Atlassian Community Guide to A+ Articles

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Stop: Articles and permission

Article-writing permissions are given to Leaders, Marketplace Vendors, Solutions Partners, Atlassian Team members, and those who are Level 4 + above. But for any aspiring Hemingways out there, feel free to apply to become an Atlassian Author. The goal of Articles is to provide the broader Community with inspiration from our experts, and we welcome all ideas.

If you have the right to write, read on!

Step 1: Choosing a worthy topic

The best Article topic is one that you are truly passionate about. But unless you know your topic like the back of your hand, there’s no shame in doing some research before you commit. Google around to see what other folks have written on your topic, and see if you can fill an informational gap, using your own experience to tell a story in a unique way.

For those who truly need a prompt to write on, we’ve got your back. Every month we release a theme to the Atlassian Authors Group, ranging from Cloud Migrations to Confluence onboarding tips and beyond. The themes are meant to inspire, not to dictate what you write! 

Step 2: Creating an outline

Please, make Mrs. Jones from 8th-grade Language Arts class proud by creating an outline before you start clickety clacking. Begin by thinking about what lesson you’d like to impart on your readers. Try to make it simple and snappy! If you find you have a multi-sentence objective, you might want to consider writing two Articles.

Ex: At the end of this Article, readers will understand how Trello helps me organize the Atlassian Community content schedule

Once you have your objective, you can start building an outline to support your goal. I like to bullet out statements of all the points I’d like to make. Here’s a quick example:

  • Trello allows for flexible list structure

  • Butler allows me to easily label content that needs to be ported to other boards

  • The Calendar power-up provides great visibility for other teams

Step 3: Deciding the format

Now that you have your list of bullets, you have some choices to make about the format of your Article. For those writers with 6 paragraph essay PTSD, worry not. You can certainly convey your information just as effectively in numbered how-to steps, a listicle, OR a standard essay.

Once you have your major bullets, no matter the format, beef them out with as many details as relevant. Re-read your Article to make sure all points support your objective, and voila! You’ve got yourself a first draft. Bonus points if you include screenshots, code, videos, etc.!

Step 4: Fine-tuning the voice

If an Article is brilliant but no one reads it, was it really brilliant at all? The voice and tone of your Article matter almost as much as the content because readability is crucial in conveying your objective! Write like you’re explaining your points to a friend or colleague, and care if they understand or not. (It can never hurt to send your piece to an actual friend or colleague to gut check). Still unsure? Check out the Atlassian Community’s voice + tone guide.

Step 5: Giving credit where credit is due

Remember earlier when I said it was okay to Google around to find inspiration? Don’t worry, it still is, but what is not cool is taking credit for other’s ideas. There is no shame in linking to another source or author, this actually just shows that you did your research in a thoughtful way!

Step 6: Slamming that publish button!

Or tapping it gently, we accept all forms of clicking. If you would like an editing eye before making it official, feel free to email bsauer@atlassian.com anytime for feedback.

Step 7: Responding to your adoring fans

Don’t be surprised if other users have questions or comments regarding your Article. You should receive a notification by email if someone responds, or you can check on your Community notifications. Keep in mind that your answers should be optimistic, inclusive, and empowering. Acknowledging when opinions differ from yours and celebrate when they’re aligned!

Note! The above guide applies to all Article writers on the Atlassian Community. That said, Solutions Partners and Marketplace Vendors must adhere to these guidelines to ensure that all Community content is created equally.

Inspiring A+ Articles

My love of Trello power-ups  - @Jodi LeBlanc 

How to run Jira in a Docker container - 

How I aced the ACP-600- @Mary Ramirez 

The Admin's tale - User Macro filtering a Confluence table@Thomas Schlegel 

Like the content of Confluence, our knowledge is never complete - @Kat Warner 

And the list goes on 🙂

Happy writing,

Bridget + the Atlassian Community Team

29 comments

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Sebastian Krzewiński
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
August 19, 2019

Now I have more motivation to achieve at least Level 4 :)

Thanks for this article!

Like # people like this
Bridget
Community Manager
Community Managers are Atlassian Team members who specifically run and moderate Atlassian communities. Feel free to say hello!
August 19, 2019

Hope to see you there soon! :) 

Like Sri Kumar likes this
Sharon Helms
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
August 19, 2019

Hi @Bridget , When we've received a Level 5 badge, should we automatically see the "Create an article" option in the "Ask the community" menu? Thanks! -Sharon

Like # people like this
Kat Warner
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
August 19, 2019

Thanks for the mention Bridget. This has really made my day!

