Differences between Server/Data Center and Cloud

Refined Sites for Confluence Cloud combines key features from Refined for Server/Data Center (DC) with the convenience of the cloud. However, there are also some notable differences between the two products.

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Creating and editing Confluence Content

The Refined apps for Server/DC and Cloud operate differently from each other, which impacts the way you create and edit content.

On Server/DC, Refined is added on top of Confluence: when enabled globally, Refined acts as a skin applied to native Confluence. This means that users view, create and edit Confluence spaces, pages and blogs all through the sites you create.

On Cloud, Refined Sites is a site-building tool parallel to Confluence. The sites that you build show Confluence content, but live outside native Confluence. This means that you create and manage the sites with Refined, and you create and edit spaces/pages/blogs in Confluence. All the updates you make in Confluence instantly show on your Refined sites too. Note that Confluence space and content permissions are always respected on Refined sites as well.

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On Cloud, Refined Sites exists parallel to Confluence.

Feature comparison 

Feature

Server/
DC

Cloud

Comment about the Cloud feature

Feature

Server/
DC

Cloud

Comment about the Cloud feature

Sites

You can add any space to as many Refined sites as you like.

Navigation menu

 

Categories

Categories are called Refined Pages (category with landing page) and menu folders (category without landing page).

Site and
Category homes

You edit these pages with the intuitive what-you-see-is-what-you-get Page Builder. Available modules differ slightly from Server/DC: see a comparison in the migration guide.

Blog site

It’s not possible to migrate blog sites, because this type of site doesn’t exist on Cloud. Create a new site on Cloud instead, add the Confluence Space(s) containing your blog posts to the site, and use the News module to show blog posts.

Announcement Banners

 

Themes

 

Advanced Themes

(self-coded)

You can still add custom CSS to alter your theme (but note that we don’t support issues caused by custom CSS).

Confluence formatting and macros

Sometimes you may want to embed Confluence pages so they look as in native Confluence. For example when they include some of the few formatting or macros that Refined Sites doesn’t (fully) support.

Note that this feature is in beta and limitations apply.

Space Layouts

You have the option to connect a fully customizable landing page to a space.

Space settings let you tailor the look and functionalities of pages within the space.

Third party apps

Some apps or macros provided by third party Marketplace vendors might work on native Confluence, but not on Refined sites. Read more in the preparation guide.

Refined macros

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Refined Sites for Confluence Cloud doesn’t include any Refined macros. Possible solutions for this depend on your specific setup and require the app Refined Toolkit for Confluence Cloud. Read more in the preparation guide.

User Dashboards

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User Categories

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Custom domains on sites

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Give each site a custom URL for quick access and easy recall.

Jira Service Management content on sites

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Combine the power of Confluence and Jira, by installing Refined Sites for Jira Service Management Cloud.

Promoted search results

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Offer users a better search experience than in Confluence: suggest pages based on their search query.