Design and manage Confluence knowledge bases — space architecture, page templates, documentation strategy, and making Confluence actually useful for teams.
Transform your team's documentation into a structured knowledge base by designing organized structures and reusable page templates. Build dedicated project hubs, control who can view or edit content, and establish standards that make information easy for everyone to find. Use this when you need to clean up a messy wiki, onboard a new department, or ensure your project documentation stays consistent and useful.
name: “confluence-expert”
description: Atlassian Confluence expert for creating and managing spaces, knowledge bases, and documentation. Configures space permissions and hierarchies, creates page templates with macros, sets up documentation taxonomies, designs page layouts, and manages content governance. Use when users need to build or restructure a Confluence space, design page hierarchies with permission structures, author or standardise documentation templates, embed Jira reports in pages, run knowledge base audits, or establish documentation standards and collaborative workflows.
Atlassian Confluence Expert
Master-level expertise in Confluence space management, documentation architecture, content creation, macros, templates, and collaborative knowledge management.
Atlassian MCP Integration
Primary Tool: Confluence MCP Server
Key Operations:
// Create a new spacecreate_space({ key: "TEAM", name: "Engineering Team", description: "Engineering team knowledge base" })// Create a page under a parentcreate_page({ spaceKey: "TEAM", title: "Sprint 42 Notes", parentId: "123456", body: "<p>Meeting notes in storage-format HTML</p>" })// Update an existing page (version must be incremented)update_page({ pageId: "789012", version: 4, body: "<p>Updated content</p>" })// Delete a pagedelete_page({ pageId: "789012" })// Search with CQLsearch({ cql: 'space = "TEAM" AND label = "meeting-notes" ORDER BY lastModified DESC' })// Retrieve child pages for hierarchy inspectionget_children({ pageId: "123456" })// Apply a label to a pageadd_label({ pageId: "789012", label: "archived" })
Integration Points:
Create documentation for Senior PM projects
Support Scrum Master with ceremony templates
Link to Jira issues for Jira Expert
Provide templates for Template Creator
See also: MACROS.md for macro syntax reference, TEMPLATES.md for full template library, PERMISSIONS.md for permission scheme details.
Workflows
Space Creation
Determine space type (Team, Project, Knowledge Base, Personal)
Create space with clear name and description
Set space homepage with overview
Configure space permissions:
View, Edit, Create, Delete
Admin privileges
Create initial page tree structure
Add space shortcuts for navigation
Verify: Navigate to the space URL and confirm the homepage loads; check that a non-admin test user sees the correct permission level
HANDOFF TO: Teams for content population
Page Architecture
Best Practices:
Use page hierarchy (parent-child relationships)
Maximum 3 levels deep for navigation
Consistent naming conventions
Date-stamp meeting notes
Recommended Structure:
Space Home├── Overview & Getting Started├── Team Information│ ├── Team Members & Roles│ ├── Communication Channels│ └── Working Agreements├── Projects│ ├── Project A│ │ ├── Overview│ │ ├── Requirements│ │ └── Meeting Notes│ └── Project B├── Processes & Workflows├── Meeting Notes (Archive)└── Resources & References
Template Creation
Identify repeatable content pattern
Create page with structure and placeholders
Add instructions in placeholders
Format with appropriate macros
Save as template
Share with space or make global
Verify: Create a test page from the template and confirm all placeholders render correctly before sharing with the team
USE: References for advanced template patterns
Documentation Strategy
Assess current documentation state
Define documentation goals and audience
Organize content taxonomy and structure
Create templates and guidelines
Migrate existing documentation
Train teams on best practices
Monitor usage and adoption
REPORT TO: Senior PM on documentation health
Knowledge Base Management
Article Types:
How-to guides
Troubleshooting docs
FAQs
Reference documentation
Process documentation
Quality Standards:
Clear title and description
Structured with headings
Updated date visible
Owner identified
Reviewed quarterly
Essential Macros
Full macro reference with all parameters: see MACROS.md.
Content Macros
Info, Note, Warning, Tip:
{info}Important information here{info}
Expand:
{expand:title=Click to expand}Hidden content here{expand}
Atlassian Templates (project-management/atlassian-templates/) — Template patterns for Confluence content creation
Confluence Macro Cheat Sheet
Overview
Quick reference for the most commonly used Confluence macros. Each entry includes the macro name, storage format syntax, primary use case, and practical tips.
