Horizontal Navigation Migration Guide
Learn how to seamlessly migrate the Horizontal Navigation macro from Confluence Data Center to Cloud with our step-by-step guide. Ensure a smooth transition with clear instructions and best practices.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of migrating the Mosaic Horizontal Navigation Macro from Confluence Data Center (DC) to Confluence Cloud, and how to use the modern Tabs macro as its replacement.
Pre-Migration - Prepare for Migration
1. Audit of Macro Usage
Before beginning your migration, identify all pages using Mosaic macros, particularly any using nested macros. Our Mosaic Usage Report tool can help you do this by listing all pages containing Mosaic macros and showing their migration readiness status.
To use the Mosaic macro reporting tool:
- Click the Cog icon in the top-right corner to open Confluence Administration.
- Navigate to General Configuration.
- Under Mosaic Macros, click Mosaic Usage Tool.
2. Review Nesting
Confluence Cloud imposes stricter nesting (where one macro sits inside another) limits than Confluence DC. Make a note of any pages containing nested Mosaic Horizontal Navigation macros, as these may need adjustments post-migration.
Pages with extensive nesting, especially when combining third-party and Mosaic macros, may not migrate correctly. If this applies to your content, contact us for tailored support.
3. Assess CSS Style Sheets
If your Horizontal Navigation macros rely on the CSS Style Sheet Macro, be aware that this styling will not fully transfer to the Cloud Editor. Horizontal Navigation styling is now set directly within the macro.
- Review pages for any custom CSS.
- Document where these are used, as manual changes may be required.
Migration - Migrating Pages with Horizontal Navigation Macros
1. Run the Atlassian Confluence Cloud Migration Tool
Refer to Atlassian’s documentation for guidance on using the migration tool.
When using the Site Import method:
- Pages are imported into the new Cloud site using the Legacy Editor.
From January 2026
- Pages are imported into the new Cloud site using the Cloud Editor.
- Horizontal Navigation macros appear inside a Legacy Content macro, preserving most of their functionality.
2. Review Migrated Pages
Once the migration is complete, open the migrated pages that contain any Horizontal Navigation macros. Your Horizontal Navigation macros work as expected in the Legacy Editor in Cloud.
NOTE: Any styling applied using the CSS Style Sheet Macro may not be reflected, as this macro is unavailable in Cloud.
Need help migrating you Horizontal Navigation macros?
If you encounter issues with nested macros, unknown macros, or CSS styling, contact Mosaic support for assistance.
Post-Migration - Upgrade to the Cloud Tabs Macro
After migration, Horizontal Navigation macros will remain functional within the Legacy Editor (until January 2026) or a Legacy macro. However, the Horizontal Navigation macro is unavailable in Mosaic Cloud, so we recommend users upgrade these to Cloud Tabs macros. Luckily, horizontal tabs in the Cloud Tabs Macro provide users with the same experience as the DC Horizontal Navigation macro.
1. Convert to the Cloud Editor
Before transforming your legacy Horizontal Navigation macros into Tab macros, you must convert the page from the Legacy Editor to the Cloud Editor.
- Open the page you wish to convert and click Edit.
If your page is using the Legacy editor, a notification bar will appear at the bottom of the edit screen. The first time you view a page in the Legacy Editor, you can switch to the Cloud Editor by clicking Update Page in the notification. - When prompted, click Preview page → Convert Page.
Alternatively, you can choose to preview the page before converting. - The page is converted to the Cloud Editor. All Mosaic Horizontal Navigation macros are now wrapped in the Legacy Content macro.
2. Rebuild Horizontal Navigation macros using Cloud Tab Macros
Rebuild your tab structures using the Cloud version of Mosaic Tabs to take advantage of the modern Cloud Editor and CSS-free styling.
- Refer to our Tabs documentation for step-by-step instructions on rebuilding your macros.
- Enjoy features like simplified editing and consistent styling.
3. Replace Legacy CSS Styling
Page-level CSS will not migrate to Confluence Cloud. Instead:
- Use the easy styling options available in the Mosaic Cloud Tabs macro.
- Customise colours and backgrounds directly from the macro edit screen. No CSS required.
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