Abstract: A method and a system for managing collaborative authoring on a canvas are provided. The method includes receiving a request to collaborate on a canvas from a user, determining whether one or more viewports from a plurality of viewports are overlapping or are in vicinity to a viewport associated with the user by a client device and automatically sending a request to a collaboration server to lock at least one object in the viewport if the one or more viewports are overlapping or are in vicinity to the viewport. The method further includes denying a request from a second user to collaborate on the at least one object in the canvas.