Tips to Contextualize Confluence Content with Panels, Footnotes, Tooltips, and Notifications

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Here’s the scenario: You’ve got a long and complex Confluence page packed with a host of information. It’s a lot to digest, and while you want to add supplementary details and better contextualize the content, you don’t want to disrupt the flow or clutter the page.

So, what’s the solution? Contextualizing your content with smart macros is the way to go.

Contextual macros can enhance your Confluence pages without breaking the content flow. In this article, we’ll dive into how macros like panels, footnotes, tooltips, and notifications can help you provide additional information and context in a way that’s seamless and user-friendly.

Let’s explore why contextualizing your content matters and how these tools can make a big difference in maintaining a clean, engaging page.

Why contextualizing your content matters

When done right, contextualizing your content can improve readability, keep your page clean, and make your information more accessible. Let’s break down how each of these macros can help you achieve that.

Panels: Highlight & separate content

When to Use Panels:

Panels are perfect when you need to highlight specific content or create a visual separation on your page. Use them to showcase important information, key points, or to group related content. Panels are often seen within product documentation, onboarding content, and more.

Tips for Using Panels:

• Choose clear titles: Ensure the panel titles are descriptive and provide a quick overview of the content inside.

• Customization is key: Differentiate panels with colors and icons to make important sections stand out.

• Keep the text shorts and to the point : Avoid overloading panels with too much content. If a panel is too long, consider breaking it into smaller sections or use other macros all together.

• Alternatives:

You might be tempted to use panels whenever you want to add supplementary information. But using them depends on two main factors: information type and text length. If the information you want to include is divided into separate sections, you will be better off using Confluence native sections. If the text to include is too long and you feel it will kind of break your content, you can use expanders to showcase your information since your users have control whether to show or hide them.

Footnotes: Cite & organize your sources

When to Use Footnotes:

Footnotes are ideal for adding additional information or references without cluttering the main content. They are useful for providing explanations, sources, or supplementary details.

Tips for Using Footnotes:

• Properly cite sources: Ensure your citations are consistent with your style guide, whether it’s APA, MLA, or another format. Proper citation not only maintains professionalism but also builds trust with your audience.

• List your sources: In addition to referencing your sources, you need a dedicated macro to list them all at the bottom of your Confluence pages for easy access. Here you can use the Footnote summary macro which can be automatically updated when you directly update each individual reference.

• Proofread and update sources: Regularly check that your sources are accurate and up-to-date. Typos or outdated links can undermine the credibility of your content.

Alternatives:

The obvious alternative to footnotes is using inline comments or tooltips. The drawback here is that footnotes are widely used for academic content where using a uniformed style for referencing is crucial. So the alternatives depend highly on the content style and target audience.

Tooltips: Provide quick context and additional information

When to Use Tooltips:

Tooltips are great for providing extra details or definitions without taking up extra space. Use them to explain terms or offer additional context.

Tips for Using Tooltips:

• Be specific: Ensure tooltips provide relevant and clear information. Avoid vague or overly complex explanations that make tooltips long and unnecessarily complex.

• Limit tooltip usage: Overusing tooltips can lead to a cluttered user experience. Use them where they add real value and opt for other macros when you see fit.

Alternatives:

If you have more detailed information that doesn’t fit within a tooltip, an expander might be a better choice. Expanders allow you to hide content behind a clickable styled box, giving your users the option to dive deeper without overwhelming them upfront. 

When you need to cite sources, footnotes are a great alternative. They allow you to maintain the flow of your main content while offering detailed references or explanations at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are especially useful in academic or research-heavy content where proper citation is crucial.

Notifications: Keep your readers informed

When to Use Notifications:

Notifications are useful for alerting readers to important updates or changes. They help ensure that key information is not missed.

Tips for Using Notifications:

• Highlight critical information: Use notifications to emphasize significant updates or actions required.

• Be clear and direct: Make sure notifications are easy to understand and convey the message clearly.

• Use sparingly: Excessive notifications can lead to notification fatigue. Use them judiciously to avoid overwhelming readers.

 

Alternatives:

The obvious alternatives for notifications are plain headers, notification panels, or banners displayed at the top of your Confluence page. This later on can become a small issue as you will have to update the page regularly. 

And there you have it! By incorporating these macros into your Confluence pages, you can improve navigation, readability, and user experience. If you like what you see, give our Content Formatting Toolkit a try here.