The information on this page is not simply a list of Confluence functions. These are the functions in which Confluence is superior to other wiki systems. If you are evaluating another wiki system, this list will serve you well. Let us know, if you have questions.
Standard functions
- Quick adding of content
- Excellent search function incl. type-ahead
- Search of all contents incl. attachments at high speed
- High quality and sophisticated WYSIWYG editor (rich text editor)
- Easy, quick and intuitive structuring of contents with tree structures, keywords and links
- Managing the Wiki structure in parent-child relationships between wiki documents can be easily rearranged using drag&drop
- Maximum freedom for editors to create content
- Powerful functions to restrict reading and writing rights: the configuration of rights is easy and transparent for the user. Many wikis such as MediaWiki have no rights management innately
- Revision safety, allowing for a gapless control of all contents, while allowing complete freedom to make changes
- Evolved e-mail and RSS subscription functions, to stay up to date
- Versioning of data attachments
- Compliance & Internet security: HTML source code can be integrated in many wikis. Unfortunately, this poses a safety issue and could become a criterion for exclusion in case of high compliance and safety requirements, such as MediaWiki or TWiki. In Confluence, HTML code can only be integrated with the according rights. A widget plugin allows for easy and quick inclusion of external contents, such as YouTube films and slideshare presentations
- The concept of Spaces in Confluence is clear and powerful. It is a great way in supporting the wiki in project management
- Employee blogs can be run easily
- The RSS feed implementation is well solved
- Options for graphic evaluation with charts and diagrams
Great functions that make a difference
- Intuitive use and great usability of the complete application
- Very performant system with short loading times (especially in the local network)
- A dashboard, that informs me about activities of my colleagues and invites me to give feedback (a very important functionality in the web 2.0)
- Seamless integration of Microsoft Office and Open Office Documents (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
- One of the first web based systems that allows drag and drop in Windows and Mac
- Very good and mature integration of the task management system JIRA
- Transparent workflow integration and release processes for everyone involved and intuitive and visual workflow definition. The workflow plugin allows for release and publishing processes. It is a great opportunity to manage content in the new extranet and to publish those in addition to programmed routines. Also quality management processes can be published according to ISO standards.
- Automatic import of e-mails to document knowledge and information. Very useful in projects
- Well advanced import of documents, with which office documents can be "wikified". Also an excellent importer for existing wiki solutions, which allow an easy transfer from other wiki engines to Confluence
- Integration of multimedia elements such as videos, presentations and RSS feeds
- Direct inline display of standard data formats, such as pdf, including editing functions (doc, els, ppt, …)
- Use of Confluence as a network drive via WebDAV: professional WebDAV connection, including the wiki directly into the data system
- The Plugin draw.io transports visio applications into the company wiki: process modeling, planning, drafts, diagrams. Especially interesting for handbooks
- Convenient and practical makro browser, which allows even the occasional wiki user to understand and use the functionalities of the wiki
- For programmer: great expandability through complex plugin API
- For administrators and non-technicians: easy installation and configuration of hundreds of plugins directly on the web surface of the admin space, without system administrator or programmer
- The Confluence community is large and has big companies, that attract further programmers
- Changes to layout are possible through upload as plugin
- Easy connection to data bases via the sophisticated SQL plugin in Confluence. Especially useful for reporting
- Direct in-line display of external documents in the wiki pages expedite the content acquisition of data attachments and allow for content display in a uniform web surface
- Improved, easier implementation of small task list plugins
- The system is one of the few Microsoft certified wikis in the market. It offers interfaces with Sharepoint (MOSS) and MS Office and seamlessly integrates into shared drives via WebDaV. This is often an important feature for IT specialists
Confluence is by far the most popular and most successful commercial system in the market.