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Installation & licensing

Please refer to Atlassian's installation instructions: 

Installation via the Universal Plugin Manager


Step-by-step instructions

  1. Log in to your Confluence instance as an administrator.

  2. Open the Confluence general administration.
    1. Click on the Find new apps link in the sidebar.
  3. Enter "Space Privacy" in the search field (marked by the text "Search the Marketplace"), then press Enter.
  4. Click on "Free trial" to test the app for 30 days, or click on "Buy now" if you want to purchase a license for Space Privacy.
  5. You'll be prompted to register for or log into MyAtlassian.
  6. Space Privacy will be automatically downloaded and installed after you log-in.

Known Issue: Slow upgrade / app activation

Although we have improved the performance, when updating to version 2.2 or activating the app, it may take some time to synchronize with the internal Confluence groups if you have many extranet spaces, users or groups.

(warning) You can make this faster for future updates if you uncheck the Synchronize users and group memberships on plugin updates or reactivation option.


Re-index users

You must re-index users so that searching for email addresses works correctly. This is done during app installation if you haven't disabled the Activation Tasks, otherwise you can re-build the whole search index manually.

Important information regarding the use of Space Privacy


  • Space Privacy requires certain user directory permissions. → See User Directory Configuration

  • Groups that are created with the Space Privacy - Extranet for Confluence app should not be deleted.

  • Users have to exist in the system, before you can assign them to an extranet space.

  • Not all macros are supported by Space Privacy → See "How Space Privacy works"

  • Some functions are disabled by Space Privacy → See "How Space Privacy works"

  • Space Privacy does not change the way how Confluence deals with user licenses. Every user account needs a license.

Create an extranet

Create a new extranet space

An extranet is a space which is protected by the Space Privacy - Extranet for Confluence app.

Within an extranet space, Confluence users and external users can work together.


To create a new extranet space, click on the Settings button in the dashboard header.

Then, click on the Create Space button.

Alternatively, navigate to the space directory and then click on the Create Space button in the upper right corner.


In the now open dialogue, select Extranet Space.

Enter the space name, space key (the abbreviation used in the URL → your-confluence.com/display/XYZ/page-name) and assign extranet space & user managers.


Extranet manager roles explained

Extranet space managers

These users can administer the new extranet space. Creators of an extranet space automatically become extranet space managers.

Extranet space managers have all permissions of a regular space administrator, but can additionally assign users and groups and change their permission roles.

Confluence administrators have these rights by default and do not need this extra role assignment.


Extranet user managers

Extranet user managers are allowed to add users and set defined permission roles.

Extranet user managers can see all other users within a system. They have no access to regular space administration.


Please note that both Extranet User Managers and Extranet Space Managers can see all users in the system.





Change user roles

What are user roles?

When you assign a user or group to an extranet space, you must specify user roles. The permissions set by the administrator are linked to this role. You can create up to five user roles with different sets of permissions.

The boxes/checks represent the permissions. If boxes are checked, the user receives those permissions (as long as they received the role).


Define user roles

Navigate to Confluence administration → Space Privacy → Roles & Permissions → User Roles.

Click on the Edit button at the bottom of the page.

Enter the name of a role and activate the Enabled checkbox if you wish to activate the role.

Activate the checkboxes according to the permissions you want to give said user role.

Finally, click on the Save button.


When you change the permissions of a role, the permissions of all users already assigned to that role will be updated accordingly.




Add users to your extranet or Create new extranet users

Add users and groups to an extranet space

To add users and groups to your extranet space, navigate to the Extranet Users tab within the Space Tools.

When adding users, any existing Confluence group that the user is in will not be deleted. The app also searches for LDAP users, even if they are not part of a Confluence group yet.


Under the Users tab, you can assign users to your extranet space.

Enter the username and select a permission role for the user.

Optional: If you want to inform a newly added user that they have access to your extranet space now, activate the Send welcome email to the new user and inform about the access to this space checkbox.

Then, click on the Add button. The user is now part of your extranet space.


When adding users, any existing Confluence group that the user is in will not be deleted. The app also searches for LDAP users, even if they are not part of a Confluence group yet.

