La Suite Docs — Self-Hosted Collaborative Wiki & Documentation

Introduction

La Suite Docs is an open-source collaborative documentation platform developed by the French government's digital services team. It provides real-time collaborative editing, wiki-style organization, and a clean modern interface built on Django and React with BlockNote.js as the editor core.

What La Suite Docs Does

• Provides real-time collaborative document editing with multiple simultaneous users
• Organizes content in a hierarchical wiki structure with nested pages
• Supports rich text editing via BlockNote.js with slash commands and markdown shortcuts
• Manages access control with fine-grained permissions per document and workspace
• Integrates with OpenID Connect providers for single sign-on authentication

Architecture Overview

La Suite Docs uses a Django backend with Django REST Framework for the API layer, paired with a React frontend using BlockNote.js for the rich text editor. Real-time collaboration is handled through Yjs CRDT synchronization via WebSocket connections. PostgreSQL stores document metadata and user data, while the actual document content is synced through the Yjs collaboration server. Media files are stored via S3-compatible object storage.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy with Docker Compose using the provided docker-compose.yml for a complete stack
• Configure PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible storage as backend dependencies
• Set OpenID Connect environment variables for SSO integration with your identity provider
• Adjust DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS and CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS for your domain
• Use the included Makefile targets (make setup, make run) for local development

Key Features

• Real-time collaboration powered by Yjs CRDTs with conflict-free merging
• BlockNote.js editor with slash commands, drag-and-drop blocks, and inline formatting
• Hierarchical page organization with breadcrumb navigation
• Fine-grained access control at document and workspace levels
• Full-text search across all documents with instant results

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Outline — More mature with integrations, but La Suite Docs offers tighter government compliance and Yjs-based sync
• BookStack — Structured book/chapter model vs La Suite Docs' flexible wiki-style hierarchy
• Wiki.js — Feature-rich wiki engine, but La Suite Docs provides a more modern collaborative editing experience
• HedgeDoc — Focused on markdown editing, while La Suite Docs offers a block-based WYSIWYG editor
• Docmost — Similar collaborative approach, but La Suite Docs benefits from active French government backing

FAQ

Q: What database does La Suite Docs require? A: PostgreSQL is the primary database. Redis is used for caching and Celery task queues.

Q: Can I use La Suite Docs without OpenID Connect? A: The platform is designed around OIDC for authentication. For development, a mock OIDC provider is included.

Q: How does real-time collaboration work? A: Documents use Yjs CRDTs synced over WebSockets, allowing multiple users to edit simultaneously without conflicts.

Q: Is there an API for programmatic access? A: Yes, a full REST API built with Django REST Framework is available for all document and workspace operations.

Sources

• https://github.com/suitenumerique/docs
• https://docs.numerique.gouv.fr