Example systems and methods are directed at maintaining and retrieving presence metadata. One example method includes receiving a request from a first client to edit a document file, and sending short-term check out metadata to the first client to begin an editing session. The method also includes writing the transition ID to a transition table stored in a cache, wherein the presence of another transition ID in the cache indicates that a document has switched from a single-client mode to a multi-client mode. An example system includes a processing unit operative to receive a document, the document including short-term check out metadata indicating an editing session has begun, ping a cache to determine if another transition ID is stored in the cache, and send a transition ID to a transition table stored in a cache to switch from a single-client mode to a multi-client mode.