Rice Wiki (Confluence) is Moving to the Cloud
The Transition (The "What" and "When")
Q: Why are we moving to Confluence Cloud?
A: As part of our commitment to modernizing our digital workspace, we are migrating to Atlassian Cloud to provide a faster, more secure, and more intuitive collaboration environment. This move reduces technical overhead and gives you immediate access to the latest features without waiting for manual updates.
Active Sites Only: To ensure a clean, fast environment, we are migrating only active sites (Modified 2023 or later). Archival or inactive content will not be moved to the cloud instance unless requested by the site owner.
Q: When is the migration happening?
A: The migration starts Friday 3/13/26, 7 PM CST and ends Monday 3/16/26, 8 AM CST.
Q: Do I need to do anything to prepare?
A: No heavy lifting is required! Just make note of the migration date once it is communicated, and begin using the new URL on that morning.
Q: How do I access the new site?
A: The new site is available at https://riceuniversity.atlassian.net. NOTE: please use NetID@rice.edu to log in. Alias email addresses will not work.
Content & Access (The "How")
Q: Will I lose any of my pages or data?
A: Absolutely not. Every space, page, and space key is being migrated. To ensure a safety net, the old system will remain available in read-only mode for a short period following the migration so you can verify your content.
Q: How do I log in to the new platform?
A: We’ve streamlined access via Single Sign-On (SSO). Simply use your standard Rice login credentials to enter the site once the migration is live.
Q: Will my page links change?
A: While the base URL is changing to the Cloud format, your existing space keys and page structures will remain identical. You should update any personal bookmarks or hard coded links in other documents to reflect the new Cloud URL.
Features & Support (The "Now what?")
Q: What is different about the new interface?
A: You’ll notice a "Modern UI"—it’s a cleaner, more responsive layout. Key improvements include:
-
Faster Performance: Pages load quicker, and the editing experience is smoother.
-
Smart Search: An upgraded search engine that helps you find related work and pages with much higher accuracy.
-
Improved Navigation: A more intuitive sidebar and header to help you move between spaces efficiently.
Differences using Confluence On-Premise and Confluence Cloud (Summary of differences)
Q: What is different about the new interface?
A: See below
Summary outline of the differences your team can expect as a Confluence on-premise end-user when moving to Confluence Cloud. Some of the capabilities listed below apply to more than one App.
This table shows an overview of key differences between the cloud editor and the legacy editor. See below for more details. The cloud editor will elevate your content creation experience by offering enhanced collaboration, faster loading, and features such as Atlassian Intelligence and Smart Links.
Element |
|
Legacy editor |
|---|---|---|
Creation: Rich, interactive content |
||
|
Drag-n-drop layouts |
Yes |
No |
|
WYSIWYG experience |
Yes |
No |
|
Smart links |
Yes |
No |
|
Native charts |
Yes |
Manual creation |
|
Nested tables |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Nested bodied macros |
Support for previously created content |
Yes |
Collaboration: real-time collaboration |
||
|
Live docs |
Yes |
No |
|
Inline commenting |
Yes |
No |
Workflows: Supercharged workflows |
||
|
Automation |
Yes |
No |
|
AI Agents |
Yes |
No |
|
AI-powered search |
Yes |
No |
|
Contextual formatting |
Yes |
No |
We’ve organized this list by how different the experience is:
You may want to factor in these differences when planning your team's change management and onboarding activities. Interested in the differences you can expect as an administrator? Differences in administering Confluence Data Center and Cloud
1. Works differently in Cloud
Editor (cloud editor)
Works differently in Cloud.
What’s different
The editor in Confluence Cloud is significantly more modern and user-friendly than the editor in Confluence Data Center, known as the legacy editor. New pages are created using the cloud editor. Tables, images, macros, and page layouts all work a little differently, but are easier to use once you become familiar with the change. We’ve included more information about the most significant differences below.
How it works in the Cloud
Create, update, and manage written content
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Editor (legacy editor)
Works differently in Cloud.
What’s different
When you migrate, your existing pages will use the legacy editor, which is very similar to the editor in Confluence Server and Data Center. Users will have the option to convert existing pages to the new editor on a page-by-page basis, to avoid losing any formatting or macro data that isn't available in the new editor. Admins can also set up auto-conversion to streamline conversions on a space- or site-level.
When a page is converted, all compatible content is automatically converted to use the cloud editor elements. Incompatible content such as nested macros, will be added to the page inside the legacy content macro. This macro allows you to work with legacy content – with some limitations – on cloud editor pages.
By default, new pages are created in the cloud editor.
How it works in the Cloud
Convert pages to the cloud editor
Suggestion CONFCLOUD-70955: Bulk convert pages to the new editor
Convert legacy pages in all spaces
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Macros
Works differently in the cloud editor.
What’s different
The way macros work in the Confluence Cloud editor is significantly more user-friendly than in Confluence Data Center. Many render visually in the editor, rather than as a placeholder. Some macros have been combined, while others are not available. Another significant difference is that macros can’t be nested (for example, you can’t put a code macro inside a panel macro).
Many Confluence on-premise macros are still available in the legacy editor template and in migrated content that has not been converted to the new editor.
How it works in the Cloud
Macros that are unavailable or have limited availability in the Cloud editor
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Nested macros
Works differently in the cloud editor.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, there were not many restrictions on how macros could be used together. In the new editor, a macro with a body can’t be nested inside another macro. For example, you can’t put a code macro inside a panel macro. When an eligible page is converted to the cloud editor, your nested and incompatible macros will be inserted into the legacy content macro. Additionally, many third-party cloud apps have been updated to support nested body macros.
