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2 simple ways to create folders in Confluence Cloud
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2 simple ways to create folders in Confluence Cloud

A headshot of Holly Aspinall
Holly Aspinall
21st June, 2024
2 min read
A Confluence webpage being slipped into a paper folder on a stylised background
A headshot of Holly Aspinall
Holly Aspinall
21st June, 2024
2 min read
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Can you create a folder in Confluence?
When should I use a Confluence space?
When should I use a parent page?
When not to arrange Confluence content in ‘folders’

Is your Confluence cluttered and in need of a tidy? Find out if you can replicate creating folders in Confluence with our easy-to-follow guide.

Confluence is a brilliant knowledge management system, but when multiple users start creating new pages, it can get messy very quickly. Fortunately, it’s possible to organise Confluence pages to keep them under control. Here’s how to create folders in Confluence: or, at least, the closest thing possible.


Can you create a folder in Confluence?

Unfortunately, you can’t create actual folders for your Confluence content. However, because Confluence is hierarchical (meaning that content is organised in levels), you can use Confluence spaces and pages to act as folders.

If you want to organise pages under a broad theme, you can create a Confluence space.
  • To do this, go to Spaces > Create a space and choose a template (or create a space from scratch). You can then move your Confluence pages into this space or create blank pages.

If you want to create ‘subfolders’ in an existing Confluence space, you can use the page tree to nest pages under a main (parent) page.
  • To do this, go to the left-hand sidebar and drag a page on top of another page. This will turn your original page into a child page - the page it was dragged onto becomes the parent.
A GIF of a user nesting Confluence pages under a parent page to create a folder-like structure

When should I use a Confluence space?

Using a Confluence space as a folder is perfect when you want to gather lots of related pages under one broad topic. For example, you might want to contain all activities for your marketing department to one specific Confluence space. This helps users find the information quicker and reduces the chances of knowledge being lost.

When should I use a parent page?

Parent pages are ideal for organising smaller sub-topics within a Confluence space. Say you have a marketing team space in Confluence which documents quarterly target reviews. You can nest all of these pages under one ‘Target Reviews’ parent page to keep the space tidy.

Essentially, parent pages are ideal for adding an extra level of organisation to a cluttered Confluence space.

When not to arrange Confluence content in ‘folders’

Organising pages hierarchically isn’t always the best way to share information with your users, so you might want to look at alternative solutions. Some examples include:
  • Call centre scripts
  • Employee/customer onboarding
  • Troubleshooting guides
  • ITSM runbooks
  • Anything that requires multiple steps

In these situations, a guided approach with personalised outcomes is more appropriate. This is where Guided Pathways for Confluence comes in.

With Guided Pathways, you can turn Confluence pages into user-friendly guides with ease. Bite-sized steps mean users don’t have to sift through pages to find the right answer for them.

Want to try Guided Pathways for yourself?

Click below to install the app for free today 👇
Written by
A headshot of Holly Aspinall
Holly Aspinall
Content Marketing Manager
Holly is dedicated to writing valuable, accessible guides that help users understand their tools better. She champions products that help modern workers do more with Confluence, monday.com, and beyond.

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