---
title: Attribution
created_at: 3/30/2026
updated_at: 3/30/2026
keywords:
  - attribution
  - user
  - users
  - TLUserStore
  - TLUser
  - getAttributionUserId
  - getAttributionDisplayName
  - getAttributionUser
  - getReferencedUserIds
  - createCachedUserResolve
  - textLastEditedBy
  - UserRecordType
  - createUserId
status: published
date: 3/30/2026
---

The attribution system lets you track which users create or edit shapes. Connect tldraw to your auth system through a [TLUserStore](?) to resolve display names, render attribution labels, and persist user records alongside your document data. The built-in note shape uses attribution to show who last edited a note's text, and you can add similar tracking to custom shapes.

## User store

A `TLUserStore` provides a reactive `currentUser` signal for the active user and an optional `resolve` method for looking up other users by ID. Pass it as the `users` prop on the [Tldraw](?) component or the [useSync](?) hook:

```tsx
import { computed, createUserId, Tldraw, TLUserStore, UserRecordType } from 'tldraw'
import 'tldraw/tldraw.css'

const currentUser = computed('currentUser', () =>
	UserRecordType.create({
		id: createUserId('user-123'),
		name: 'Alice',
		color: '#e03131',
	})
)

const users: TLUserStore = {
	currentUser,
}

export default function App() {
	return (
		<div style={{ position: 'fixed', inset: 0 }}>
			<Tldraw users={users} />
		</div>
	)
}
```

When no `users` prop is provided, the editor derives the current user from [user preferences](/sdk-features/user-preferences). With `useSync`, other users are resolved from collaborator presence.

### Resolving other users

The optional `resolve` method looks up users by their raw ID string. The editor calls it first whenever it needs a display name or user record for an ID:

```tsx
import {
	computed,
	createCachedUserResolve,
	createUserId,
	TLUserStore,
	UserRecordType,
} from 'tldraw'

const users: TLUserStore = {
	currentUser: computed('currentUser', () =>
		UserRecordType.create({
			id: createUserId('user-123'),
			name: 'Alice',
			color: '#e03131',
		})
	),
	resolve: createCachedUserResolve((userId) => {
		// Look up the user from your auth system
		return myUserCache.get(userId) ?? null
	}),
}
```

The [createCachedUserResolve](?) helper wraps a lookup function so that each user ID gets a single stable reactive signal. If you write your own `resolve`, return the same signal for repeated calls with the same ID.

## How attribution works

Attribution is opt-in per shape type. Each shape util decides what to track and when to stamp a user ID. When you stamp a user ID with [Editor#getAttributionUserId](?), the editor also writes a corresponding `user:` record to the store so that display names survive across sessions, clipboard paste, and `.tldr` file exports.

### Note shape attribution

The built-in note shape tracks who last edited its text. Whenever a note's rich text changes and is non-empty, [NoteShapeUtil](?) sets the `textLastEditedBy` prop to the current user's ID via `editor.getAttributionUserId()`. Clearing the text resets it to `null`, and duplicating or pasting a note with text re-stamps the copy to the current user. The note renders the last editor's first name as a small label in the corner.

The label is rendered by the note shape util's `AttributionComponent` option, which you can override or hide with `NoteShapeUtil.configure`, passed through the `shapeUtils` prop. This applies on the canvas and in image exports:

```tsx
import { NoteShapeUtil, Tldraw } from 'tldraw'

// Hide the attribution badge
;<Tldraw shapeUtils={[NoteShapeUtil.configure({ AttributionComponent: null })]} />

// Or render your own
;<Tldraw
	shapeUtils={[
		NoteShapeUtil.configure({
			AttributionComponent: ({ firstName, color }) => (
				<div className="tl-note__attribution" style={{ color }}>
					✍️ {firstName}
				</div>
			),
		}),
	]}
/>
```

## Reading attribution

The [Editor](?) provides three methods for working with attribution. [Editor#getAttributionUserId](?) returns the current user's raw ID string (without the `user:` prefix). [Editor#getAttributionDisplayName](?) and [Editor#getAttributionUser](?) check the `TLUserStore` first, then fall back to `user:` records in the store:

```tsx
import { useEditor, useValue } from 'tldraw'

function AttributionLabel({ userId }: { userId: string }) {
	const editor = useEditor()

	const name = useValue('attribution-name', () => editor.getAttributionDisplayName(userId), [
		editor,
		userId,
	])

	if (!name) return null
	return <span>{name}</span>
}
```

## Custom shape attribution

Add attribution tracking to your own shapes by storing a user ID in your shape's props and overriding [ShapeUtil#getReferencedUserIds](?):

```tsx
import { ShapeUtil, T, TLBaseShape } from 'tldraw'

type MyShape = TLBaseShape<
	'my-shape',
	{
		createdBy: string | null
	}
>

class MyShapeUtil extends ShapeUtil<MyShape> {
	static override type = 'my-shape' as const
	static override props = {
		createdBy: T.string.nullable(),
	}

	override getReferencedUserIds(shape: MyShape) {
		return shape.props.createdBy ? [shape.props.createdBy] : []
	}

	// ... other ShapeUtil methods
}
```

When shapes are copied to the clipboard or exported, the editor includes the `user:` records returned by `getReferencedUserIds`. Display names then remain available on the other side.

To stamp the current user when creating shapes:

```tsx
const userId = editor.getAttributionUserId()

editor.createShape({
	type: 'my-shape',
	props: {
		createdBy: userId,
	},
})
```

## Extensible user records

Extend user records with custom metadata by passing validators to [createTLSchema](?):

```tsx
import { createTLSchema, T } from 'tldraw'

const schema = createTLSchema({
	user: {
		meta: {
			department: T.string,
			isAdmin: T.boolean,
		},
	},
})
```

Custom metadata is validated and persisted alongside the standard user fields. Access it through the `meta` property on [TLUser](?) records.

## API reference

| Symbol                                | Description                                                             |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Editor#getAttributionUserId](?)      | Get the current user's ID for stamping shapes. Returns `string \| null` |
| [Editor#getAttributionDisplayName](?) | Resolve a display name from a user ID. Returns `string \| null`         |
| [Editor#getAttributionUser](?)        | Resolve a full [TLUser](?) record from a user ID                        |
| [TLUserStore](?)                      | Interface for connecting to your auth/user system                       |
| [TLUser](?)                           | A user record in the store                                              |
| [UserRecordType](?)                   | The default user record type                                            |
| [createUserId](?)                     | Create a typed user ID                                                  |
| [createCachedUserResolve](?)          | Create a cached resolve function for `TLUserStore`                      |
| [createUserRecordType](?)             | Build a user record type with custom meta validators                    |

For setting up user identity in multiplayer, see the [Collaboration](/sdk-features/collaboration#User-identity) page.

## Related examples

- [Attribution](/examples/users/attribution): basic attribution with a user switcher and attribution inspector
- [Attribution timeline](/examples/users/attribution-timeline): timeline scrubber with per-user filtering