Secure authentication method to import Markdown-Files as Confluence Pages

Michael Pfannkuchen

Hello together,

we just want to import markdown-formatted files as Confluence pages every night automatically.

Just thought at it as easy going Python programming task, but by now, we're having trouble with script authentication against Confluence Rest API. We tried OAuth2 secrets, scoped API tokens, Service Accounts, scoped user tokens ... and as result we only got 401 or 403 errors.

Currently the only way to run the Python application is using the classic token of an Org-Admin for authentication - not really an acceptable solution, I mean.

Does anyone have a more feasible authentication solution for our use case?

Many thanks for your help: Michael

Arkadiusz Wroblewski

Hello @Michael Pfannkuchen 

for a nightly import, a dedicated service account is definitely the cleaner and safer option than using your own Org Admin token.

From what you described, I wouldn't blame the Python part and more at how that service account is set up. If your personal token works but the service account gets 401/403, the probably reason is that something is still missing around product access, permissions, scopes, or even the endpoint you are calling.

A few questions that would help narrow it down. did the service account already get Confluence product access? does it have permission in that target space to create pages? which endpoint are you calling with that account? and are you using a scoped token or OAuth for it?

Also, since you mentioned Product Admin, can you actually create and manage the service account yourself in Atlassian Administration, or does an Org Admin need to do that part for you?