() {
        // +++
        const editor = useCreateBlockNoteWithLiveblocks(
          {},
          {
            collaborationMode: "liveblocks",
            field: "document",
            initialContent: "<p>Hello world</p>",
          }
        );
        // +++

        return (
          <div>
            <BlockNoteView editor={editor} className="editor" />
            <Threads editor={editor} />
          </div>
        );
      }
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Render threads</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Comments work the same as in Yjs mode. Create a `Threads.tsx` file that
      uses
      [`FloatingComposer`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#FloatingComposer)
      for creating new threads, alongside
      [`AnchoredThreads`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#AnchoredThreads)
      and
      [`FloatingThreads`](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#FloatingThreads)
      for displaying threads on desktop and mobile.

      ```tsx file="Threads.tsx"
      import { useThreads } from "@liveblocks/react/suspense";
      import {
        AnchoredThreads,
        FloatingComposer,
        FloatingThreads,
      } from "@liveblocks/react-blocknote";
      import { BlockNoteEditor } from "@blocknote/core";

      export function Threads({ editor }: { editor: BlockNoteEditor | null }) {
        const { threads } = useThreads({ query: { resolved: false } });

        if (!editor) {
          return null;
        }

        return (
          <>
            <div className="anchored-threads">
              <AnchoredThreads editor={editor} threads={threads} />
            </div>
            <FloatingThreads
              editor={editor}
              threads={threads}
              className="floating-threads"
            />
            <FloatingComposer editor={editor} className="floating-composer" />
          </>
        );
      }
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step>
    <StepTitle>Style your editor</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>

      Import the default BlockNote and Liveblocks styles, and add basic editor
      CSS:

      ```tsx file="main.tsx"
      import "@blocknote/core/fonts/inter.css";
      import "@blocknote/mantine/style.css";
      import "@liveblocks/react-ui/styles.css";
      import "@liveblocks/react-ui/styles/dark/media-query.css";
      import "@liveblocks/react-blocknote/styles.css";
      import "./globals.css";
      ```

      ```css file="globals.css" isCollapsed isCollapsable
      html {
        font-family: Inter, sans-serif;
        background: #f9f9f9;
      }

      @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
        html {
          background: #0c0c0c;
        }
      }

      .editor {
        position: absolute;
        inset: 0;
        max-width: 1024px;
        margin: 0 auto;
        padding: 48px 0;
      }

      .bn-editor {
        padding: 36px 52px;
        min-height: 100%;
      }

      /* For mobile */
      .floating-threads {
        display: none;
      }

      /* For desktop */
      .anchored-threads {
        display: block;
        max-width: 300px;
        width: 100%;
        position: absolute;
        right: 12px;
      }

      @media (max-width: 640px) {
        .floating-threads {
          display: block;
        }

        .anchored-threads {
          display: none;
        }
      }
      ```

    </StepContent>

  </Step>
  <Step lastStep>
    <StepTitle>Next: authenticate and add your users</StepTitle>
    <StepContent>
      Text Editor is set up and working now, but each user is anonymous—the next step is to
      authenticate each user as they connect, and attach their name, color, and avatar, to their cursors and mentions.

      <Button asChild className="not-markdown">
        <a href="/docs/guides/how-to-add-users-to-liveblocks-text-editor">
          Add your users to Text Editor
        </a>
      </Button>
    </StepContent>

  </Step>

</Steps>

## What to read next

Congratulations! You now have set up a Storage-backed collaborative BlockNote
editor inside your React application.

- [Liveblocks collaboration mode](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote#Liveblocks-collaboration-mode)
- [@liveblocks/react-blocknote API Reference](/docs/api-reference/liveblocks-react-blocknote)
- [Yjs-backed BlockNote React quickstart](/docs/get-started/react-blocknote)
- [BlockNote website](https://www.blocknotejs.org/)

---

For an overview of all available documentation, see [/llms.txt](/llms.txt).