Navigation & Structure Macros
Table of Contents
Purpose: Auto-generate a linked table of contents from page headings
Use case: Team dashboards, space homepages, activity feeds
Macro Selection Guide
Need
Recommended Macro
Page navigation
Table of Contents
List child pages
Children Display
Reuse content
Include Page or Excerpt Include
Status tracking
Status + Page Properties
Project dashboard
Page Properties Report
Hide optional content
Expand
Show Jira data
Jira Issues
Visualize data
Chart
Code documentation
Code Block
Important callouts
Info/Warning/Note/Tip panels
Confluence Space Architecture Patterns
Overview
Well-organized Confluence spaces dramatically improve information discoverability and team productivity. This guide covers proven space organization patterns, page hierarchy best practices, and governance strategies.
Space Organization Patterns
Pattern 1: By Team
Each team or department gets its own space.
Structure:
Engineering Space (ENG)Product Space (PROD)Marketing Space (MKT)Design Space (DES)Support Space (SUP)
Pros:
Clear ownership and permissions
Teams control their own content
Natural permission boundaries
Easy to find team-specific content
Cons:
Cross-team content duplication
Silos between departments
Hard to find project-spanning information
Inconsistent practices across spaces
Best for: Organizations with stable teams and clear departmental boundaries
Pattern 2: By Project
Each major project or product gets its own space.
Structure:
Project Alpha Space (ALPHA)Project Beta Space (BETA)Platform Infrastructure Space (PLAT)Internal Tools Space (TOOLS)
Pros:
All project context in one place
Easy onboarding for project members
Clean archival when project completes
Natural lifecycle management
Cons:
Team knowledge scattered across spaces
Permission management per project
Space proliferation over time
Ongoing vs project work separation unclear
Best for: Project-based organizations, agencies, consulting firms
Pattern 3: By Domain (Hybrid)
Combine functional spaces with cross-cutting project spaces.
Structure:
Company Wiki (WIKI) - Shared knowledgeEngineering Standards (ENG) - Team practicesProduct Specs (PROD) - Requirements and roadmapProject Alpha (ALPHA) - Cross-team projectProject Beta (BETA) - Cross-team projectArchive (ARCH) - Completed projects
Pros:
Balances team and project needs
Shared knowledge has a home
Clear archival path
Scales with organization growth
Cons:
More complex to set up initially
Requires governance to maintain
Some ambiguity about where content belongs
Best for: Growing organizations, 50-500 people, multiple concurrent projects
Page Hierarchy Best Practices
Recommended Depth
Maximum 4 levels deep - Deeper hierarchies become hard to navigate
3 levels ideal for most content types
Use flat structures with labels for categorization beyond 4 levels
Use lowercase, hyphenated labels (no spaces or camelCase)
Define a standard label vocabulary and document it
Use labels for cross-space categorization
Combine labels with CQL for powerful search and reporting
Audit labels quarterly to remove unused or inconsistent labels
Limit to 3-5 labels per page (over-labeling reduces value)
CQL Examples for Label-Based Queries
# All meeting notes in a spacetype = page AND space = "ENG" AND label = "meeting-notes"# All approved specificationstype = page AND label = "specification" AND label = "approved"# Recent decisions across all spacestype = page AND label = "decision" AND lastModified > now("-30d")
Cross-Space Linking
When to Link vs Duplicate
Link when content has a single source of truth
Duplicate (Include Page macro) when content must appear in multiple contexts
Excerpt Include when only a portion of a page is needed elsewhere
Linking Best Practices
Use full page titles in links for clarity
Add context around links ("See the [Architecture Decision Record] for rationale")
Avoid orphan pages - every page should be reachable from space navigation
Use the Recently Updated macro on hub pages for activity visibility
Create "Related Pages" sections at the bottom of content pages
Archive Strategy
When to Archive
Project completed more than 90 days ago
Process or document officially deprecated
Content not updated in 12+ months
Replaced by newer content
Archive Process
Add archived label to the page
Move to Archive section within the space (or dedicated Archive space)
Add a note at the top: "This page is archived as of [date]. See [replacement] for current information."
