Common Mistakes When Using Confluence Tabs and How to Avoid Them

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You might have a good feature or macro in hand, but do you know how to use it to its full potential? That’s the key question you need to ask yourself wherever you’re working with a feature (old or new). And if that feature is our very own Confluence tab macros, then this article is right for you.

In this article, I’ll cover the common mistakes I and some of our users have encountered when working with Confluence tabs—and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Vague or Generic Tab Titles

The tab title is the first thing your readers will see and it’s the decisive factor that makes them click or keep scrolling. Generic titles like “Info” or “Details” don’t help users navigate your content efficiently. Clear, descriptive titles do.

What to do instead? Be specific with your tab titles. A clear, descriptive one helps users quickly locate the information they need, enhancing their overall experience.

Mistake #2: Overcrowding Tabs with Content

Tabs are great, but does that mean you should use them for every type of content even if it’s long? NO.

It’s tempting to use tabs to group as much information as possible, but too much content in a single tab can make it just as overwhelming for your readers. Tabs should streamline access to information, not become a static wall of just text.

What to do instead? Keep each tab focused and concise. If your content is simply too long and maybe even too important, simply give it its own page and link to it from within the parent page. The page tree is a great tool to organize and navigate pages. 

Mistake #3: Not Enough Content in Tabs

Too much content within a tab is not ideal… Too little content is even worse. If a tab only contains a small amount of content (two to 3 sentences), it can feel redundant and take too much unnecessary space. 

What to do instead? In such cases, there are a lot of macros that you can use. First, you have expanders. They're ideal if you want to add supplementary information and give users control on whether to show or hide content. Content is both short and crucial? Use panels. They're simply perfect for such cases as they're highly customizable and don't take too much space. 

Mistake #4: Overusing Tabs

It’s easy to get carried away and add too many tabs to your page. While tabs can help with navigation, having too many can clutter the user experience and make it harder to find specific information. I came across pages that start with horizontal tabs, and just underneath, you have a vertical one. Don’t do that!

What to do instead? Limit the number of tabs to essential categories. If you find yourself adding too many, reconsider how you can consolidate or restructure the content for better clarity.

Mistake #5: Choosing the Wrong Tab Layout

Tabs come in different styles, such as horizontal and vertical. Choosing the wrong layout can hinder navigation. Horizontal tabs are best for a limited number of sections, while vertical tabs work well for more extensive content.

What to do instead? Match the tab layout to the amount of content you have and the page your working on. Use horizontal tabs for a few categories and vertical tabs for a more extensive set of sections. For example,  If you have a Confluence page with numerous sections (five or more), using horizontal tabs might force users to scroll side-to-side which is far from ideal. In this case, vertical tabs would be more appropriate as users will scroll vertically (which is not great, yet still better). Another example when you have to carefully choose between horizontal and vertical tabs is when you're working on a customer facing Confluence page. Here you'll need to make sure to display important sections at the top where visitors can easily locate them. If you use vertical tabs, visitors won't notice their importance and might skip the sections all together.

Mistake #6: Overloading Tabs with Macros

While macros can enhance your tabs, too many can create visual clutter and make your page feel busy. Overloading tabs with buttons, lists, and images can overwhelm users.

What to do instead? Use macros selectively to enhance your content without creating clutter. For example, if a tab contains several buttons and a long list, consider whether all those elements are necessary. Focus on using macros that genuinely add value and improve the user experience.

Mistake #7: Inconsistent Tab Design and Placement

Consistency in design and placement is crucial for a smooth user experience. If your tabs look different or are placed inconsistently across pages, users may find navigation confusing.

What to do instead? Ensure uniformity in tab design and placement throughout your Confluence pages. If some pages have tabs at the top and others at the side, users will have to adjust to different layouts, which can be frustrating. Keeping the design consistent helps users navigate more intuitively.

And there you have it! We all make mistakes, we need to learn from them and move on. I hope I covered more or less all the mistakes we do when working with Confluence tabs. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can make the most out of Confluence tabs and create organized, well structured and user-friendly pages. You’re yet to use our tabs? Try them out for free here.