How can we use Confluence as a help portal for our customers?

[Lysa Dumoulin]

I need some high level information about using Confluence to host our product's "help" documentation or knowledge base. 

Scenario:

If I'm logged into a cloud software, or have a website with "help" options how can Confluence be used to host that? The user seeking answers is not part of our company and does not have access to our Confluence system.

Can we provide links to a Confluence pages or article we have authored to outside parties?

Thank you in advance.

[Matt Reiner _K15t_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @Lysa Dumoulin

You could also try out my teams' app, Scroll Viewport. With it, you can publish the content of one or more spaces to a customizable help center site.

We're using it for our help site for the app: https://k15t.scrollhelp.site/scroll-viewport/

[JimmyVanAU · Accepted solution]

Hi Lysa,

You can certainly do that, you just need to have the permissions on your site appropriately set up. Ensure your site allows anonymous access, ensure the space you want to link is public, and ensure all other spaces are private (available only to logged in users).

Many Atlassian partners do this with their documentation - I can post some examples if you'd like.

Cheers,

Jimmy

[Lysa Dumoulin]

Thanks Jimmy. I'd be delighted to see examples.

LD

[JimmyVanAU · Accepted solution]

Hi Lysa,

No worries. Just wanted to check with you before I spam.

Confluence is popular with many app vendors (I've chosen a bunch of top vendors, no particular preference):

• Xray by Xpand IT use Confluence Server with the open permissions, as do
• Structure by ALM Works. Confluence Server is by far the most popular option based on my previous experience.
• Tempo by Tempo use Confluence Cloud with open permissions. For you, that's the fastest way to get started with Confluence Cloud as help documentation.
• Jira Misc Workflow Extensions by Innovalog are another example of Confluence Cloud.
• Refined for Confluence by Refined use their own product (marketplace listing). It's a little more expensive, but allows you to design Confluence like a website, and you have much more control over CSS/js if you're comfortable with that. Make sure you read the documentation on Confluence Cloud - slightly different product for server.
• Comala by Comalatech also use Refined.
• SVN Gateway by Matrix Requirements use Instant Websites for Confluence. For you, this works with Confluence Cloud - it generates a static website for the world to access, and gives you some more control over CSS, though I understand it's quite finicky.
• Easy Agile User Storys by Easy Agile use Instant Websites too, but it's a little prettier than SVN above. If you end up going with this option, tell them Jimmy sent you :)
• @Matt Reiner _K15t_ below mentions Scroll Viewport below. As he mentions, k15t dogfood/use the product themselves. The benefit of Viewport is publishing and some more style control. (Edit: Versioning comes with Scroll Versions, server only.) I'm sure Matt would be happy to answer any questions you have.
• Atlassian also use Confluence (Server) + k15t's Scroll Viewport. Note that Scroll does work with Cloud, just that Atlassian currently host all their documentation on Server. Head to https://confluence.atlassian.com/alldoc/atlassian-documentation-32243719.html and notice at the bottom (just above the footer) - Powered by Confluence and Scroll Viewport.

That was fun researching. Hope that helps. Let us know how you go! :)

[Matt Reiner _K15t_]

Great summary @JimmyVanAU

I wanted to add one correction. Our app Scroll Viewport does work with Cloud, we just released it last week. 🎊

While it doesn't provide versioning, like our Server app Scroll Versions, it does provide theming and publishing.

[JimmyVanAU]

Ah thanks for that. Been a while since I've played with Scroll. I'll update the answer

[Lysa Dumoulin · Accepted solution]

@JimmyVanAU  Thank you very much for the examples you provided. I look forward to exploring. All the best.

[JimmyVanAU]

No worries at all. Please do let us know how you go