Create Template with Multiple Child Pages

[Eric Lee]

Hi Atlassian Community,

I'd like to create a template consisting of a parent page with several child pages.  When someone uses the template, I want it to automatically create all the pages (parent and children).

Is this possible out of the box?  If so, can you please share your ideas? 

Thanks in advance

Eric

[Brant Schroeder · Accepted solution]

@Eric Lee 

Confluence templates are for a single page only and child pages would need to be created manually after the parent is created.  I know that there are a number of apps that help with that. Page Tree Creator Pro is one that comes to mind.

[Eric Lee]

Thank you Brant, much appreciated.

[Sam Lucas]

@Eric Lee I am a new PM for Confluence Templates! Your post here caught my attention as something that might be valuable for many confluence users! Would you be open to scheduling a quick zoom call with me to discuss your need for Parent/child templates and your specific uses cases? I'd really appreciate learning about your workflow here and needs. Thanks! 

[Lynne Ratcliffe]

Hi Sam, jumping in here.  My use case would be from a project point of view.

Within our APMO space, I'd like to be able to quickly create a group of templated pages when we are setting up a new project.

Under an In flight projects page for each project create a set of pages.

[I.A]

Hey Sam,

I am also looking for this feature. Do you have an idea if or when it will be available ?

Best regards

[Richard Tovell]

I'm also keen to see a feature like this, almost identical to what Lynne suggests as a structure above. The fact that there's no option to select multiple pages and copy them as a group (parent and children) means it's a really convoluted process to try and build out and implement a template structure. The system's limitations mean that people often just do their own thing, which isn't beneficial for any kind of process management. 

The fact we also have to pay for additional apps to constantly help overcome the system's shortcomings is a bit frustrating as well. 

[Paul Dow]

I am also looking to create a Template page with child pages—something like this.

*Primary Code Release Informational Page*
     Version x.xSPxPx
          <excerpt and page content of Maintence Version Page>
          <excerpt and page content of Documentation Page>
          <excerpt and page content of Feature 1 Page>
          <excerpt and page content of Feature 2 Page>
          <excerpt and page content of Feature 3 Page>
          <excerpt and page content of Feature 4 Page>

*Child Page for Maintenance Version*
     x.xSPxPx Maintenance Version
          <excerpt>
          <file upload>
*Child Page for Documentation*
     x.xSPxPx Documentation
          <excerpt>
          <file upload>
*Child Page for Feature 1*
     x.xSPxPx Feature 1
          <excerpt>
          <file upload>
*Child Page for Feature 2*
     x.xSPxPx Feature 2
          <excerpt>
          <file upload>
*Child Page for Feature 3*
     x.xSPxPx Feature 3
          <excerpt>
          <file upload>
*Child Page for Feature 4*
     x.xSPxPx Feature 4
          <excerpt>
          <file upload>

[steve]

How many people expressing an interest do you need to progress this?

We need to create multi-level pages from templates in a number of use-cases.

[Melvin Bleeker]

I'm creating a knowledge base and would like to create a template with a parent and child structure like this:

Parent page:

• general information
• /include page forwards to child pages

Child pages

• proces information
• macro information
• related to pages

Would be very nice to be able to this set up in one template.

[Richard Tovell]

This is actually now possible. Create a page and child pages and you can then copy the parent and child pages together (there's a tick box saying "Copy All Child Pages" when you select the copy option on the parent). You can then use a "find and replace" type facility to allow you to replace a word like [CLIENT] with the client name in all of the page titles. See below from the example I am using.

[Stavros_Rougas_EasyApps]

@Richard Tovell you mentioned using the basic built in find and replace. If you are looking to bulk find and replace try the app Space Content Manager, a suite of bulk editing features we built.

Across a space:

Page level:

[steve]

@Sam Lucas @Brant Schroeder  We're fighting a losing battle against SharePoint(less). You (Atlassian) already lost out to Slack, are you wanting to lose to SharePointless as well.

This should be basic functionality.

[Steve Melzer]

And another upvote!

[Hyrum Smith]

Another upvote for this feature Please!

We need this feature pretty bad

@Sam Lucas 

[Sander Kok]

+1 - we still need this!

[Liz Burns]

First a very hopeful response from @Sam Lucas and then a profound silence afterwards. How about an update? 

[Paul Bosse]

Another vote for this feature

[Jacyline Gerson]

Also, interested in this feature. Any updates?

[Jason Goodall]

We are migrating to Cloud confluence and from service and it would be hugely beneficial to have this out of the box capability of creating a Global Template with child pages but also a Wiki Space (Blueprint).

For those with this issue the way i have worked around it currently is by creating a page template for each of the child pages and then within the parent having a series of buttons that will allow a page to be created from the created templates. Once the pages are created the buttons can be removed from the parent page.

It is not the cleanest of slickest solution but as we need to created many spaces I cannot be bothered to do this all manually and so hashed this idea.

[John Haddock]

Sounds like a useful workaround - I'm pretty new to Confluence - is it easy enough to set up a button to create a child page from a template?

[Melvin Bleeker]

Sounds like an interesting workaround indeed, I will definitely try this out when I have the time.

Thanks @Jason Goodall !

[Jason Goodall]

Hi Guys,

When you create your Parent page template you can insert a button and the option is 'Create From Template' you'll basically give the button a name but also choose a page template which the button actions.

Below is the option you select

This is how they look when editor the wiki\confluence page

This is how it looks when viewing the page, as I say once the pages are created you can remove the buttons but that is down to your built in processes.

Hopefully it is of some benefit and really is a fiddly way to workaround some basic functionality which I think should be provided in confluence.

[John Haddock]

Thanks @Jason Goodall ! As you say, a bit fiddly, but a good workaround :-)

[George Pomar]

Here I come drudging up old threads [evil laugh], but I think a good addition to this strategy, which could include a handful or more buttons, would be to house the buttons in an Expand.  So at the top (or bottom, to deprioritize the panel) of the parent page is a bank of additional buttons so the user could select from a menu of templates that cold compile to small or large projects.

[John Haddock]

Keen on this feature too - any news if it's to be added to the backlog @Sam Lucas

[Kevin Brooks]

Another Upvote for this as well seems like an essential feature set for such a robust tool. 

[Melissa VanKempen]

Another upvote for this to be a feature within Confluence.
Doesn't seem like a third party app would be needed for this.