Configure Atlassian Confluence Cloud for external content indexing

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated December 17, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read

    • Register an OAuth 2.0 integration in the Atlassian Developer console and create an API key in Atlassian Administration to allow the Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector to crawl spaces and security principals in your Atlassian Confluence Cloud source system.

    Before you begin

    You need the following credentials and permissions for your organization's Atlassian management applications:
    Atlassian portal Required credentials and permissions
    Atlassian Developer console (https://developer.atlassian.com/console/myapps/)
    • Login credentials
    • Permission to view settings for registered applications
    • Permission to register a new application
    • Permission to set granular Confluence API scopes for an application
    • Permission to set the OAuth 2.0 callback URL for an application
    Atlassian Administration (https://admin.atlassian.com/)
    • Organization admin login credentials

    Role required: none

    About this task

    The Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector retrieves content from your Atlassian Confluence Cloud source system using the Confluence Cloud API.

    To allow the connector to access your Atlassian Confluence Cloud source system via the Confluence Cloud API, you must configure an OAuth 2.0 integration in the Atlassian Developer console and an API key in Atlassian Administration. Your connector administrator can use settings copied from the OAuth 2.0 integration and the API key to configure the Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector for proper connection to your Atlassian Confluence Cloud source system.

    Procedure

    1. In the Atlassian Developer console, register a new OAuth 2.0 integration for the Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector.
      1. Login to the Atlassian Developer console at https://developer.atlassian.com/console/myapps/.
      2. In the My apps section, select Create > OAuth 2.0 integration.
        Create button and OAuth 2.0 integration menu item on Atlassian Developer console My apps page.
      3. Enter a name for your OAuth 2.0 integration, select the option to agree to Atlassian's developer terms, and select Create.
        OAuth 2.0 (3LO) integration name, Atlassian developer terms option, and Create button on Atlassian Developer console.

        As an example, you might enter Confluence Cloud external content connector as the name for your OAuth 2.0 integration.

      4. Navigate to the OAuth 2.0 integration's Permissions page, then select Add in the Confluence API row.
        Add Confluence API button on Atlassian Developer console Permissions page.
      5. In the Confluence API row, select Configure.
        Configure Confluence API button on Atlassian Permissions console.
      6. On the Granular scopes tab, select Edit Scopes and then select the options for each of the following scopes:
        • read:attachment:confluence
        • read:blogpost:confluence
        • read:content-details:confluence
        • read:content.metadata:confluence
        • read:folder:confluence
        • read:group:confluence
        • read:page:confluence
        • read:space:confluence
        • read:user:confluence
        Edit Scopes button on Atlassian Developer console Permissions page.
      7. Select Save.
        Save button in Atlassian Developer console Edit Confluence API dialog box.
      8. Navigate to the OAuth 2.0 integration's Authorization page, then select Add in the row for the OAuth 2.0 (3LO) authorization type.
        Add OAuth 2.0 (3LO) authorization button on Atlassian Developer console Authorization page.
      9. Enter https://<instance-name>.service-now.com/oauth_redirect.do as the callback URL, replacing <instance-name> with your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance name, then select Save changes.
        Callback URL field and Save changes button on Atlassian Developer console Authorization page.
      10. Navigate to the OAuth 2.0 integration's Settings page and record the Client ID and Secret values in a secure location.
        Client ID and Secret fields on Atlassian Developer console Settings page.
        Important:
        Your connector administrator needs these Client ID and Secret values when configuring the Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector.
    2. In Atlassian Administration, create a new admin API key.
      1. Login to Atlassian Administration at https://admin.atlassian.com/.
      2. Select Settings in the tab list.
        Atlassian Administration console Settings tab.
      3. Select API keys, then select Create API key.
        Create API key button on API keys page of Atlassian Administration console Settings section.
      4. On the Before you begin page, select API key without scopes, then select Next.
        API key scopes options in Atlassian Administration console dialog box.
      5. Enter a name and an expiration date for your new API key.
        API key name field, expiration-date field, and Create button in Atlassian Administration console dialog box.

        As an example, you might enter Confluence Cloud external content connector as the name for your API key and set its expiration date to be one year in the future.

      6. Select Create.
      7. Record the value of the API key in a secure location.
        API key in Atlassian Administration console dialog box.
        Important:
        Your connector administrator needs the API key's value when configuring the Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector.
      8. Select Done.

    What to do next

    Provide the following items to your connector administrator:
    • The OAuth 2.0 integration's Client ID and Secret values that you recorded in step 1.j.
    • The API key's value that you recorded in step 2.g.

    Your connector administrator needs these items to configure an Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector to retrieve searchable content and security principals from your Atlassian Confluence Cloud instance.

    For details on creating and configuring an Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector, see Create an Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector.
    Note:
    By default, the Atlassian Confluence Cloud external content connector only retrieves content access permissions for Confluence Cloud users who are managed by your organization. Other Confluence Cloud users can allow the connector to retrieve their content access permissions by setting their own email visibility to Anyone as explained in the https://support.atlassian.com/confluence-cloud/docs/configure-user-email-visibility/ Atlassian support resource.