Anonymous space sharing

Question

I am trying to set up a space where external non Jira users can access the content. I'm coming up against a few issues.

If I set the space up as anonymous view only, it still allows the user to see space settings. Also, some of the content has excerpt inserts from other spaces but it blocks the user from seeing this information, even tho I put that space and page anonymous view only.

I've tried using external share and the macros are erroring, so that's not an option.

Has anyone a better solution?

Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Answer

Hello @Lisa Manwaring

The reason you're likely seeing those errors is that you're currently mixing three different sharing models, and Public Links in particular are likely breaking your macros. Atlassian intentionally strips macros and the content tree from Public Links to keep them lightweight and secure, so any page relying on excerpts or dynamic content will often just look broken to the recipient.

While setting the space to anonymous works for visibility, it essentially makes your documentation public to the entire internet, which is usually a bit too "all or nothing" for most teams. The most reliable way to handle this is to use the JSM Knowledge Base integration. By linking your space to a Service Project and setting the viewing permission to "All logged-in users," you allow your portal customers to view the documentation securely. This setup ensures macros behave as expected because the users are authenticated through the portal, and it keeps your content organized within the Help Center rather than floating around on standalone public links.

If you move away from anonymous sharing and public links and instead lean on those portal-only user permissions, you'll find the experience is much more stable and professional for your external users.

Victor - New Verve Consulting · Answer

Hi Lisa!

Have you considered using Jira Service Management (JSM) with a Confluence knowledge base instead of exposing the whole space anonymously?

With JSM:

* You can expose selected articles to non-Jira users via the customer portal (they can be anonymous or use simple accounts, depending on your configuration).
* The portal hides Confluence navigation/space settings and just surfaces the knowledge base articles in a controlled way.
* You can choose which spaces/articles are available externally, avoiding the issue of users seeing space settings or running into excerpt/permissions inconsistencies.

Hope that helps!