Copy a Space

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We’ve introduced the ability to copy spaces without installing any additional apps. If you were using our Marketplace Copy Space app before, the built-in ability to copy spaces will automatically replace the app. No action is required from you.

To copy a space, go to Space tools > Overview > Copy Space.

The Marketplace version of the Copy Space app will be supported until 28 July 2024.

If you're using Confluence 8.2 or any older version and you haven't installed the Copy Space app, you can copy the content of an entire space by creating a new space and copying the pages from the existing space to it.

To learn more about this workaround, go to the document Copy a Page > Copy the contents of an entire space.

On this page:

Related pages:

You can copy the content and settings of public and personal spaces across your Confluence instance. The ability to copy spaces provides you with full control, growth, and maintenance of the content that you’re storing in Confluence. Plus, scaling up your instance will become easier and smoother.

You must be a Confluence administrator or space administrator to copy spaces. Also, you must have the Create space permission. Learn more about the Confluence permissions in Permissions and restrictions.

If you want to copy a personal space, you must either be its owner or have administrative permissions for it.

What will be copied from a space?

An existing space is always copied into a new space that Confluence creates automatically. The new space should have a name, a unique space key, and optionally, a description.

Not all the content and settings of your space will be duplicated in the new space. From the following table, you’ll find out what will be copied by default, what won’t be copied, and what’s optional to copy.

Content or settingWill it be copied by default?Additional notes
Space descriptionYesYou can change the description when configuring the copy.
Space permissionsYesN/A
Space templatesYesN/A
Space look and feelYesAll the look and feel configurations will be copied by default, including the space header, sidebar, footer, and PDF stylesheets. 
Archived spacesYesN/A
RestrictionsYesN/A
Sidebar linksYesN/A
Shortcut linksYesN/A
Links in pages, blog posts, and commentsYes

The following links in the original space will be copied:

  • To other pages in the space that you’re copying

  • To other pages in other spaces

  • To blog posts in the space that you’re copying

  • To blog posts in other spaces

MentionsYesAll mentions with the @ character will be copied but the mentioned users won’t be notified about that in an email. They also won’t see any notifications under the notification (bell) icon.
PagesOptionally

All current versions from the original hierarchy are copied.

If the original space has a home page, it’ll be copied too.

Copying of pages is audited in your Confluence instance. If any other option is selected for copying (for example, comments or attachments), the additional parameters will show this to you in the audit.

Blog postsOptionally

All current versions from the original hierarchy are copied.

Copying of blog posts is audited in your Confluence instance. If any other option is selected for copying (for example, comments or attachments), the additional parameters will show this to you in the audit.

Existing authors and datesOptionally

Here’s how the authors and dates of the content from the original space will be set in the new space depending on whether you select this option or not:

Pages

If you copy pages and use existing authors and dates, the original page authors and dates of page creation and last update will be preserved in the new space.

If you copy pages but don’t use existing authors and dates:

  • You’ll be assigned as an author to all pages in the new space.
  • The current date when you’re copying the space will be set as a creation date for all pages in the new space.
Blog posts

If you copy blog posts, their original authors and dates of creation and last update will always be preserved in the new space, regardless of whether you use existing authors and dates or not.

Comments

If you copy comments along with pages or blog posts, the original authors and creation dates of all comments will always be preserved in the new space, regardless of whether you use existing authors and dates or not.

Attachments

Only page attachments are affected if you choose to copy existing authors and dates:

  • If you select the option, the attachments copied to the new space will keep the original users who uploaded them and the original dates of the uploads.
  • If you don’t select the option, you’ll be set as a user who attached files to pages. The date when you’re copying the space will be set as a creation date for the attachments.

For blog post and comment attachments, the new space will always display the original users who attached files and the original dates when files were attached, regardless of whether you use existing authors and dates or not.

If you copy attachments but don’t copy comments, comment attachments will still be copied to the new space. You’ll find them in Attachments of a page or blog post.