Update any incoming links to point to current content
Do NOT delete - archived content has historical value
Archive Space Pattern
Create a dedicated Archive space for completed projects
Move entire project page trees to Archive space on completion
Set Archive space to read-only permissions
Review Archive space annually for content that can be deleted
Permission Inheritance Patterns
Pattern 1: Open by Default
All spaces readable by all employees
Edit restricted to space members
Admin restricted to space owners
Best for: Transparency-focused organizations
Pattern 2: Restricted by Default
Spaces accessible only to specific groups
Request access via space admin
Best for: Regulated industries, confidential projects
Pattern 3: Tiered Access
Public tier: Company wiki, shared processes
Team tier: Team-specific spaces with team access
Restricted tier: HR, finance, legal with limited access
Best for: Most organizations (balanced approach)
Permission Tips
Use Confluence groups, not individual users, for permissions
Align groups with LDAP/SSO groups where possible
Audit permissions quarterly
Document permission model on the space homepage
Use page-level restrictions sparingly (breaks inheritance, hard to audit)
# [Decision Title]| Field | Value ||-------|-------|| **Status** | 🟢 Accepted / 🟡 Proposed / 🔴 Deprecated || **Date** | [YYYY-MM-DD] || **Deciders** | @[Name1], @[Name2] || **Stakeholders** | @[Name3], @[Name4] || **Related Decisions** | [Link to related decisions] |## Context and Problem Statement[Describe the context and problem that requires a decision. 2-3 paragraphs explaining:- What situation led to this decision?- What problem are we trying to solve?- What constraints exist?]## Decision[Clearly state the decision made in 1-2 sentences]### Details[Provide additional details about the decision:- What exactly will we do?- How will it be implemented?- What timeline?]## Rationale[Explain why this decision was made:- What were the key factors?- What evidence supports this?- Why is this the best choice?]## Consequences### Positive Consequences- ✅ [Benefit 1]- ✅ [Benefit 2]- ✅ [Benefit 3]### Negative Consequences / Trade-offs- ⚠️ [Trade-off 1]- ⚠️ [Trade-off 2]### Risks- 🔴 [Risk 1] - Mitigation: [How we'll handle it]- 🟡 [Risk 2] - Mitigation: [How we'll handle it]## Alternatives Considered### Alternative 1: [Name]**Description:** [What is this alternative?]**Pros:**- [Pro 1]- [Pro 2]**Cons:**- [Con 1]- [Con 2]**Why Not Chosen:** [Reason]### Alternative 2: [Name][Same structure as above]## Implementation Plan1. [Step 1] - @[Owner] - [Date]2. [Step 2] - @[Owner] - [Date]3. [Step 3] - @[Owner] - [Date]## Success Metrics- [Metric 1]: [Target]- [Metric 2]: [Target]## Review Date**Next Review:** [YYYY-MM-DD]**Review Notes:** [Link to review page]## References- [Link 1]- [Link 2]- [Link 3]---*Updated: [Date] by @[Name]*
Technical Specification Template
# [Feature/Component Name] Technical Specification| Field | Value ||-------|-------|| **Status** | 🟡 Draft / 🟢 Approved / 🔴 Archived || **Author** | @[Name] || **Reviewers** | @[Name1], @[Name2] || **Date Created** | [YYYY-MM-DD] || **Last Updated** | [YYYY-MM-DD] || **JIRA Epic** | [ABC-123](link) |## Overview[1-2 paragraph summary of what this spec covers and why it matters]## Goals and Non-Goals### Goals- [Goal 1]- [Goal 2]- [Goal 3]### Non-Goals (Out of Scope)- [Non-goal 1]- [Non-goal 2]## Background[Context needed to understand this spec:- What problem are we solving?- What's the current state?- Why now?]## High-Level Design### Architecture Diagram[Insert diagram here]### System Components1. **[Component 1 Name]** - Purpose: [What it does] - Technology: [What it uses] - Interfaces: [How it connects]2. **[Component 2 Name]** - Purpose: [What it does] - Technology: [What it uses] - Interfaces: [How it connects]### Data Flow[Describe how data flows through the system]## Detailed Design### Component 1: [Name]**Purpose:** [Detailed purpose]**Responsibilities:**- [Responsibility 1]- [Responsibility 2]**API/Interface:**
[API spec or interface definition]
**Data Model:**
[Schema or data structure]
**Key Algorithms/Logic:**[Describe any complex logic]### Component 2: [Name][Same structure as Component 1]## Database Schema### Table: [table_name]| Column | Type | Constraints | Description ||--------|------|-------------|-------------|| id | UUID | PRIMARY KEY | Unique identifier || name | VARCHAR(255) | NOT NULL | Entity name || created_at | TIMESTAMP | NOT NULL | Creation timestamp |### Indexes- `idx_name` on `name` - For fast lookups- `idx_created` on `created_at` - For temporal queries## API Specification### Endpoint: [Method] /api/path**Purpose:** [What this endpoint does]**Request:**```json{ "param1": "value", "param2": 123}
Response:
{ "result": "success", "data": {}}
Error Handling:
400: [Reason]
404: [Reason]
500: [Reason]
Security Considerations
[Security consideration 1]
[Security consideration 2]
[Authentication/Authorization approach]
[Data encryption requirements]
Performance Considerations
[Expected load/throughput]
[Scalability approach]
[Caching strategy]
[Performance targets]
Testing Strategy
Unit Tests
[Test area 1]
[Test area 2]
Integration Tests
[Test scenario 1]
[Test scenario 2]
Performance Tests
[Load test plan]
[Performance benchmarks]
Deployment Plan
[Deployment step 1]
[Deployment step 2]
[Deployment step 3]
Rollback Plan
[How to revert if issues occur]
Monitoring and Alerting
[Metric 1] - Alert threshold: [Value]
[Metric 2] - Alert threshold: [Value]
[Log tracking]
Migration Plan (if applicable)
[How to migrate from current system]
Dependencies
[Dependency 1] - Why needed
[Dependency 2] - Why needed
Open Questions
[Question 1] - @[Owner]
[Question 2] - @[Owner]
Future Considerations
[Future enhancement 1]
[Future enhancement 2]
References
[Link to related specs]
[Link to design docs]
[Link to JIRA epics]
For questions, contact @[Author]
---## How-To Guide Template```markdown# How to [Task Name]## Overview[1-2 sentences explaining what this guide covers and who it's for]**Estimated Time:** [X minutes]**Difficulty:** [Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced]## PrerequisitesBefore you begin, ensure you have:- [ ] [Prerequisite 1]- [ ] [Prerequisite 2]- [ ] [Prerequisite 3]## Quick Summary (TL;DR)[One paragraph with the essence of the guide for those who just need a reminder]## Step-by-Step Instructions### Step 1: [Action][Detailed description of what to do]**Commands/Code:**```bashcommand here
Expected Result:
[What you should see if it worked]
Screenshot:
[Add screenshot if helpful]
Step 2: [Action]
[Detailed description]
Tips:
💡 [Helpful tip]
⚠️ [Warning about common mistake]
Step 3: [Action]
[Continue pattern...]
Verification
To verify everything worked:
[Check 1]
[Check 2]
Troubleshooting
Problem: [Common issue]
Symptoms: [What you see]
Cause: [Why it happens]
Solution:
[Fix step 1]
[Fix step 2]
Problem: [Another issue]
[Same structure as above]
Best Practices
[Best practice 1]
[Best practice 2]
[Best practice 3]
Related Guides
[Link to related guide 1]
[Link to related guide 2]
Need Help?
