How to choose the right Confluence macro for your use case ✍️

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Looking for the best way to structure content on your page, but unsure whether it calls for Tabs, Expands, Cards, or something else? Here's a brief guide to help you choose between some of the most useful macros on Confluence by popular use case.

Highlighting key information 📌

For example, you might want to celebrate some key achievements from a sprint, give shoutouts to particular teams or team members on a company hub, or signpost important resources.

Cards

Perfect for: when you want to highlight several things at once.

Cards are a great way to showcase information in groups with a short bit of text and (optionally) an image or a link. 

If Confluence’s built-in Cards aren’t meeting your needs (perhaps you want more customisation options), then a third-party option, such as Advanced Cards by Mosaic for Confluence, might be a better fit.

Interactive banners

Perfect for: when you want each highlight to have its own moment to shine.

With a third-party macro like Interactive Banners (included with Mosaic), you can show multiple updates in the same space without dividing attention. Go through slides one at a time, either automatically with a timer or by clicking the arrows beneath the banner.

Panels or Backgrounds 

Perfect for: making sections of content stand out with a pop of colour.

Confluence’s built-in Panels are a simple way to highlight content, such as tips, warnings, and anything else you want to draw attention to on your page. With several presets and the option to create your own combination, there’s plenty of choice.

However, if you want a specific colour, an image, or a particular size, you might want to check out a third-party macro, such as Backgrounds, which comes with Mosaic.

Segmenting long pages ✂️

For example, if you store documentation, policies, and other lengthy pages of text on Confluence, you’ll benefit from breaking them up into clear sections, making them more digestible and navigable.

Dividers and Tables of Contents

Perfect for: separating content on a page while keeping it all in one scrolling view.

Especially when used together with clear headings, Confluence’s built-in Table of Contents and Divider macros can make long pages much simpler to navigate and easier to read - no third-party macros required.

Tabs

Perfect for: more complex pages that don’t require everything to be in view at once. 

If you want readers to be able to flick easily between different sections of your page without scrolling, the Tabs macro that comes with Mosaic might be the solution you're looking for. 

Expands

Perfect for: storing information that not every reader will need, such as FAQs, how-tos, and additional context.

Confluence's built-in Expand macro allows you to open and close sections of context by simply clicking the heading.

For a similar solution with more customisation options, you might want to try a third-party macro like Advanced Expands (included with Mosaic).

This section was created using vertically displayed Tabs and Advanced Expands.

Enhancing design and branding 🖌️

For example, your page might be clear and easy to navigate, but just a little plain. Perhaps it doesn’t feel on brand for your company. Adding a bit of colour and interactivity can make all the difference.

A lot of the options we’ve mentioned already, such as cards, interactive banners, and backgrounds, double as great ways to inject branding into your page, but here’s another one that can make a big difference.

Buttons 

Perfect for: replacing plain text hyperlinks with something more eye-catching.

There are many ways to add links to your page, including hyperlinks, embedded links, and clickable cards. Buttons (a third-party macro included with Mosaic) are another way to do that with endless customisation options.

Unlocking complete creative freedom 🗝️

For example, you might've searched high and low for a specific macro or a workaround that will give you what you need on your Confluence page, but what if it doesn't exist? This next macro could be your knight in shining armour.

HTML

Perfect for: building whatever components you need on read-only pages. 

The HTML macro, included with Mosaic, lets you create custom components with code, allowing creative teams to build dynamic landing pages, developers to structure pages however they want (using a code editor they are familiar with), and many other possibilities for almost every use case. The power is yours!

And much more ⭐

Whether you're using third-party macros or just the built-in ones, there's so much you can do with a Confluence page to make it your own. This brief guide barely scratches the surface, but we hope it can provide some useful inspiration for your content creation. 

Seven of the macros mentioned in this article (Advanced Cards, Interactive Banners, Backgrounds, Tabs, Advanced Expands, Buttons, and HTML) are included with Mosaic, alongside many others.

Let us know if you have a favourite macro for a particular use case in the comments below!