How to setup user documentation space for external users?

[Shea Martin]

I am considering creating a space and using it for our products end-user documentation. 

I created a space, and gave it anonymous access. But when I visit the anonymous site it appears as a Confluence wiki with read-only access. Is there a way I can hide all the wiki control and Atlassian stuff for anonymous users? Users will not be contributing to documentation.

Any tips on making a user-friendly experience for uses when they are looking for documentation for our software product? Ideally a left nav with TOC for the space, and a search option is all an end-user should need.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

[Christian Reichert (resolution)]

Hi @Shea Martin,

you have some options here.

1) You could probably customise the CCS of that particular space and hide some elements you don't like.

https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/styling-confluence-with-css-166528400.html

This can become tricky quite quickly with your logged in Users.

But this would be a free of charge approach and in certain circumstances, quite an effective one.

2) Use a plugin like K15t's Viewport.

I work for a plugin vendor and we use the Viewport Plugin from K15t to publish our documentation. That plugin allows you to take a confluence space an publish it under a new URL. You then also have the control over the CSS/etc but there default theme's are probably already quite close to what you want. It also allows a configuration that anonymous Users see the Viewport View (no Confluence UI) and your logged-in Users see their normal Confluence.

You can see the Documentation of our SAML Plugin as an example if you like.

Cheers,
Christian