New space

If you use existing authors and dates:

  • The original creator of the space you’re copying will be set as the creator of the new space.
  • The original date when the space you’re copying was created will be set at the creation date of the new space.

If you don’t use existing authors and dates:

  • You’ll be set as the creator of the new space.
  • The date when you’re copying the space will be set as the creation date of the new space.
Comments (page comments, blog post comments, inline comments, resolved comments, pinned comments on attachments)Optionally

If you copy comments along with pages or blog posts, all comments will be copied to the new space.

The original authors and creation dates of all comments are always preserved in the new space, regardless of whether the Existing authors and dates option has been selected.

For both pages and blog posts, if you copy comments but don’t copy attachments, comment attachments won’t be copied. You’ll see the Unknown Attachment labels instead of files.

If you copy comments and attachments, pinned comments on attachments will also be copied.

AttachmentsOptionally

If you copy attachments along with pages or blog posts, all files attached to them will be copied to the new space.

Attachments to pages

For page attachments, the copy depends on whether you use existing authors and dates along with attachments or not:

  • If you use existing authors and dates, the original users who uploaded attachments and the original dates when the files were uploaded will be preserved in the new space.
  • If not, in the new space, you’ll be set as a user who uploaded attachments. The date when you’re copying the space will be set as the creation date for these attachments.
Attachments to comments and blog posts

For blog post and comment attachments, the new space will always display the original users who attached files and the original dates when files were attached, regardless of whether you use existing authors and dates or not.

If you copy attachments but don’t copy comments, comment attachments will still be copied to the new space. You’ll find them in Attachments of a page or blog post.

If you copy attachments with comments, pinned comments on attachments will also be copied.

Space labelsOptionallyN/A
Labels on pages and blog postsOptionallyN/A
Attachment labelsOptionallyN/A
WatchersOptionally

Watchers include users who are watching:

  • Existing pages and blog posts in the space you’re copying.

  • New blog posts in the space you’re copying.

  • The space you’re copying.

Space status favoriteNoA space acquires the favorite status when you star it and it's added to the list of your selected spaces.
DraftsNoN/A
Page and blog post historyNoN/A
Page and blog post likesNoN/A
Comment likesNoN/A
Comments on attachmentsNoN/A
Page and blog post watchersNoN/A
Team CalendarsNoN/A
Confluence QuestionsNoN/A

Known limitations

The following technical limitations were put in place to prevent errors and failures that may occur otherwise:

  • You can copy only one space at a time. You should repeat the procedure for each space that you want to copy.

  • You can copy spaces within only one Confluence instance. Copying spaces between different instances isn’t possible.

  • A copy is created in one long-running operation. Check the progress bar to find out about the status of the operation.

  • From one branch of pages in the original space tree, only 2000 pages can be copied at a time. If the branch contains more than 2000 pages, the rest of the pages won’t be copied and the copying will stop.

    • This limitation doesn’t apply to blog posts as well as to the case where no branch in the original space contains more than 2000 pages.

  • Once space copying has started, you can’t cancel it. You should wait until the operation is completed to see the result.

  • Other users shouldn’t make changes to a space that is being copied. Making changes to the content while a copy is in progress may cause the operation to fail.

  • Only the latest version of a page and blog post is copied.

  • Third-party apps, like Scaffolding Forms & Templates, aren't copied.

  • The copy operation can be a few times slower if Confluence uses Amazon S3 storage to store attachments. We recommend using a filesystem (FS) storage if you want to run copies more quickly.

Copying a space

Before copying a space, make sure you’ve informed other users that they shouldn’t make any changes to this space until you finish copying it. Any changes they make may cause the copying to fail.

We recommend that you notify other users in advance, copy the space when the activity in your instance is low, or temporarily restrict access to the space you want to copy.

The space you’re copying will also display a banner notifying other users about the copy operation and asking them not to make any changes to the space until the copy is completed. As soon as the space is copied, the banner will disappear.