How it works in the Cloud
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Tables
Works differently in the cloud editor.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, table options were provided in the editor toolbar. In Confluence Cloud, the way you interact with a table is a little different. The options are integrated into the table itself, which makes it more intuitive to add, remove, copy, and paste columns and rows, change the column width, cell color, and other characteristics of your table. The most significant changes your team might notice include that you can only choose from three preset table widths (no custom width), and you can’t nest one table inside another.
How it works in the Cloud
Format your content with the toolbar
Suggestion CONFCLOUD-67748: Custom table width
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Templates
Works differently in the cloud editor.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, you select a template from the Create dialog when creating a page. In Confluence Cloud, you choose a template from within the page, and will get a preview of how it will look. There are over 100 templates to choose from, and you can download more from our website. Your existing templates will also be available.
How it works in the Cloud
Format a page, live doc, or blog post with a template
See what templates are available
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
View unpublished pages
Works differently in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, unpublished pages (often known as drafts) were accessed from the Drafts list in your profile or Recently worked on in the dashboard. In Confluence Cloud, people can access pages they have contributed to from the page tree in the sidebar and the Recent drop-down menu in the header. Unpublished pages are much easier to access in Confluence Cloud.
How it works in the Cloud
Create, update, and manage written content
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Delete content and child items
Works differently in the cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, users can delete the current page or the current page and any child pages.
In Confluence Cloud:
- For Standard plans, the users can delete the current content item (including pages, live docs, folders, whiteboards, and databases), or the current item and any child items.
- For Enterprise and Premium plans, users can delete pages in bulk by selecting the Purge All option under Space settings > Manage content > Trash.
How it works in the Cloud
Delete, restore, or purge a content item
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
2. Not available in Cloud
Adding attachments from other pages
Not available in the Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Data Center, users could upload attachments from existing pages. In the cloud editor, you can only upload attachments from your computer, not from another page or space.
How it works in the Cloud
Suggestion CONFCLOUD-65344: Add attachments from other pages
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Copy pages without attachments
Not available in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, you could exclude attachments when copying pages. This option is not available in Confluence Cloud.
How it works in Cloud
Suggestion CONFCLOUD-19389: Copy pages without attachments
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Edit files using Companion
Not available in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Data Center, users could edit an attached file in any compatible application using the Companion app. The Companion app was removed from Confluence Cloud in March 2022. To edit an attached file, you need to download the file, edit it in a compatible application, then manually re-upload it to the page.
How it works in Cloud
Companion App removal announcement
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Right-to-left language support for editing and searching
Not available in Cloud.
What’s different
Right-to-left languages are supported in Confluence Data Center. This is not available in Confluence Cloud, although there are some Marketplace apps that provide this functionality.
How it works in Cloud
Suggestion CONFCLOUD-1373: Support right-to-left languages
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
3. Only available in the cloud
We’ve included some significant features that are only available in the cloud, as you may want to prepare your team for these as well.
Archive pages
Available in Cloud, on selected plans.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, you can archive a space to exclude pages in that space from search. In Confluence Cloud, you can archive a space or choose to archive individual pages. Archived pages don’t appear in the page tree, but are still easy to access under Archived in the sidebar. You can bulk archive pages with a Premium or Enterprise plan.
How it works in Cloud
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Cloud automation
Available in Cloud, on selected plans.
What’s different
Automation for Confluence lets you create automation rules to automate many manual, repetitive tasks. The simple rule builder allows users to configure powerful automation rules to handle even the most complex scenarios. Requires a Premium or Enterprise plan.
How it works in Cloud
Who it affects
Administrators, Users
Confluence, Jira Software, Jira Service Management
Convert tables to charts
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
Present table data dynamically as pie charts, bar charts, and line charts in your Confluence page. Make charts from your tables to do things like track work, create financial reports, and visualize survey data.
How it works in Cloud
Turn tables into compelling charts
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Inline comments in the editor
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, you could only add inline comments while viewing a page. In Confluence Cloud, you can also add inline comments when editing a page. This allows for more collaboration before the page is published, and makes actioning the comments even easier.
How it works in Cloud
Comment on pages, live docs, whiteboards, and blog posts
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Live macro preview
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
The way macros work in the new editor is significantly more user-friendly. While configuring macros, many render visually in the editor, rather than as a placeholder.
How it works in Cloud
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Actions from the sidebar
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Server, actions like creating, editing, and moving pages can only be done from the top navigation or directly in the page. In Confluence Cloud, you can also perform these actions from the page tree in the sidebar.
How it works in Cloud
Create, update, and manage written content
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Page headers, emojis, and page status
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Cloud, you can customize a page in a number of ways, including adding an emoji to the page title (which appears in the page tree), adding an image to the header, and a customizable status to represent the current state of the page.
How it works in Cloud
Make your content and its title more memorable
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Schedule publish
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
In Confluence Cloud, you can schedule the date and time for a page to be published. This is useful for things like company announcements or pages that aren’t applicable until a particular date.
How it works in Cloud
Create, update, and manage written content
Who it affects
Users
Confluence
Smart links
Available in Cloud.
What’s different
When you paste a link into the cloud editor, it becomes a Smart link, and you can choose how it and its content appear on your page. This gives you more control over how links appear.
How it works in Cloud
Who it affects
Users
Confluence