You can set the language of the email your newly assigned user will receive. This option appears after you activate the Send welcome email to the new user and inform about the access to this space checkbox.

To preview what the message will look like, click on the "welcome email" link.


Adding groups work in the same way. Navigate to Space Tools → Extranet Users → Groups to add groups to your extranet space.

Extranet User Managers are not able to assign groups to an extranet space, because space administration rights are required.







Create user (optional)

If you have configured the Space Privacy - Extranet for Confluence app appropriately, you can create new users. To do so, you need the privileges of an Extranet Space Manager or an Extranet User Manager within your current extranet space.


Navigate to Space Tools → Extranet Users → Create User.

Enter the username for the new user. Then, select a predefined permission role.

Enter the Full Name of the user and their email address.

Optional: To send a welcome message, activate the Send welcome email to the new user and inform about the access to this space checkbox.


Creating an extranet user by hand will automatically add the user to the "extranet-users" group.


Set up the password

Enter the password yourself

Make sure that the Send an email to the user you have just created, which will allow them to set up their password checkbox is inactive. 

A new fields will appear, where you can enter the password for the user account yourself.


Let the user choose their password

Activate the Send an email to the user you have just created, which will allow them to set up their password checkbox.

The user will receive an email with the option to setup their own password.

Users can set their own password...


...or you can enter a password for them.



Assign new managers & administrators

Manage extranet administrators

To assign a new Extranet Space Manager or Extranet User Manager for the current extranet space, you can select users or groups in the Admin Roles tab. Here you can also delete existing extranet managers.

Navigate to Space Tools → Extranet Users → Admin Roles.

To add a new Extranet Space Manager, enter the username within the text area next to "Extranet Space Manager" field. Click on the Add button.

To add a new Extranet User Manager, enter the username within the text area next to "Extranet User Manager" field. Click on the Add button.

To delete an existing extranet manager, click on the delete button  next to the user.


Extranet Space Managers and Extranet User Managers are able to see all users in the system.


Only global administrators and Extranet Space Managers can assign extranet administrator roles to users. 




Check out the documentation on visibility


We strongly advise to check out the documentation on visibility.

This is an important topic and might take some time to understand properly.

At the bottom of the page we provide a recommendation on how to configure extranet instances.



How Space Privacy works

Extranet users are limited to their assigned extranet space and can not see users or share content outside of that space. Extranet users can only interact with other extranet users (i.e. search, mention) if they are assigned to the same extranet space. Read the visibility guide for detailed information about "who can see who".

The extranet user's information will be blocked or filtered for other extranet users, unless they share a space and other requirements are met.

The requirements: The user A can view the user B if the user A...

  • ...is assigned to at least one extranet space AND
  • is not a user or space manager in at least one extranet space AND
  • is not a Confluence administrator AND
  • shares the extranet space with the user they are trying to view or contact (see how to configure visibility).

The following extranet functions are controlled by Space Privacy for Confluence:

  • Full search & quick search
  • Mentions
  • User directory
  • Accessing a user profile via the browser
  • Sharing function

The following functions and apps are disabled by Space Privacy for Confluence:

  • Confluence Onboarding Plugin (Welcome Action)
  • Label summary


Supported apps:

  • Custom User Profiles
    • Individual User List
    • Individual User Search
  • Team Calendars (currently removed from search results)
  • Refined Theme


List of all currently supported macros:

  • Activity Stream
  • Blog Post
  • Content by label
  • Content by user
  • Contributors
  • Contributors Summary
  • Global Reports
  • Live Search
  • Network
  • Recently Updated Dashboard (limited) *
  • Recently Updated
  • Task Report
  • User Profile
  • User list
  • Labels List
  • Popular Labels
  • Profile picture
  • Recently Used Labels
  • Related Labels
  • Search Results

* We recommend not to use the macro as it might show changes in personal spaces of hidden users, any other changes are filtered

If you want the Space Privacy app to support other third-party apps, we'd love to work with you on a sponsored development project. Alternatively you could create Custom Filters to meet your requirements. Feel free to contact us!

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