Confluence 3.4 has reached end of life
Check out the [latest version] of the documentation
This page tells you how to add a Confluence gadget to another (external) application. The instructions and examples given in this topic focus on adding and using Confluence Gadgets in other web applications.
Atlassian support does not cover gadgets on external sites like iGoogle and Gmail
In principle, you should be able to add Atlassian gadgets to iGoogle, Gmail and other external sites that support OpenSocial gadgets. However, these external integrations are experimental at this stage and we have encountered problems with them. Please do have fun playing around with them, but be aware that Atlassian does not support the use of Atlassian gadgets on iGoogle, Gmail or other external web sites. See the detailed section on gadget limitations.
Gadgets that display information from Atlassian applications, such as Confluence, should be able to run on iGoogle, Gmail and other web applications that provide OpenSocial containers. Below are specific instructions for iGoogle and Gmail. You can experiment by adding a Confluence gadget to other web sites and applications, such as a Ning community like The Content Wrangler.
On this page:
Overview of Adding a Confluence Gadget to Another Web Application
The exact procedure for adding a Confluence gadget depends on the application where you want to add the gadget. The basic steps are the same:
- Find the Confluence gadget's URL, i.e. the URL for the gadget's XML specification file.
- Ensure one of the following two mandatory (typically one-off) procedures have been conducted:
- An OAuth relationship between Confluence (as the 'service provider') and the other web application (as the 'consumer') has been established. Refer to Configuring OAuth for more information about OAuth and instructions on establishing these relationships.
- A Trusted Applications relationship between Confluence and JIRA has been established. Refer to Configuring Trusted Applications in the JIRA documentation for more information about establishing these relationships.
- Follow the procedure provided by the external web application where you want to add the Confluence gadget.
Finding a Confluence Gadget's URL
The Confluence gadget's URL is the gadget's XML specification file. These URLs look something like this:
http://example.com/my-gadget-location/my-gadget.xml
To find a Confluence gadget's URL,
- Open the 'Browse' menu and select 'Confluence Gadgets'. The 'Confluence Gadgets' window will open.
The 'Confluence Gadgets' window displays a list of available Confluence gadgets in your Confluence installation, as shown in the screenshot below.
By default, Confluence only includes a few gadgets. However, if your Confluence administrator has installed more Confluence gadgets (typically as Confluence plugins), these will also appear in this list. If a scrollbar is available, use it to find the gadget you want. - After finding your gadget, use the 'Gadget URL' link to copy the gadget's URL to your clipboard. Many operating systems and browsers allow you to do this by right-clicking the 'Gadget URL' link and copying it using the context menu.
Screenshot: Finding a gadget's URL
Adding an Atlassian Gadget to iGoogle
You can customise your iGoogle home page by adding gadgets and moving them around on the page.
To add an Atlassian gadget to your iGoogle page,
- First find the gadget's URL as described above.
- Go to iGoogle and log in if you have a username and password.
- Click 'Add stuff' near the top right of the iGoogle page.
- The Google gadget directory will appear, showing a list of available gadgets. Click 'Add feed or gadget' in the right-hand panel.
- A text box will open, as shown above. Enter or paste the gadget's URL from your clipboard into the textbox and click 'Add'.
- Go back to your iGoogle home page. The gadget will appear on your iGoogle page.
Adding an Atlassian Gadget to Gmail
You can add gadgets to the left-hand panel of your Gmail page.
To add an Atlassian gadget to your Gmail page,
- First find the gadget's URL as described above.
- Log in to Gmail.
- Click 'Settings' near the top right of the Gmail page.
- The Gmail settings page will appear. Click the 'Labs' tab.
- The Gmail Labs page will appear. This is a laboratory area or testing ground where Google allows you to use experimental features in Gmail. Scroll down to find the feature called 'Add any gadget by URL'.
- Select the 'Enable' radio button next to the 'Add any gadget by URL' feature, as shown here:
- Click 'Save Changes' to enable the new feature.
- A new 'Gadgets' tab will appear on your 'Settings' page. Click the 'Gadgets' tab.
- The 'Gadgets' page will appear, as shown in the screenshot below. Enter or paste your gadget's URL into the 'Add a gadget by its URL' textbox then click the 'Add' button.
- The gadget will appear in the left-hand panel of your Gmail page, as shown in the screenshot below.
Screenshot: Adding a gadget to Gmail
Limitations and Support
Atlassian support does not cover gadgets on external sites like iGoogle and Gmail
In principle, you should be able to add Atlassian gadgets to iGoogle, Gmail and other external sites that support OpenSocial gadgets. However, these external integrations are experimental at this stage and we have encountered problems with them. Please do have fun playing around with them, but be aware that Atlassian does not support the use of Atlassian gadgets on iGoogle, Gmail or other external web sites. See the detailed section on gadget limitations.