Integrating and Extending Confluence

Confluence is a powerful tool, and one of the features that enhances its strength is the ability to expand its capabilities quickly and reliably. You can do this in two ways: either integrate Confluence with other systems you use or add new features to Confluence. In this chapter, we will talk about these integrations and extension possibilities to give you an idea of Confluence’s potential in these areas. Some integrations in the following pages can be activated when you start using Confluence, while others may require effort. We can comfortably say that Atlassian has done its part regarding integration. As a result, you will find that Confluence is ready with world-standard infrastructure when you need integration. You may not need integration or expansion, but knowing how to do so will surely broaden your horizons. So, let’s examine Confluence’s integration and extension capabilities.

In this chapter, we will cover the...

Integration with Atlassian tools

Confluence’s seamless integration with other Atlassian Cloud products is a standout feature that amplifies its capabilities and accessibility. These integrations are ready from the moment you begin using Confluence. In most cases, completing the integration is as simple as clicking a few buttons, eliminating any complex setup or technical hurdles. This way, it’s easier to foster a harmonious ecosystem where all Atlassian tools can interact, streamline workflows, and improve collaboration across teams and projects. Here, we will dive deeper into the integrations with Atlassian products and explore how they can provide a cohesive, efficient, and intuitive experience tailored to your organization’s specific needs and objectives.

Using Confluence and Jira Software together

You can easily integrate Confluence with Jira Software. Let’s look at what you can accomplish by using these two applications together:

• Use embedded...

Integration with non-Atlassian tools

Confluence can securely exchange information with many different systems that are not developed by Atlassian. Some have native integration with Confluence, while others can be solved with applications on the Atlassian Marketplace. For some systems, Confluence’s Smart Link support is the solution. It is also possible to create your own integrations using the Confluence Cloud API.

At the end of this section, we will suggest questions to guide you on integration. Once you’ve answered these questions, you will have a solid insight into integrating Confluence with your chosen application. Now, let’s take a look at the most popular applications that are used with Confluence.

Using Confluence and Microsoft Teams together

Among many collaboration tools, Confluence and Microsoft Teams have carved out unique spaces. While Confluence is a widely used collaboration platform, Microsoft Teams has been at the forefront of team communication...

Extending Confluence

If the fundamental features of Confluence do not meet your needs, don’t worry – you still have options. First, you can enhance Confluence by adding extra functionalities by installing apps from the Atlassian Marketplace. Alternatively, you can either develop your applications or commission them to be built by others. Now, let’s delve deeper and explore how these strategies work.

Installing applications via the Atlassian Marketplace

The Atlassian Marketplace offers many applications for Confluence that you can review, try, and purchase. Similar to Confluence licenses, you can easily access these applications through a monthly or yearly subscription. In the following screenshot, you can see the welcome screen of the Atlassian Marketplace, which you can access from https://marketplace.atlassian.com:

Figure 13.2 – The Atlassian Marketplace

As you can see, there is a search bar at the very top of the screen...

Summary

In this chapter, we explained how to integrate Confluence with other applications and add new features to Confluence. We learned how to rapidly and safely integrate Confluence with other apps, such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

We also concentrated on adding new features to Confluence. Although developing an application is a deep subject that deserves a whole other book, we provided basic information you may need as an executive summary. Now, it’s up to you to do the work regarding details and fill in the blanks as you go. In the next chapter, we will dive deeper into the challenges of remote collaboration, providing insights into the human factors and technical difficulties you will encounter from a management consultant’s perspective.

Questions

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of this chapter:

1. What can you do by integrating Confluence with Jira?
2. What is the fundamental difference between Forge and Connect?
3. What are the differences between having the Confluence application developed in-house and having it developed by an outside company?
4. How do Smart Links work?

Answers

Here are the answers to this chapter’s questions:

1. You can connect your Jira project to a Confluence space. This allows you to manage Confluence pages without having to leave the product, eliminating context-switching and creating a more integrated experience. You can even edit within Jira using embedded pages.
2. Forge is Atlassian’s brand-new serverless platform. Unlike Connect, you don’t need to have your own infrastructure for your Cloud application.
3. The approach can vary, depending on the company’s needs, objectives, budget, timeline, and existing internal resources. In-house development means more control and customization, while outsourcing may be suitable when a quicker and perhaps more cost-effective solution is needed.
4. Smart Links are more than just hyperlinks, allowing you to share content across applications by transforming traditional links into interactive previews or information-rich cards. Whether it’s a Google...