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Help "This space is Locked"

john lehane

Why suddenly can't I access any pages? No job function or team change. Now everytime Eng sends me a link e.g.
I get a "lock" icon. With no indication who to ask to request access. Do I need different permissions?

Accepted answers

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Martin Runge

Hi @john lehane,

In Jira, I would expect an error like "You don’t have access". It would only make sense for a team-managed space in Jira that has been switched to private. Could you share a screenshot of the lock message you see, with any sensitive details blurred?

As an alternative, it would also be helpful to know whether the links from Eng open a Jira or Confluence space. You can tell by looking at the URL: links containing /wiki/ point to Confluence, while links containing /browse/ or /jira/ point to Jira.

Cheers, Martin

john lehane

Thanks MArtin,
Please see attached. Not munch info here I'm afraid.

Screenshot 2026-11-03 at 2.31.15 PM.png

Ismail Bin Ibrahim

Hello @john lehane

The screenshot confirms this is a Confluence space that you no longer have access to. This usually happens when the space permissions have been updated, the space has been made private, or access is now restricted to specific users/groups.

To regain access, I'd recommend:

Contacting the person who shared the link and asking them to identify the Space Administrator or owner.
Reaching out to your Confluence/Site Administrator to verify that your account still belongs to the required access groups.
Checking whether you can access other Confluence spaces. If only this space is affected, the issue is most likely specific to that space's permissions.

Unfortunately, the "This space is locked" page doesn't show who manages the space, so a Space Administrator or Confluence Administrator will need to review the access settings.

Have you confirmed whether other members of your team can still access the space, or is the issue affecting only your account?

Regards,

Ismail.

Mertcan Karabaş (WERARE)

Hi,
The lock icon means Confluence is blocking you at the space or page level, not in Jira. Because it's happening on every link, the cause is probably your account and not one restricted page. Here's what to check:

Open the space overview, not just a single page. If the whole space shows as locked, you're missing space permission. If only some pages are locked, page restrictions are the cause, and they are often inherited from a parent page.
Ask your site/org admin to check your account in admin.atlassian.com under Directory > Users. They should confirm you still have Confluence product access and are still in the groups your Eng spaces grant access to. Licence clean-ups or group changes can remove access even if your role hasn't changed.
If you don't see a "Request access" button, your admin may have turned off access requests. That setting is under Confluence administration > Permissions > Access requests, and admins can replace the button with a custom message. Ask them where requests should go instead: https://support.atlassian.com/confluence-cloud/docs/manage-confluence-access-requests/
Meanwhile, ask the colleague who sent the link who owns the space. A space admin can add you, or your group, under Space settings > Permissions.

john lehane

Thanks Ismail. I'm the lone ranger here. Everyone appears to still have access. Am investigating. Will track down the owner of the site. Good if the system showed who own a locked space.

john lehane

Thanks Mertcan. Checking all of the points. Best, JOhn

john lehane

Thanks all for help. I went to Admin, and stumbled on a page for renewing licenses. I clicked grant license, and was admitted quickly. Appears to be working now.

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