Migrating to Confluence Cloud? All your questions answered
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Migrating to Confluence Cloud? All your questions answered
Holly Aspinall
5th April, 2024
7 min read
Holly Aspinall
5th April, 2024
7 min read
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End of support FAQ
Cloud Migration FAQ
Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant FAQ
What's next?
If you’re planning to migrate to Confluence Cloud, it can seem like a big - and intimidating - process. Ease your mind with our list of FAQs in one place.
It’s official: Atlassian has pulled the plug on Confluence Server. If you’ve yet to migrate, now’s the time to do it! The process might sound daunting, but don't worry. We’re here to address common concerns and put your mind at ease.
If you’re new to Confluence, read What is Confluence? to learn more.
If you’re new to Confluence, read What is Confluence? to learn more.
End of support FAQ
What does Server end of support mean?
End of support means that Atlassian and Marketplace Partners no longer provide technical support for any critical vulnerabilities, security updates, or bug fixes.
When did Atlassian end Server support?
Confluence Server support officially ended on 23:59 AEST on February 15, 2024.
Can we remain on Confluence Server?
Technically yes, but it’s not recommended. Server is no longer supported by Atlassian or App Partners, leaving the platform open to data breaches and security concerns. By remaining on Confluence Server, you leave your company and user data at risk, and you’re also unable to access technical support.
Why should we migrate to Confluence Cloud?
Migrating from Confluence Server to Cloud ensures you and your organisation will continue to enjoy a secure experience free from data breaches. You’ll also continue to receive round-the-clock technical support from Atlassian.
When is Confluence Data Center more appropriate?
With its scalability and maintenance-free approach, Confluence Cloud is suitable for most companies. However, Confluence Data Center is for you if your products/services need a self-managed environment or must comply with a regulatory standard that isn’t on the Cloud roadmap.
Learn more about Confluence Cloud vs Data Center.
Learn more about Confluence Cloud vs Data Center.
Cloud Migration FAQ
What are the different migration methods?
There are two different options for migration depending on the size and complexity of your Confluence instance:
- Up to 10,000 users: A lift and shift approach is suitable for most companies. Lift and shift migration moves your instance to the cloud with minimal changes, aiming to replicate the existing environment quickly and cost effectively.
- 10,000+ users: Atlassian recommends using a cloud-specialised migration partner - read more on finding a migration partner.
How long does it take to migrate to Confluence Cloud?
The duration of your Confluence Cloud migration depends on the complexity and size of your Confluence instance, but on average:
- Up to 5,000 users: 4 months
- 5,000 - 10,000 users: 6 months
- Over 10,000 users: 6 months+
If you’re migrating more than 1,000 users, Atlassian recommends contacting their migration team two months before your planned migration date to ensure support is in place for you.
Are there any tools to help me migrate to Cloud?
Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant, which comes built-in to Confluence Server and Data Center, is a free tool to help you quickly move your Confluence instance to the cloud.
Can I get a free trial of Confluence Cloud?
Yes! You can try Confluence Cloud free for the duration of your remaining Server or Data Center subscription (up to 12 months). This trial matches your current (self-managed) tier and supports up to 20,000 users.
Will my existing apps be supported in Confluence Cloud?
This really depends on the apps you have - before you migrate, you should assess all of your existing apps and understand whether they have Cloud support, or whether you’ll need to find new apps in their place. The Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant can help you quickly assess your apps to help you develop an app migration strategy.
Content Formatting Macros for Confluence, Forms for Confluence, and Community Forums for Confluence all have apps designed for Confluence Cloud. We even have a Cloud-only app, Guided Pathways for Confluence, to help you create better workflows in Confluence.
Content Formatting Macros for Confluence, Forms for Confluence, and Community Forums for Confluence all have apps designed for Confluence Cloud. We even have a Cloud-only app, Guided Pathways for Confluence, to help you create better workflows in Confluence.
Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant FAQ
What is Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant?
The Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant is a built-in tool designed for migrating to Confluence Cloud. The app helps you evaluate your current on-premise app usage and build a solid app migration strategy. When it's time to move your data, the Migration Assistant lets you smoothly and seamlessly migrate spaces, users, and groups to the Cloud.
What does (and doesn't) Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant migrate?
What will be migrated:
- Spaces (including Confluence personal spaces, blogs, and spaces in trash)
- Custom templates created by users
- Pages (this includes page restrictions, page history, tags, labels, comments, and shared drafts)
- Team Calendars
- Attachments (except when added to a page as a link address)
- Tasks
- Space shortcuts (except shortcuts that lead to pages in other spaces) - Global templates (global page templates and custom system templates only)
- Users and groups
- App data (this depends on whether an app vendor provides an automated migration path for the Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant)
What won’t be migrated:
- Global settings and permissions (you’ll need to configure these manually)
- Application links
- User avatars
- Favourites/Saved for Later
- Passwords (unless you've set up Single Sign-On, also known as SSO)
- Custom Emojis
- Personal drafts (only shared drafts are migrated)
- User Macros
- Attachments that are added as a link address
- Attachments that are stored through the Confluence Mail Archiving plugin (you'll need to manually download and re-upload these attachments)
What happens to existing permissions and access levels?
Global settings/permissions
When you migrate, you’ll receive the standard global settings and permissions. Some of these settings include whether users have a personal Confluence space, who can create spaces, and who can view user profiles. These may need to be reconfigured by a Confluence admin.
When you migrate, you’ll receive the standard global settings and permissions. Some of these settings include whether users have a personal Confluence space, who can create spaces, and who can view user profiles. These may need to be reconfigured by a Confluence admin.
User settings/permissions
When you migrate users, the Migration Assistant will check if your Server groups already exist in the cloud (this is based on the group name, so the new group needs to match the Server name exactly).
If a matching group exists in the cloud, users will be migrated to this group. This process is usually straightforward, but if you’re changing your membership tier during migrations, this can affect permissions. You can learn more with Atlassian’s guide.
When you migrate users, the Migration Assistant will check if your Server groups already exist in the cloud (this is based on the group name, so the new group needs to match the Server name exactly).
If a matching group exists in the cloud, users will be migrated to this group. This process is usually straightforward, but if you’re changing your membership tier during migrations, this can affect permissions. You can learn more with Atlassian’s guide.
What’s next?
We hope these answers have helped you better understand the ins and outs of Confluence Cloud migration - but if you have any other questions, the Atlassian team will be happy to help.
If you're ready to start planning your migration, check out this handy pre-migration checklist that helps you check all the boxes and seamlessly transition to Confluence Cloud.
If you're ready to start planning your migration, check out this handy pre-migration checklist that helps you check all the boxes and seamlessly transition to Confluence Cloud.
We create market-leading apps for Confluence Cloud
Create better pages, improve user navigation, capture feedback, and more with our range of apps designed for Confluence Cloud. Try them all for free today.
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Written by
Holly Aspinall
Content Marketing Manager
Holly is dedicated to writing valuable, accessible guides that help users understand their tools better. She champions products that help modern workers do more with Confluence, monday.com, and beyond.
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