To copy the content and settings of an existing space:

  1. Go to the space that you want to copy.
  2. Select Space tools > Overview > Copy Space.
    New Copy Space configuration form
  3. Select what you want to copy:
    1. Pages and blogs – both pages and blog posts will be copied to the new space.

      Page and blog copying is audited in your Confluence instance. If any other option is selected for copying (for example, comments or attachments), the additional parameters will show this to you in the audit.

    2. Pages only – only pages will be copied to the new space.

    3. Blogs only – only blog posts will be copied to the new space.

    4. Space settings only – the new space will be created with all the settings from the original space, like permissions, templates, look and feel, etc.
      1. The new space won’t have any pages, including a home page, or blog posts.

      2. You can also select to copy the original creator of the space, the original date when it was created, and the original space labels.

      3. If you don’t copy the original space creator and creation date, you’ll be set as a creator of the new space, and the current date when you’re copying the space will be set as the creation date of the new space.

  4. If you’re copying pages, blog posts, or both, choose what other content you want to copy.

    Expand to learn more about the content options
    Content optionWhat you should know
    Include watchersIf you want to copy watchers, keep the checkbox selected. If not, clear the checkbox.
    Existing authors and dates

    If selected, the option applies only to original authors and dates of pages and page attachments.

    Original authors and dates are always preserved in the new space for blog posts, comments, blog post attachments, and comment attachments.

    If you want to keep the original authors of pages and original dates of page creation and last update, keep the checkbox selected.

    If you don’t want to keep the original authors and dates, clear the checkbox. In this case:

    • You’ll be set as the creator of the new space.

    • In the new space, you’ll be assigned as the author of all pages and page attachments (if you choose to copy attachments).

    • The current date when you’re copying the space will be set as the creation date for the new space, all pages in it, and all page attachments (if you choose to copy attachments).

    Comments

    If you want to copy comments, keep the checkbox selected. All comments will be copied for pages or blog posts, depending on what you want to copy.

    The original authors and creation dates of all comments are always preserved on all pages and blog posts in the new space, regardless of whether the Existing authors and dates option has been selected.

    If you don’t want to copy comments, clear the checkbox.

    Attachments

    If you want to copy attachments, keep the checkbox selected.

    • Only page attachments are affected if you select Existing authors and dates:

      • If you select the option, the attachments copied to the new space will keep the original users who uploaded them and the original dates of the uploads.

      • If you don’t select the option, you’ll be set as a user who attached files to pages. The date when you’re copying the space will be set as a creation date for the attachments.

    • For blog post and comment attachments, the new space will always display the original users who attached files and the original dates when files were attached, regardless of whether you select Existing authors and dates or not.

    If you don’t want to copy attachments, clear the checkbox.

    If you copy attachments but don’t copy comments, comment attachments will still be copied to the new space. You’ll find them in Attachments of a page or blog post.

    LabelsIf you want to copy labels, keep the checkbox selected. If not, clear the checkbox.
  5. In the Name of new space field, edit the name of the new space.
  6. In the New space key field, edit the key of the new space.
  7. In the Description field, enter the description of the new space.
  8. Select Copy.

To track the progress and status of the copy operation, check the progress bar.

Can I navigate away from the page with the progress bar while the space is being copied?

Yes, you can. The copy operation will continue and the progress bar will display changes even if you leave or refresh the page.

While you’re copying the space, other users can copy it too. At the same time, the space will display a banner notifying other users about the copy operation and asking them not to make any changes to the space until the copy is completed. As soon as the space is copied, the banner will disappear.

As the initiator of the copy, only you can monitor its progress.

When the copy operation is completed, the success message will display on the page. The message will contain a link to the new space.

If something goes wrong, check the reason and solution for the issue in Troubleshooting or reach out to Atlassian Support.

Performance tests

To find out how much time it takes for the copy operation to complete, check our performance test calculations.

