What is confluence?
Confluence is a web‑based tool created by Atlassian that lets teams create, share, and organize documents, notes, and knowledge in one central place. Think of it as an online notebook where anyone can write pages, add images, embed videos, and link to other pages, all stored in the cloud or on a company server.
Let's break it down
- Spaces: Big folders that group related pages together (e.g., Marketing, HR, Product).
- Pages: Individual documents you can edit, comment on, and format with headings, tables, and macros.
- Macros: Small add‑ons that bring extra features into a page, like task lists, calendars, or live Jira issue tables.
- Permissions: Settings that decide who can view or edit each space or page.
- Search: Powerful search bar that finds content across all spaces instantly.
Why does it matter?
Confluence turns scattered information-emails, PDFs, chat messages-into a searchable, organized knowledge base. This helps new hires get up to speed faster, reduces duplicated work, and ensures everyone is looking at the same, up‑to‑date information.
Where is it used?
- Software development teams to document architecture, API specs, and meeting notes.
- Marketing departments for campaign briefs, brand guidelines, and content calendars.
- HR to store policies, onboarding checklists, and employee handbooks.
- Customer support to maintain troubleshooting guides and FAQ articles. Basically any organization that needs a shared place for documentation can use Confluence.
Good things about it
- Easy to start: drag‑and‑drop editing, no coding required.
- Strong integration with other Atlassian tools like Jira, Trello, and Bitbucket.
- Real‑time collaboration with comments and @mentions.
- Robust permission controls for security.
- Cloud and self‑hosted options to fit different IT policies.
Not-so-good things
- Can become cluttered if pages aren’t organized or archived regularly.
- The free tier has limited storage and features; larger teams may need a paid plan.
- Some advanced macros require additional plugins or technical setup.
- Search relevance may dip in very large instances without proper labeling.
- Learning curve for power users who want to customize templates or automate workflows.