Last updated Oct 10, 2024

Overview of capabilities

What can apps do?

Apps are custom logic and capabilities developed to extend Atlassian products beyond their built-in capabilities. Apps define their extensions in a manifest file that gets registered by Atlassian upon install so that when a product executes capabilities that use those extensions it also knows which apps to interact with.

Some common examples of this include:

  • Custom menu sections and items
  • Custom panels within certain pages
  • Macros that create custom interactions in content
  • Webhooks that get called when certain product events occur
  • Custom properties to extend product search capabilities

For more information, see About Confluence Cloud.

Cloud Development Options

There are a few ways you can extend and/or integrate with Confluence Cloud; including Atlassian's app development platforms, Forge & Connect, in addition to standalone applications. For more details about these options, see Cloud Development Options.

For more information about Forge and Connect, their concepts & modules, and how to get started see the resources below:

Forge

Connect

Capabilities

Across the various cloud development options, there are many capabilities available; though each option varies in its support. The Connect platform has been in use longer than Forge and currently has more capabilities, though typically with added complexity. Forge has been built for Cloud and its capabilities are well-abstracted. This overview focuses on these two frameworks.

Developers can rewrite their Connect apps on Forge or can incrementally begin to adopt Forge from their existing Connect apps. See Adopting Forge From Connect.

Review Connect and Forge module-equivalents.

CategoryCapabilityExampleConnectForge
Tech StackHostingSelf-hostedAtlassian Hosted
Programming Language atlassian-connect-express
atlassian-connect-spring-boot
AnyJavaScript
Development EnvironmentAnyForge CLI
API AccessScopesScopes for Connect apps Forge scopes
Confluence product scopes
(more granular)
Auth JWT

As App
As User

Requires Admin Permission
OAuth2

As App
As User

Requires Admin and User Permission

See also OAuth 2.0 (3LO) apps for integrations outside of Forge using auth "As User".
App Data StorageApp Properties APIStorage API
Webhooks / Events Has capability
Webhooks
Has capability
Events
Theming
(Space Admin feature)
Space Settings set Custom Theme

Custom Theme on Page
Has capability No capability
OnboardingGet Started Get Started and Configure for Connect apps

Get Started and Configure for Forge apps
Has capability Has capability
Configure Has capability Has capability
Keyboard Shortcuts No capability Has capability
MacrosNo body View
Macro No Body (View)

Edit
Macro No Body (Edit)
Has capability Has capability
Bodied View
Macro with Body (View)

Edit
Macro with Body (Edit)
Has capability No capability
Byline Items Page Byline Items Has capability Has capability
Custom Content Custom Content Has capability Has capability
UI ExtensionsApps Menu Web Item Apps Menu Web Item Has capability No capability
Profile Menu Web Items User Preferences Menu Web Item
User Content Menu Web Item
User Operations Menu Web Item
Has capability No capability
Content Action Bar Web Item Content Action Bar Web Item Has capability No capability
Content Action Menu Web Items Content Action Web Item

Content Action Modify Web Item

Content Action Primary Web Item

Content Action Secondary Web Item
Has capability Has capability
Content Action
Page Metadata Web Item Page Metadata Web Item Has capability No capability
Space Sidebar Web Item Space Sidebar Web Item Has capability Has capability
Space Page
Space Settings Web Items Overview

Space Tools Overview Web Item

Space Tools Overview Web Item

Permissions

Space Tools Permissions Web Item

Space Tools Permissions Web Item

Content Tools

Space Tools Content Tools Web Item

Space Tools Content Tools Web Item

Look and Feel

Space Tools Look and Feel Web Item

Space Tools Look and Feel Web Item

Integrations

Space Tools Integrations Web Item

Space Tools Integrations Web Item

Addons

Space Tools Addons Web Item
Has capability Partial capability
Only "Integrations"
Space Settings
Global Settings Sidebar Web Items Admin Administration Web Item

Has capability Partial capability
Only in "Apps" section
Global Settings
Attachments Web Items Attachment Web Item

Attachment History Web Item
Has capability No capability
Help Menu Web Item Help Web Item Has capability No capability
Context Menu Web Item Selection Action Panel Web Item Has capability Has capability
Context Menu
Personal Settings Web Items Profile Web Item

Edit Your Settings Web Item

Edit Gadget User Settings Web Item
Has capability No capability
Page Operations Web Items Page Operations Web Item

Page Operations Export Web Item
Has capability No capability
Edit Page Precursor Web Item Editor Precursor Buttons Web Item Has capability No capability
Edit Page Precursor Web Item Editor Precursor Buttons Web Item Has capability No capability
General (Top) Panel General Panel Has capability No capability
Footer Panel Footer Panel Has capability No capability
Page Metadata Banner Panel Page Metadata Banner Panel Has capability No capability
Editor Save Bar Panel Editor Save Bar Panel Has capability No capability
Dashboard Secondary Panel Dashboard Secondary Panel Has capability No capability
Custom Global Settings Section Custom Global Settings Section Has capability No capability
Custom Content Action Menu Section Custom Content Action Menu Section Has capability No capability

To see the complete list of UI extensions, see Extension Point Locations

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