Shared Spelling Dictionaries
What Are Shared Dictionaries?
InCopy's spell check engine, while robust, often flags industry-specific terminology, brand names, and technical jargon as misspellings. When you add these words to your local dictionary, they remain accessible only on your machine—a significant limitation in collaborative environments. Shared dictionaries solve this challenge by creating a centralized word repository that your entire team can access and contribute to. This approach ensures consistency across projects while eliminating the frustration of repeatedly seeing legitimate terms flagged as errors. For organizations handling specialized content—whether medical journals, technical documentation, or brand-heavy marketing materials—shared dictionaries become an essential productivity tool that streamlines the editorial workflow.
Dictionary Types Comparison
Personal Dictionary
Stores custom words locally on your computer only. Changes don't affect other team members working on the same project.
Shared Dictionary
Centralized dictionary file accessible by all team members. Updates are available to everyone using the shared resource.
Shared Dictionary Benefits vs Limitations
Making a Shared Dictionary File
Creating a shared dictionary requires strategic placement and proper configuration to ensure seamless team adoption. Follow these steps to establish a dictionary that will serve your organization's needs:
Open the Dictionary preferences by choosing the following:
Mac: InCopy > Preferences > Dictionary Windows: Edit > Preferences > Dictionary As shown below, click the New User Dictionary button to initiate the creation process.
Assign a descriptive name to your dictionary that reflects its purpose and scope. Consider names like "CompanyName_Editorial" or "Project_TechnicalTerms" for easy identification and future management.
Choose your storage location strategically:
- Navigate to a network-accessible location such as a shared server folder, cloud storage directory, or team drive that all users can reach with appropriate read/write permissions.
- Click Save to finalize the dictionary creation.
As shown below, drag the new dictionary to the top of the list to establish it as the default dictionary for spell checking operations.
Creating Your Shared Dictionary
Access Dictionary Preferences
Navigate to InCopy Preferences and select Dictionary from the menu options based on your operating system
Create New User Dictionary
Click the New User Dictionary button and provide a descriptive name for your shared dictionary file
Save to Shared Location
Navigate to a network folder accessible by all team members and save the dictionary file there
Set as Default
Drag the new dictionary to the top of the list to make it the primary dictionary for spell checking
Use descriptive names for your shared dictionaries that include your company name or project identifier, such as 'TechCorp_Medical_Terms' or 'Project_Alpha_Dictionary'.
Setting InCopy to Use an Existing Shared Dictionary
If your organization has already established a shared dictionary, connecting to it ensures you benefit from the collective terminology knowledge of your team. This process integrates seamlessly with existing workflows:
Open the Dictionary preferences by choosing the following:
Mac: InCopy > Preferences > Dictionary Windows: Edit > Preferences > Dictionary Below the existing dictionary list, click the Add User Dictionary button
to browse for the shared resource.Navigate to the designated shared folder where your team's dictionary resides and click Open to establish the connection. Ensure you have the correct network permissions to access this location.
As shown below, drag the shared dictionary to the top of your dictionary list, making it the primary reference for all spell check operations and ensuring consistency with your team's editorial standards.
Connecting to Existing Shared Dictionary
Open Dictionary Preferences
Access the same Dictionary preferences menu used for creating new dictionaries
Add User Dictionary
Click the Add User Dictionary button located below the dictionary list
Navigate and Select
Browse to the shared network location and select the dictionary file, then click Open
Prioritize Dictionary
Move the shared dictionary to the top position to ensure it takes precedence over other dictionaries
Implementation Checklist
Ensure all team members can read and write to the dictionary location
Add a test word and verify it appears for other users
Share the file path with team members for easy setup
Define who can add words and how changes are communicated
Remember that shared dictionaries require network access. If the connection is lost, InCopy will fall back to local dictionaries until the shared resource becomes available again.