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The internal directory stores user and group information in the Confluence database.
Overview
The internal directory is enabled by default at installation. When you create the first administrator during the setup procedure, that administrator's username and other details are stored in the internal directory.
If needed, you can configure one or more additional user directories. This is useful if you want to grant access to users and groups that are stored in a corporate directory or other directory server.
On this page:
The information on this page does not apply to Confluence OnDemand.
Diagram of Possible Configuration

Diagram above: Confluence using its internal directory for user management.
RELATED TOPICS
- Configuring the Internal Directory
- Connecting to an LDAP Directory
- Connecting to an Internal Directory with LDAP Authentication
- Connecting to Crowd or JIRA for User Management
- Connecting to JIRA 4.2 or Earlier for User Management
- Managing Multiple Directories
- Managing Nested Groups
- Synchronising Data from External Directories
- Diagrams of Possible Configurations for User Management
- User Management Limitations and Recommendations
- Requesting Support for External User Management
- Disabling the Built-In User Management
How to Reenable the Internal Directory (Knowledge base article)
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