Skip to content

Atlassian Confluence Expert

Project Management confluence-expert Source

Install: claude /plugin install pm-skills

Master-level expertise in Confluence space management, documentation architecture, content creation, macros, templates, and collaborative knowledge management.

Atlassian MCP Integration

Primary Tool: Atlassian Remote MCP server (bundled .mcp.json, server key atlassian). Tools are camelCase and surface as mcp__atlassian__<toolName>. Canonical tool list: project-management/references/atlassian-mcp-tools.md. Never invent tool names — if a capability isn't in that list, it is not available via MCP.

Key Operations (obtain cloudId once via mcp__atlassian__getAccessibleAtlassianResources):

// List spaces (space CREATION is not available via MCP — see below)
mcp__atlassian__getConfluenceSpaces (cloudId)

// Create a page under a parent — body must be storage-format XHTML or ADF, never wiki markup
mcp__atlassian__createConfluencePage (cloudId, space, title="Sprint 42 Notes", parent page id, body="<p>Meeting notes in storage-format XHTML</p>")

// Update an existing page (fetch current version with getConfluencePage, then supply version + 1)
mcp__atlassian__updateConfluencePage (cloudId, pageId="789012", version=5, body="<p>Updated content</p>")

// Read a page (body + current version)
mcp__atlassian__getConfluencePage (cloudId, pageId="789012")

// Search with CQL
mcp__atlassian__searchConfluenceUsingCql (cloudId, cql='space = "TEAM" AND label = "meeting-notes" ORDER BY lastModified DESC')

// Retrieve child pages for hierarchy inspection
mcp__atlassian__getConfluencePageDescendants (cloudId, pageId="123456")

// Comments
mcp__atlassian__getConfluencePageFooterComments / mcp__atlassian__createConfluenceFooterComment (cloudId, pageId)

Not available via MCP — use the web UI or REST API instead: - Create/delete a space → Confluence UI Spaces > Create space or POST /wiki/api/v2/spaces - Delete a page → Confluence UI or DELETE /wiki/api/v2/pages/{id} - Apply labels → Confluence UI or /wiki/rest/api/content/{id}/label - Space permissions, templates/blueprints as first-class objects → Confluence space settings UI

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: references/macro-cheat-sheet.md for storage-format macro syntax, references/templates.md for the template library, references/space-architecture-patterns.md for space structure and permission patterns.

Workflows

Space Creation

Space creation is not available via MCP — create the space in the Confluence UI (Spaces > Create space) or via REST (POST /wiki/api/v2/spaces). The page tree inside it CAN be built via MCP (mcp__atlassian__createConfluencePage).

  1. Generate the recommended hierarchy from a team description: 
    python3 scripts/space_structure_generator.py team_info.json --format json
    Input: JSON with team name, size, type, projects. Consume the output: use the emitted page tree as the creation plan for step 5 — one mcp__atlassian__createConfluencePage call per node, passing the parent page id to nest children.
  2. Determine space type (Team, Project, Knowledge Base, Personal)
  3. Create space with clear name and description (web UI / REST)
  4. Set space homepage with overview
  5. Configure space permissions:
  6. View, Edit, Create, Delete
  7. Admin privileges
  8. Create initial page tree structure
  9. Add space shortcuts for navigation
  10. Verify: Navigate to the space URL and confirm the homepage loads; check that a non-admin test user sees the correct permission level
  11. 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

  1. Identify repeatable content pattern
  2. Create page with structure and placeholders
  3. Add instructions in placeholders
  4. Format with appropriate macros
  5. Save as template
  6. Share with space or make global
  7. Verify: Create a test page from the template and confirm all placeholders render correctly before sharing with the team
  8. USE: References for advanced template patterns

Documentation Strategy

  1. Assess current documentation state
  2. Define documentation goals and audience
  3. Organize content taxonomy and structure
  4. Create templates and guidelines
  5. Migrate existing documentation
  6. Train teams on best practices
  7. Monitor usage and adoption
  8. REPORT TO: Senior PM on documentation health

Knowledge Base Management

Run a content health audit before any restructure or governance review: 

python3 scripts/content_audit_analyzer.py pages.json --format json
Input: a JSON page inventory (title, last_modified, view_count, author, labels, word_count) — build it by exporting page metadata via mcp__atlassian__getPagesInConfluenceSpace / mcp__atlassian__searchConfluenceUsingCql. Consume the output: the stale/orphaned/low-engagement findings become the archive list (label + move via UI, since label tools aren't on the MCP) and the update backlog for the quality standards below.

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

Syntax note: The {macro} shorthand below is legacy wiki-markup notation, shown for readability only. Confluence Cloud pages created via MCP (createConfluencePage / updateConfluencePage) require storage format (XHTML) — e.g. {info} is really <ac:structured-macro ac:name="info"><ac:rich-text-body>...</ac:rich-text-body></ac:structured-macro>. For the storage-format syntax of every macro listed here, see references/macro-cheat-sheet.md; for ready-made storage-format page bodies, run the atlassian-templates scaffolder (python3 ../atlassian-templates/scripts/template_scaffolder.py meeting-notes).

