How to Share VoodooPad Documents With Others and Across Devices

Updated

VoodooPad gives you four documented ways to get a document off your Mac and into someone else's hands: export it as PDF, ePub, or HTML; place the document in a shared Dropbox folder for collaboration; open it in VoodooPad for iOS on an iPhone or iPad; or serve it over a local network using the built-in web server. The right choice depends on whether the recipient needs a fixed copy, live editing access, or mobile viewing. All of these options assume you already have a VoodooPad document on a Mac running macOS 10.12 or later, since that is the stated requirement for version 5.4.0.

Choose the sharing method that matches the need

Method Best for What the recipient gets Editing possible?
Export to PDF Sending a finished, read-only copy A fixed-layout document No
Export to ePub Reading on e-readers and ebook apps A reflowable ebook file No
Export to HTML Publishing your own website Web pages you can host No (static output)
Shared Dropbox folder Collaborating with a few friends The live VoodooPad document Yes, by others with access
VoodooPad for iOS Accessing your document on the go Your document on iPhone or iPad Yes, on the device
Built-in web server Sharing over a local network Browser access to the document Read-oriented viewing

Export a copy as PDF, ePub, or HTML

This is the simplest path when the other person only needs to read the content.

  1. Open the document you want to share in VoodooPad on your Mac.
  2. Use the export function and choose PDF, ePub, or HTML as the format.
  3. Save the exported file and send it by whatever channel you normally use, or upload the HTML output to your own web host if you want to build a site from it.

Expected result: a standalone file that opens without VoodooPad. The trade-off is that exports are snapshots — later edits in VoodooPad will not appear in the copy you already sent, so re-export if the document changes.

Collaborate through a shared Dropbox folder

If the goal is for a few friends to edit the same document, VoodooPad's documented approach is to put the document in a shared Dropbox folder and edit away. Each collaborator needs VoodooPad on their own Mac and access to that Dropbox folder.

A practical caution: because everyone is editing the same underlying file, coordinate who edits when. Simultaneous edits to one document are the main thing to watch for, and Dropbox's own conflict-copy behavior is worth understanding before you rely on this for heavy joint work.

Access your document on iPhone or iPad

VoodooPad for iOS lets you open your document on an iPhone or iPad, which covers the "I need my notes while I'm out" case. The document has to be reachable from the iOS device — the shared-folder approach above is the natural companion, since the same document you keep in Dropbox can be opened on mobile.

Share over a local network with the built-in web server

VoodooPad includes a built-in web server for sharing documents over a local network. Turn it on and people on the same network can view the document in a browser without installing anything. This suits a meeting room, a home network, or a small office where everyone is on the same LAN. It is not described as an internet-facing publishing tool, so treat it as a local-network convenience rather than a way to share with someone in another city.

Quick decision guide

  • Sending notes to someone who just needs to read them: export to PDF.
  • Building a public or personal website from your notes: export to HTML.
  • Making an ebook: export to ePub.
  • A small group editing together: shared Dropbox folder.
  • Reading your own notes on the move: VoodooPad for iOS.
  • Showing the document to people in the same room or office: built-in web server.

One more consideration for sensitive material: VoodooPad can encrypt single pages or an entire document, which matters if what you are sharing includes passwords, usernames, or account registration details. Decide whether the shared copy should be encrypted before you export or hand over access.