Working with Macros

Using a macro, you can add extra functionality or include dynamic content on a page. For example, the Attachments macro will list a page's attachments in the page itself, so that readers do not have to visit the Attachments tab.

On this page:

Adding a Macro to your Page

Including Macros with the Macro Browser

To add a macro to a page:

In the Confluence editor, choose Insert > Other Macros.
Find and select the required macro.

Speeding up macro entry with autocomplete:

Type { and the beginning of the macro name, to see a list of suggested macros. Details are in Using Autocomplete.

To edit an existing macro: Click the macro placeholder and choose Edit. This will display the parameters of the macro in the Macro Browser.

For a complete description of the macro browser, see Working with the Macro Browser.

Macro Parameters

Many macros allow you to include optional parameters to control the macro's output.

With the Attachments Macro, for instance, you have two optional parameters allowing you to:

Specify the file formats of the attachments displayed.
Choose whether or not you want old versions of the attachments displayed.

Macro Placeholders

Macro placeholders are displayed in the editor where you have added a macro to the page.

When editing a page, you can:

Double-click a macro placeholder to open the Macro Browser (or click on the placeholder and choose Edit), where you can edit the macro's parameters.
Select a macro placeholder to cut, copy and paste the macro.

Macros Shipped with your Confluence Installation

When you download your Confluence installation file, many macros are shipped with the download. Below is a list of the macros currently shipped with Confluence. Click a macro name for details of the usage, including optional parameters and examples.

Information about Other Macros

Other macros are available as plugins or as user macros, and can be installed by your Confluence administrator.

Macros that may be of interest are also available from Adaptavist, CustomWare and theConfluence SharePoint Connector.

Writing your own Macros

To learn how to write your own macro, take a look at the following documentation:

User macros are simple template-like macros that allow you to create simple formatting macros using the Confluence web interface. Read more about Writing User Macros.
The Confluence Plugin Guide tells you how to develop a plugin for Confluence.

Page tree