Questions? Ask in #[channel]
Issues? Create ticket in [JIRA project]
Contact: @[Expert name]
Last updated: [Date] by @[Name]
---## Requirements Document Template```markdown# [Feature/Project Name] Requirements| Field | Value ||-------|-------|| **Status** | 🟡 Draft / 🟢 Approved / 🔵 In Progress / ✅ Complete || **Product Owner** | @[Name] || **Stakeholders** | @[Name1], @[Name2] || **Target Release** | [Release version] || **JIRA Epic** | [ABC-123](link) || **Created** | [YYYY-MM-DD] || **Last Updated** | [YYYY-MM-DD] |## Executive Summary[2-3 sentences describing the feature and its business value]## Business Goals- [Goal 1]: [Metric]- [Goal 2]: [Metric]- [Goal 3]: [Metric]## User Stories### Story 1: [Title]**As a** [user type]**I want** [goal]**So that** [benefit]**Acceptance Criteria:**- [ ] [Criterion 1]- [ ] [Criterion 2]- [ ] [Criterion 3]**Priority:** [High/Medium/Low]**Effort:** [Story points]### Story 2: [Title][Same structure as Story 1]## Functional Requirements### FR-001: [Requirement Title]**Description:** [What the system must do]**Rationale:** [Why this is needed]**Acceptance Criteria:**- [Criterion 1]- [Criterion 2]**Priority:** [Must Have / Should Have / Could Have / Won't Have]### FR-002: [Requirement Title][Same structure as FR-001]## Non-Functional Requirements### Performance- [Requirement 1]- [Requirement 2]### Security- [Requirement 1]- [Requirement 2]### Scalability- [Requirement 1]- [Requirement 2]### Accessibility- [Requirement 1]- [Requirement 2]## User Experience### Wireframes[Insert wireframes or link to Figma]### User Flow[Diagram showing user journey]### UI Requirements- [UI requirement 1]- [UI requirement 2]## Technical Constraints- [Constraint 1]- [Constraint 2]- [Constraint 3]## Dependencies| Dependency | Owner | Status | Impact if Blocked ||------------|-------|--------|-------------------|| [Dep 1] | @[Name] | 🟢 Ready | [Impact] || [Dep 2] | @[Name] | 🟡 In Progress | [Impact] |## Success Metrics| Metric | Baseline | Target | How Measured ||--------|----------|--------|--------------|| [Metric 1] | [Current] | [Goal] | [Method] || [Metric 2] | [Current] | [Goal] | [Method] |## Risks and Mitigations| Risk | Impact | Probability | Mitigation ||------|--------|-------------|------------|| [Risk 1] | High | Medium | [Strategy] || [Risk 2] | Medium | Low | [Strategy] |## Out of Scope- [Explicitly excluded 1]- [Explicitly excluded 2]## Open Questions- [ ] [Question 1] - @[Owner] - [Due date]- [ ] [Question 2] - @[Owner] - [Due date]## Timeline| Phase | Start Date | End Date | Deliverables ||-------|-----------|----------|--------------|| Design | [Date] | [Date] | [Deliverable] || Development | [Date] | [Date] | [Deliverable] || Testing | [Date] | [Date] | [Deliverable] || Launch | [Date] | [Date] | [Deliverable] |## Approval### Reviewers- [ ] Product Owner: @[Name]- [ ] Engineering Lead: @[Name]- [ ] Design Lead: @[Name]- [ ] Stakeholder: @[Name]**Approved Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]## References- [Market research]- [User feedback]- [Technical specs]- [Related features]---*For questions, contact @[Product Owner]*
Retrospective Template
# Sprint [N] Retrospective - [Team Name]**Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]**Sprint:** [Sprint N]**Sprint Dates:** [Start Date] - [End Date]**Facilitator:** @[Name]**Participants:** @[Name1], @[Name2], @[Name3]## Sprint Metrics- **Velocity:** [X points] (Average: [Y points])- **Committed:** [X points / N issues]- **Completed:** [Y points / M issues]- **Sprint Goal Met:** ✅ Yes / ❌ No## What Went Well 😊- [Positive 1]- [Positive 2]- [Positive 3]## What Didn't Go Well 😞- [Challenge 1]- [Challenge 2]- [Challenge 3]## Action Items from Last Retro- [✅ / ❌] [Action item 1] - @[Owner] - Status: [Done / In Progress / Not Done] - Notes: [Update]- [✅ / ❌] [Action item 2] - @[Owner] - Status: [Done / In Progress / Not Done] - Notes: [Update]## Discussion Themes### Theme 1: [Topic]**What we discussed:**[Summary of discussion]**Root cause:**[What's really causing this issue?]**Ideas for improvement:**- [Idea 1]- [Idea 2]### Theme 2: [Topic][Same structure as Theme 1]## Action Items for Next Sprint| Action | Owner | Due Date | Success Criteria ||--------|-------|----------|------------------|| [Action 1] | @[Name] | [Date] | [How we know it's done] || [Action 2] | @[Name] | [Date] | [How we know it's done] || [Action 3] | @[Name] | [Date] | [How we know it's done] |## Shout-Outs 🎉- @[Name] for [what they did]- @[Name] for [what they did]## Notes[Any additional notes or observations]---*Next Retrospective: [Date]*