Why tables matter in Confluence (and how apps can help)

[#1]

Hi Community!

If you spend time in Confluence, chances are you work with tables every day. Tables are simple, but they are also one of the most common ways to organize and share information:

• A team tracks tasks and deadlines.

• A manager checks budgets and actual spend.

• A product owner keeps an overview of features and status.

I have seen this again and again in many companies: the table becomes the place where people look for answers.

The challenge

Native tables in Confluence are useful, but they are also limited.

When a table grows big, it is hard to see patterns. You can’t group, filter, or calculate in an easy way. Many teams copy data out to Excel or Google Sheets — and then the table in Confluence stops being “the source of truth”.

How apps can help

This is where Marketplace apps come in. They bring extra power while keeping the table inside Confluence.

For example, with the right app you can:

• Group rows by columns (e.g. see sales by region, or materials by status).

• Add calculations (sum, average, count, etc.).

• Import data from Excel, CSV, or JSON files.

• Use advanced filters to find what really matters.

My experience

As a consultant, I often saw teams make decisions based only on Excel files outside Confluence. But when they discovered they could do the same directly in Confluence with an app, it changed how they worked:

• A retail company grouped sales by shop and category to see which products needed more stock.

• A lab tracked materials by type and location, spotting where items were missing.

• A marketing team filtered campaigns by owner and budget to plan the next quarter.

All of this happened inside Confluence, without losing context.

Tables may look simple, but they are at the heart of many workflows. With the right app, a table in Confluence can go from being “just data” to being a decision tool.

How do you use tables in Confluence today? Do you also feel they could do more for you?

Being honest, I am part of the team behind Simple Table. That is why my recommendation is not neutral — but it is sincere. I truly believe it is a very attractive option, because we focus on solving complex customer use cases in a very simple way. You can see some examples in the Simple Table Demo site.

Enjoy!

— Mia Tamm

[Norman Sitler]

I used to think native tables in Confluence were more than enough — just a quick way to organize content or keep simple lists. But once I started using apps that expand what tables can do, I completely changed my mind.

Being able to group, calculate, or pull data directly from a file makes a huge difference.
It turns a static table into something dynamic — more like a lightweight dashboard where decisions actually happen.

It’s interesting how such a simple feature (tables!) can become so powerful when combined with the right tools.