Like # people like this
Bridget
Community Manager
Community Managers are Atlassian Team members who specifically run and moderate Atlassian communities. Feel free to say hello!
August 19, 2019

@Sharon Helms

I will process the next round of Authors permissions soon! If you're Level 5, keep an eye on that inbox :) 

Like # people like this
Thomas Schlegel
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
August 20, 2019

Thank you for mentioning one of my articles, @Bridget 

I would love to write more articles, but I have so little time - this year is really exhausting, in every way.

But the Admin will be back - sooner or later, promised :-)

Like # people like this
Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
August 20, 2019

Thanks for mentioning my article @Bridget !

Guys and girls, keep an eye on the other Deviniti authors as well - we do our best to contribute to the Community with useful guides and tutorials :)

Like # people like this
Jodi LeBlanc
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
August 20, 2019

Awesome post @Bridget and thanks for the mention! :)

Like # people like this
Jimmy Seddon
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
August 20, 2019

This is great @Bridget! This will really help when it comes to writing future articles! 

Like # people like this
Bridget
Community Manager
Community Managers are Atlassian Team members who specifically run and moderate Atlassian communities. Feel free to say hello!
August 20, 2019

Thanks @Jimmy Seddon ! I am always happy to brainstorm with you :) 

Like # people like this
Mary Ramirez
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
August 22, 2019

Thank you for mentioning my article @Bridget ! I'm happy it's helped many people pass their ACP 600 :) 

Like Bridget likes this
sardar7110 September 28, 2019

Finals level 2

Maeve Abla October 28, 2019

Thanks for the guidelines.

Shanta Nathwani November 8, 2019

Looking forward to contributing to the amazing articles on Confluence and Jira! Thanks for adding me.

Andy - PTC Redundant
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
December 1, 2019

@Bridget : You need a Step somewhere in there that is relevant for people like the FUNMAN:

Step (X): Actually get of your ass and WRITE those damn articles you promised Bridgie ages ago...... 

Hahaha! 😅😂

Nicely written guidelines 👏😍 Almost 60K views. Hope there are many more super inspired #AtlassianAuthors out there now.

Andy - PTC Redundant
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
December 4, 2019

Alrighty... the inspiration never sleeps.... check out this one if you want some SERIOUS FUN in your articles.....!!!! 

Welcome To Your First Article / Discussion! Fun Man Andy's Guide to Writing on the Community

Like Sri Kumar likes this
vlad_puhach April 15, 2020

Thanks for good tips! Waiting to earn my badge in order to smash it with articles)

Bill Sheboy
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
August 26, 2021

Thanks for the tips, and...I wonder about Step 5: Giving credit where credit is due.

For example, it seems like few of the Team Playbook articles give credit to original source material and authors.  I wonder if this is a case of the "pot roast story" (which I attribute to Bryan Stallings and Chris Sterling when I first learned it in 2005), or some other issue.  Perhaps some article ideas are considered "common knowledge" by their author.

Thoughts?

Irina_Bel_Stiltsoft_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
November 17, 2021

Hi! @Bridget Where can I ask for the Author permission?

Natalya Ozhigova May 11, 2022

Hi community, does anybody know how much achievements I should have to get a 4-th level?

 

Upd: As I see 5 or more posts are needed. 

Natalya Ozhigova May 11, 2022

Hi @Bridget ,

I've achieved the 4th level but I'm still no option to write articles. It's make me a little sad. Could someone tell me what I do wrong?

Jimmy Seddon
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
May 12, 2022

@Natalya Ozhigova author permissions are not granted automatically by the system.  

@Bridget usually grants access at specifically intervals to groups of people who have met the requirements.  My best recommendation is the sit tight and wait for the permissions to be applied.  The fact that Bridget has been tagged already means she will be aware that you are waiting.

Thanks!

Like Natalya Ozhigova likes this
Natalya Ozhigova May 12, 2022

@Jimmy Seddon 

Many Thanks. I've understood this process. So I can calm down and wait )

Best Regards

Dave Wuensch
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
July 7, 2022

Thank you for this very helpful article. Writing will no longer be so difficult

Jerryton Surya
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
September 28, 2022

Thank you for this article!!

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