5 smart & scalable compliance automations using ScriptRunner & REST APIs

[Matthew Joslin_AppFox_]

If you’re anything like us at AppFox, with multiple Confluence spaces and pages in the thousands, you’ll constantly be on the look out for neat ways to manage your content more compliantly and effectively.

Today, we have not one, but five, clever tricks we've found to help automate compliance processes and requirements, using a combination of ScriptRunner's advanced automation functions and Compliance for Confluence’s classification, data detection, data loss prevention, and new REST API tooling.

We’ll take you through:

• Bulk operations based on compliance classifications

• Automated linking and cross-referencing

• Proactive compliance notifications and workflows

• Scheduled compliance health checks

• Automated retention policy enforcement

• And more…

Automating compliance and smarter content management

This section outlines practical ways to use compliance data already stored in Confluence to support better content management decisions. By querying the Compliance for Confluence REST API and using ScriptRunner to act on that information, teams can automate routine compliance tasks, apply consistent rules at scale, and reduce the need for ongoing manual reviews.

Note on Data Classification Levels

Before we get stuck in it’s worth noting that you will need to use Compliance to apply labels like Sensitive, PII, Internal-only, etc, to ensure that apps like ScriptRunner can identify pages correctly.

Data Classification is a core element of data protection and DLP best practice.

Applying classification levels to your Confluence pages will help ensure your organization’s content is only shared with the appropriate audiences. It also encourages greater awareness of sensitive data, and the risks of sharing, across all your teams.

1. Bulk Operations Based on Compliance Classifications

Imagine if you could instantly add a compliance disclaimer to all your Confidential pages in Confluence, or delete all comments on pages labelled PII.

If you enable the Compliance for Confluence REST API, alongside ScriptRunner, you can.

Turn classification levels into action

You can leverage ScriptRunner to perform bulk actions (like adding or removing labels, deleting attachments, or purging comments) on pages that match specific Compliance classifications (e.g., Confidential or PII), saving valuable time, and peace of mind.

Use case example
All Confluence pages labeled as Confidential are bulk-updated to include a compliance disclaimer, or attachments on PII pages are bulk-deleted after a retention period.

2. Automated Linking and Cross-Referencing

How valuable would it be if you could have deep and connected visibility of your sensitive content across multiple Confluence spaces?

First up, you’ll need to have applied your data classification levels, so that the ScriptRunner app knows which ones contain sensitive data. Let’s say you apply a PII classification level, using the Compliance for Confluence app.

ScriptRunner can then create links between related pages based on compliance metadata, making it easier to track related sensitive content across spaces.

Use case example
Pages about a specific project with a PII classification applied, are automatically cross-linked by ScriptRunner, ensuring reviewers can audit all related content efficiently.

3. Proactive Compliance Notifications and Workflows

We’re always looking for ways to reduce admin overheads and keep work flowing - ideally through clever automations.

With this compliance hack, you can set up workflows whereby ScriptRunner will notify users or trigger approval processes when certain compliance thresholds are met.

Use case example
If a space exceeds a set number of Sensitive pages (labelled with a Compliance data classification level), ScriptRunner will notify the space admin and suggests a compliance review.

4. Scheduled Compliance Health Checks

Keeping on top of your Confluence content can be a full-time job in itself. How do you keep track of which pages you need to review, and when you’ll need to check them again? This could be a neat and automated answer!

How does it work?

ScriptRunner can run scheduled jobs that query the Compliance REST API to identify pages that have not been reviewed for compliance within a set timeframe. The app can then notify owners or assign review tasks.

Use case example
Every month, ScriptRunner generates a list of pages not reviewed in 12 months and notifies the responsible authors to perform a compliance check.

5. Automated Retention Policy Enforcement

Appropriate data retention is a core principle of legislation like GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act. But wading through reams of Confluence pages and reviewing every creation or version date would require a lot of time and manual effort.

ScriptRunner can help to enforce your data retention policies by automatically deleting or anonymizing content after a set period. The app bases this on compliance classification or metadata from the Compliance API.

Use case example

Pages containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) are automatically anonymized or deleted after 3 years, in line with GDPR requirements.

Which of these solutions feels most relevant to your Confluence setup?

Compliance for Confluence and ScriptRunner are each powerful apps in your compliance toolkit. Now, with them working ‘together’ via a REST API, they can deliver even more power, with smart automations and efficiencies, but we’d love to explore any other ways users are already automating their granular compliance processes.

Confused about how to get started with the REST API integration? Check out our beginner’s guide to the Javascript you’ll need to implement the ScriptRunner integrations here.

Not a Compliance for Confluence user already? Give it a go for free today! Try it on the Atlassian Marketplace, and discover how much time (and compliance-related stress) you could save today, with automated data classification levels, sensitive data detection, and more.

[James Walker]

This is a really helpful post on the website I like how it explains ways to automate compliance and manage content in simple steps. The examples make it easy to follow and understand I think many users will find it useful for improving their Confluence setup

[Matthew Joslin_AppFox_]

Thank you, James! Glad to hear it was useful. We're always looking for ways to make compliance easier and more effective using the powerful tools available in Confluence so very happy to hear these resonated!