Use shared notes

In addition to public and private chats, anyone in a BigBlueButton session can contribute to Shared Notes and export the notes to a file. Shared Notes is a common text file that everyone in the session can edit at the same time.

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New Shared Notes Editor

In March 2026 we released a modern shared notes editor. This is a markdown aware editor that provides support for markdown styles and tables. You can apply styles to any by highlighting the text and choosing a Style [1] which will show a drop-down menu of available styles. You an apply a style while editing if you enter markdown prefix. For example, typing ## before text will apply the Heading 2 style.

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Insert menu ’/’

You can also open an insert menu by typing the ’/’ key.

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Shared Notes Options

You can Convert notes to presentation [1] which will convert the notes to a PDF and upload them to the presentation area. Letting you annotate the shared notes with the whiteboard. You an Export notes as PDF [2] which will download the notes. You can also Pin notes onto whiteboard [3] which will move the Shared notes from the panel to the main presentation area.

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Legacy Shared Notes Editor

On some installations, the older shared notes editor may still be available. To open the notes panel, select Shared Notes [1] in the left sidebar. Formatting Options [2] such as Bold and Italic appear at the top of the panel. To reveal undo, redo, and download buttons, select the ’+’ [3] button. When another user edits the notes, an alert appears on the Shared Notes icon.

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Export the notes to a file

To download the current notes, select the Export [4] button. A list of available formats appears. Select your preferred format and save the file to your device.