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Changes to your EAP database experience
Confluence databases are in beta. Reach out to your Product admin to enable this feature. Explore further details about Confluence databases here.
Valuable feedback throughout the early access program (EAP) has helped shape the exciting future of our database feature. We're thrilled to announce that EAP users will automatically migrate to the newest database experience, bringing enhanced performance, powerful new features, and a streamlined user experience.
This article aims to guide you through the key changes you'll encounter in the latest version, focusing on the workflows you're most familiar with from the EAP.
Updated features
Creating databases
Standalone
One of the first things you'll notice in the latest version is the updated process for creating standalone databases. Now, you have two convenient options:
Global Create: Click the "Database" option from the + Create button in the main navigation, accessible from anywhere within your workspace. This allows you to quickly and easily create a standalone database without navigating through specific folders.
Contextual Create: Select the + button next to the Content section in the space sidebar, and select "Database" from the context menu. This option lets you seamlessly integrate your new database into your existing content structure. You can also create a database under an item in the content tree using the + button that appears when hovering over the content’s title in the sidebar.
Both methods lead to the same outcome: a brand-new database automatically populates your content tree, just like any other content. This eliminates the need for additional setup, making database creation as effortless and intuitive as creating a new page.
Inline
The latest version of databases simplifies embedding databases directly into your pages. Gone are the initial setup steps. Now, type /database on any page to create a blank database instantly. It appears seamlessly alongside your content, ready for you to populate and integrate seamlessly with other elements.
A flag conveniently indicates its presence in the content tree for easy access and management. This streamlined process makes embedding databases effortless, offering a convenient way to create dynamic and data-rich documents.
Referencing and editing
Referencing
The latest version of databases streamlines the referencing process, ensuring accurate and efficient data integration. Here are the key changes:
In the EAP version, you searched for specific reference types (for example, /database, /database entry, /database value).
The latest version of databases simplifies this with a single, unified entry point: /embed database. This streamlined approach provides a consistent experience for accessing all database referencing options.
A Smart Link appears once you type /embed database, enabling you to search for databases, entries, or values directly within the link.
Convenient previews let you visualize your selections before committing, ensuring accuracy and context.
Once you've chosen, the Smart Link automatically refreshes to display the selected database content.
For even faster referencing, you can:
Copy the link to any database view from the dropdown menu by clicking the link icon that appears on hover of a view.
Copy the link to a specific entry or value from the database toolbar when it's selected.
Paste these links directly onto a page, and they'll transform into Smart Link embeds, seamlessly displaying the database content.
Editing
The latest version of databases introduces significant enhancements to editing, making managing your data smoother and more intuitive. Here's what's new:
The latest version of databases automatically saves your changes as you make them, ensuring your work is always up-to-date and preventing accidental data loss. This allows for a more fluid and uninterrupted editing experience.
The new databases toolbar unlocks a range of efficient editing actions. It activates when you select single or multiple entries or fields, providing context-specific options.
This toolbar eliminates the need to navigate into entry modals or field settings for common tasks, making it a central hub for managing your data.
Removing entries or fields is now effortless. Convenient delete options are available directly within the databases toolbar, streamlining the process and reducing the effort required to manage your data.
Configuration and collaboration
Configuration
The latest version of databases optimizes configuration, focusing on efficiency and control. Here's how it simplifies the process:
Editing fields no longer requires opening separate dialogs. Instead, all configuration options are conveniently located within the right panel.
The latest version supports dragging and dropping both rows or columns, individually or in groups. This flexibility allows you to restructure your database and organize information most intuitively quickly.
Collaboration
The latest version of databases unifies the permissions experience across Confluence pages, whiteboards, and databases, ensuring a smooth collaboration experience:
The latest brings database permissions in line with pages and whiteboards, making it easier to manage access and control across your workspace.
Access permissions directly from the content type header, just as you would with other content, for a consistent and intuitive experience.
The separate "Admin" role for databases has been removed, aligning permissions with other content types. This simplification promotes consistency and reduces complexity in managing user roles.
Additional highlights
Save your views
The latest version of databases streamlines the process of saving and managing views, making it easier than ever to capture and share specific perspectives on your data. Here's what's new:
Creating a new view now requires just a single action. The latest version automatically saves the current filters and configuration, eliminating the need for modals or additional steps. This allows you to quickly capture different perspectives without interrupting your workflow.
Access a range of options for managing your views directly from the views menu. This includes copying links to share views with others, renaming them for clarity, setting default views for quick access, and deleting views that are no longer needed.
Experiment with different filters and configurations without committing to a saved view. The latest version allows you to copy and paste unsaved views (formerly called ‘custom views’), providing a way to create temporary perspectives for exploration or collaboration.
If you had previously applied filters to the "All entries" view, it will now be saved as a new view. Additionally, a new "All entries" view will be created with no filters applied and can't be edited.
Database locations
The latest version brings databases into the heart of your Confluence content ecosystem, making them more accessible and discoverable than ever before. Here's what's new:
Standalone databases now reside alongside pages and other content types in the content tree. This means you can easily navigate, organize, and manage them using familiar actions like copying, moving, archiving, and deleting.
Databases embedded within pages no longer appear as separate macros. Instead, they seamlessly integrate as Smart Link embeds, providing a more cohesive and visual experience.
Locating databases is now effortless. Simply search for their names using the global search, just as you would for pages or other content.
Removed or changed features
Details of what functionality has been removed entirely or moved to a different location/ entry point:
Set up:
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Settings:
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Go to database:
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Databases tab:
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Save and undo:
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Delete:
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