How CollectiveTap Works
CollectiveTap is a URL-native micro-app platform: links are the apps. No accounts, no installs.
What CollectiveTap Is
CollectiveTap turns a single URL into a tiny, shareable tool that works instantly in any chat. If someone can open a link, they can use the tool.
Typical link shape: /a/:tool/:id
No Accounts
There is no login, no profile, and no central identity system. Your link is your access. This keeps the product lightweight and reduces the amount of personal data the system needs to handle.
Links as Apps
Each link points to a specific "micro-app instance" (a single list, a single vote, a single event, etc.). The server stores the app's state, and anyone with the right access can view or edit it.
Example: a ListLink is one list; a SlotLink is one schedule; a SplitLink is one expense split.
Capability-Based Access (caps)
CollectiveTap uses signed capability tokens ("caps") in URLs instead of passwords. Caps determine what you can do (for example: read-only vs read-write).
- Caps are part of the URL. If you share a URL, you may be sharing its permissions.
- Caps are signed. They can't be forged by clients.
- Caps can expire. Some links may stop working if their cap expires.
You'll often see caps as a query parameter, like ?cap=....
Real-Time Updates
When someone makes a change, the server becomes the source of truth for the updated state. Participants see the latest version when they load or refresh the link, and tools are designed to stay consistent across devices.
Design principle: server-authoritative state — the server decides what's true.
Expiration Model
Links are designed to be lightweight and temporary by default. Most links automatically expire after approximately 90 days unless extended. This reduces long-term data accumulation and keeps the system clean.
Expiration is about the link's availability — not a guarantee of immediate deletion everywhere, especially for cached artifacts.
Privacy Philosophy
CollectiveTap minimizes identity. There are no accounts, no password database, and no "social graph." The goal is to store only what's needed to make the link work.
Why No Mobile App
The product is built to be shareable in places where coordination already happens: messaging apps. A link works across platforms immediately — no app store install, no account creation, no friction.
Supported Tools
CollectiveTap currently supports these link-native tools. Use them standalone or organize them together in Hub: