Overview
You can integrate Atlassian products either by using:
Cloud connectors
Starting with Jira 11.3 and Confluence 10.2, we’re introducing cloud connectors — a new approach to link Data Center and cloud via Admin Hub. In this approach, application links remain the method of connection and are now enhanced with OAuth 2.0.
If you’re using earlier versions, check other connection options via application links or in-product integrations.
For cloud connectors, all authentication and authorization flows use OAuth 2.0 for improved security. OAuth 2.0 introduces granular admin controls and consent management. This industry-standard protocol is designed to provide secure, delegated access between applications without exposing user credentials.
Other methods of connection such as application tunnels or in-product integrations will continue to work, but we recommend switching to cloud connectors as you upgrade.
The prerequisite to connecting Rovo or Portfolio insights is creating a cloud connector in cloud Admin Hub. If your Data Center instance is behind a firewall, connect application tunnels before establishing the Data Center to cloud connection. Details on configuring cloud connectors
Application links
You can use application tunnels to allow cloud to send data to your private network without opening it for any incoming connections or allowlisting Cloud IP ranges. Once you create a tunnel, you point application links at it, and all the traffic gets forwarded to the target Server or Data Center instance. For more info, see Connect to self-managed products with application tunnels.
Application links are the most common way to integrate Atlassian products. They create a communication window between your products that can be used to exchange functionalities created specifically for application links or coming from Marketplace apps. Products linked through application links communicate with each other directly, which means there are some network requirements needed for cloud to reach your Data Center or Server instances if they live behind a firewall.
In-product integrations
In-product integrations have been created to target and exchange specific features rather than focus on broader integration. Rather than just integrating Jira with Confluence (which application links do), one of the in-product integrations lets you use Confluence spaces as knowledge bases for customer portals in Jira Service Management – a solution for a very specific and narrow need, and nothing more. We’re calling them in-product integrations here for the need of grouping them together, but every product will refer to their integration in a different way, most likely referring to the goal it achieves (Use Confluence Cloud as knowledge base).
Which one should you choose?
Ideally, you’d use both as they complement each other. While application links allow your products to exchange their primary and most known functionalities, in-product integrations either make them better or add extra features. You need to decide whether you can allowlist additional IPs to benefit from both. If not, you can still keep your network relatively closed and use only in-product integrations if they provide the features you’re interested in.
Summary of integrations between cloud and self-managed products
When describing the features available in these integrations, we’ve marked them as coming from application links or in-product integrations, so you can decide which integration you need. For more info, open the integration you’re interested in: