Panels

In External Data for Confluence, the panels are the key components that allow you to access, filter and display external data directly in your Confluence environment. The app provides different panel types, each offering unique benefits depending on your project and the type of data you're handling. This guide will walk you through the configuration, use, and effective management of these panels.

How to Setup a Panel

Before setting up a new panel, please ensure you have an existing data source from which to pull data.

1. Add a New Panel Configuration

Navigate to the desired page in Confluence and click the Add Panel button.

2. Specify a Variable (Optional)

Variables in External Data for Confluence are dynamic placeholders. They are used to customize and filter data that is pulled from external sources, allowing for personalized contextual information display. Find out more about the use of variables here.

You can also use common user-specific variables. For example:

Account Id: $.user.accountId
Identifies the unique account ID associated with each user.
Email Address: $.user.email
Shows the user's email address, depending on their privacy settings.
Display Name: $.user.displayName
Displays the name the user has set for themselves within Confluence.
Active Status: $.user.active
Indicates whether the user's account is currently active.
Public Name: $.user.publicName
The name displayed to other users in public areas of Confluence.

3. Select a Data Source

Select your preconfigured data source from which you would like to retrieve data. Learn more about data sources here.

4. Set Filters (Optional)

Filters in External Data for Confluence are used to refine and narrow down the data that is fetched from external sources before it is displayed on your Confluence page. Filters act as criteria that can be set to include or exclude specific data based on defined parameters. The purpose of using filters is to ensure that the data displayed is directly relevant to the user. Detailed guidance on filters can be found here.

5. Define a Visual

Visuals in External Data for Confluence are the options used to display retrieved data on your Confluence page. They include various formats such as tables, charts, graphs, and custom layouts. They help you organize and present your data in a visually appealing and understandable way.

You can choose from the following Visuals:

Charts: The chart feature in External Data for Confluence provides you with the option to visually display external data using different chart types.

Tables: External data for Confluence allows you to display data in the form of a customizable table within your Confluence project that also includes a search function and pagination to manage large data sets.

Templates: Using the template function in External Data for Confluence, you can fully customize the display of your data using HTML templates.

Data Provider: This feature allows External Data for Confluence to serve as a data provider without requiring a visual representation such as a table or chart.

How to Add and Remove Panels from Your Confluence Page

Use the External Data Macro to embed the configured panel onto your page. Simply choose the panel from the macro browser and it will be added to your page content.

Add panels with the 'External Data' macro

To delete a panel, go to the panel settings and select the delete option. Remember, removing a panel will disable any content that relies on this panel on your Confluence pages.

Table Extensibility Support

External Data for Confluence supports the Table Extensibility feature of Atlassian Confluence. This feature allows External Data for Confluence to serve as a data provider without the need for a visual representation such as a table or chart. For more detailed insights into how Table Extensibility works and how to leverage it in your panels, please refer to the dedicated section of our documentation here.