If your computer is connected to a network, you and other FileMaker Pro Advanced and FileMaker Go users can use the same database file simultaneously.
To share a file for other users to work with, use one of these FileMaker hosts:
•FileMaker Pro Advanced: After you open a local file and enable FileMaker Pro Advanced Network Sharing, FileMaker Pro Advanced can act as a host and share the file with up to five other users concurrently over a local area network. FileMaker Go clients are included in this limit. Using FileMaker Pro Advanced as a host is also called peer-to-peer sharing. See Opening files as the host.
•FileMaker Server and FileMaker Cloud: After you upload a file and have FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud open it, the server becomes the host. These hosts support more users and web technologies, such as FileMaker WebDirect and the FileMaker Data API. See FileMaker Server Help and FileMaker Cloud Help.
To publish files on the web or an intranet, see Publishing databases on the web.
Important Don’t place a database file in a shared folder for multiple devices to open at the same time; this can damage the file. Instead, you must use a FileMaker host to open the file so that the host can share the file with other users.
Users who open a shared file after it is opened by the host are clients.
Note FileMaker host software allows only recent versions of FileMaker client software to connect. For compatible versions of host software, see the FileMaker Pro Advanced technical specifications.
Once a shared file is open, the host and clients have access to the same information, and all changes to the file appear in each user's window.
•Modifications to the data made by any user are saved in the shared file. Any changes to layouts and scripts are also saved in the shared file.
•Specified sort orders, find requests, import and export field orders, and print setups are specific to each user.
Although multiple users may make changes in a shared file at the same time, there are limitations to the types of simultaneous changes that are permitted.
Changes to | Limitation |
Data in fields and records | Two people can’t edit the same record at the same time. |
Layouts and layout elements | Two people can’t modify the same layout at the same time. |
Value lists | Two people can’t modify or define value lists at the same time. One person can edit a value list while another person is using it in Browse or Find mode. |
Scripts | Two people can’t modify the same script at the same time. One person can edit a script while another person is using it. |
Tables, fields, relationships (database schema) | Two people can’t modify any of these elements at one time. |
Data source references | Two people can’t modify or define data sources at the same time. One person can edit a data source while another person is using it. |
Accounts and privileges | Two people can’t modify or define accounts and privileges at the same time. One person can create or modify an account or privilege while another person is using it. |
•Sharing (or hosting) a FileMaker Pro Advanced database is independent of any operating system file sharing. Access control you set up in Windows or macOS is not associated with access privileges you set up in FileMaker Pro Advanced, and vice versa.
•Access privileges may restrict the ability of users to change certain elements in a file. See Protecting databases.