Content Macros

Info, Note, Warning, Tip: 

{info}
Important information here
{info}

Expand: 

{expand:title=Click to expand}
Hidden content here
{expand}

Table of Contents: 

{toc:maxLevel=3}

Excerpt & Excerpt Include: 

{excerpt}
Reusable content
{excerpt}

{excerpt-include:Page Name}

Dynamic Content

Jira Issues: 

{jira:JQL=project = PROJ AND status = "In Progress"}

Jira Chart: 

{jirachart:type=pie|jql=project = PROJ|statType=statuses}

Recently Updated: 

{recently-updated:spaces=@all|max=10}

Content by Label: 

{contentbylabel:label=meeting-notes|maxResults=20}

Collaboration Macros

Status: 

{status:colour=Green|title=Approved}

Task List: 

{tasks}
- [ ] Task 1
- [x] Task 2 completed
{tasks}

User Mention: 

@username

Date: 

{date:format=dd MMM yyyy}

Page Layouts & Formatting

Two-Column Layout: 

{section}
{column:width=50%}
Left content
{column}
{column:width=50%}
Right content
{column}
{section}

Panel: 

{panel:title=Panel Title|borderColor=#ccc}
Panel content
{panel}

Code Block: 

{code:javascript}
const example = "code here";
{code}

Templates Library

Full template library with complete markup: see references/templates.md. Key templates summarised below.

Template Purpose Key Sections
Meeting Notes Sprint/team meetings Agenda, Discussion, Decisions, Action Items (tasks macro)
Project Overview Project kickoff & status Quick Facts panel, Objectives, Stakeholders table, Milestones (Jira macro), Risks
Decision Log Architectural/strategic decisions Context, Options Considered, Decision, Consequences, Next Steps
Sprint Retrospective Agile ceremony docs What Went Well (info), What Didn't (warning), Action Items (tasks), Metrics

Space Permissions

Permission patterns by space type: see references/space-architecture-patterns.md. Note: space permissions are configured in the Confluence UI (Space settings > Permissions) — not via MCP.

Permission Schemes

Public Space: - All users: View - Team members: Edit, Create - Space admins: Admin

Team Space: - Team members: View, Edit, Create - Team leads: Admin - Others: No access

Project Space: - Stakeholders: View - Project team: Edit, Create - PM: Admin

Content Governance

Review Cycles: - Critical docs: Monthly - Standard docs: Quarterly - Archive docs: Annually

Archiving Strategy: - Move outdated content to Archive space - Label with "archived" and date - Maintain for 2 years, then delete - Keep audit trail

Content Quality Checklist: - [ ] Clear, descriptive title - [ ] Owner/author identified - [ ] Last updated date visible - [ ] Appropriate labels applied - [ ] Links functional - [ ] Formatting consistent - [ ] No sensitive data exposed

Decision Framework

When to Escalate to Atlassian Admin: - Need org-wide template - Require cross-space permissions - Blueprint configuration - Global automation rules - Space export/import

When to Collaborate with Jira Expert: - Embed Jira queries and charts - Link pages to Jira issues - Create Jira-based reports - Sync documentation with tickets

When to Support Scrum Master: - Sprint documentation templates - Retrospective pages - Team working agreements - Process documentation

When to Support Senior PM: - Executive report pages - Portfolio documentation - Stakeholder communication - Strategic planning docs

Handoff Protocols

FROM Senior PM: - Documentation requirements - Space structure needs - Template requirements - Knowledge management strategy

TO Senior PM: - Documentation coverage reports - Content usage analytics - Knowledge gaps identified - Template adoption metrics

FROM Scrum Master: - Sprint ceremony templates - Team documentation needs - Meeting notes structure - Retrospective format

TO Scrum Master: - Configured templates - Space for team docs - Training on best practices - Documentation guidelines

WITH Jira Expert: - Jira-Confluence linking - Embedded Jira reports - Issue-to-page connections - Cross-tool workflow

Best Practices

Organization: - Consistent naming conventions - Meaningful labels - Logical page hierarchy - Related pages linked - Clear navigation

Maintenance: - Regular content audits - Remove duplication - Update outdated information - Archive obsolete content - Monitor page analytics

Analytics & Metrics

Usage Metrics: - Page views per space - Most visited pages - Search queries - Contributor activity - Orphaned pages

Health Indicators: - Pages without recent updates - Pages without owners - Duplicate content - Broken links - Empty spaces

  • Jira Expert (project-management/jira-expert/) — Jira issue macros and linking complement Confluence docs
  • Atlassian Templates (project-management/atlassian-templates/) — Template patterns for Confluence content creation