Number of pagesNumber of blog postsTotal quantity/size (Mb) of attachments Duration (h:mm:ss)
100100190/944.3 Mb0:02:05
300030006000/180 Mb0:16:32

In both tests, copying attachments took about 50% of the total time that the entire space took to copy. This means that if your space has more attachments, copying it might take longer.

The average time for copying one page is up to 1 second. We’re working on improving the performance in future versions.

The copy operation can be a few times slower if Confluence uses Amazon S3 storage to store attachments. We recommend using a filesystem (FS) storage if you want to run copies more quickly.

Troubleshooting

Is there anything you can’t copy? Has the space copying failed? Look for answers and solutions here. If we haven’t listed your issue, reach out to Atlassian Support.

What if I add something to the new space after the copying?

After the copy has been created, you can add anything to it without worrying about any issues. The content you add will be available only in the new space.

Can I add watchers to the new space?

Yes, you can. In your new space, you can do the same thing you’d do if you created a space from scratch.

What if someone's making changes to the space I'm copying at the moment?

In this case, creating the copy might fail. Try to contact a person who’s making changes in the space and ask them to wait until you copy it successfully.

We recommend that you notify other users in advance, copy the space when the activity in your instance is low, or temporarily restrict access to the space you want to copy.

Despite the failure, part of the original space might be copied. We recommend that you delete the partial copy and retry copying the original space.

The space you’re copying will also display a banner notifying other users about the copy operation and asking them not to make any changes to the space until the copy is completed. As soon as the space is copied, the banner will disappear.

Why doesn't the new space have a home page?

To solve the issue, check the following causes:

  • The space you’ve copied doesn’t have a home page. In this case, the new space won’t have a home page either.

  • You’ve selected to copy only the settings of the original space. In this case, the original home page won’t be copied and neither will other original pages and blog posts.

  • Something went wrong during the copy operation. In this case, delete the new space and copy the original space again.

Why do I get a notification that I don't have the permission to copy a space?

Someone might have revoked your Create space permission or administrative permissions. Check your permissions and contact your Confluence admin for assistance.

Why don't some links work in the new space?

The following table lists the reasons why some links don’t work in the new space after the copying. You’ll also find the solutions for some issues that you can fix yourself.

#CaseSolution
1Something went wrong during the copy operation.Delete the new space and copy the original space again.
2In the new space, an undefined link on a blog post redirects you to a new empty page.

This is a known issue we’re working on. It occurs when you copy blog posts but not copy pages.

In this case, you’ll be redirected to a new empty page in the original space from a link on a blog post in the new space because Confluence detects this link as undefined.

Why has the copy operation failed?

The following table lists the reasons and solutions for failures during the copy operation.

#ReasonSolution
1Someone has made changes to the space you’re copying. Despite the failure, part of the original space might be copied. Delete the partial copy and retry copying the original space.
2Someone has deleted the space you’re copying.Search for the original space by its name. If you find the space, try copying it again. If not, a system administrator can restore the deleted space.
3A branch of pages in the original page tree contains more than 2000 pages.

This is a known limitation in Confluence.

From one branch of pages in the original space tree, only 2000 pages can be copied. If the branch contains more than 2000 pages, the rest of the pages won’t be copied and the copy operation will stop.

This limitation doesn’t apply to blog posts as well as to the case where no branch in the original space contains more than 2000 pages.

4

There’s not enough memory or disk space to complete the copy.

The space you’re copying might contain a lot of attachments, but the available memory or disk space isn’t enough to save their copies. As a result, the original space can’t be copied.

Try clearing the memory or disk space and copy the original space again.

If the issue persists, contact Confluence Support.

A failure might occur before the copy operation starts. In this case, the error message won’t display any link to the partial copy of the original space.

Retry copying the space. If the issue persists, contact your Confluence admin.

What if my internet connection has dropped during the copy?

Even if your internet connection has dropped, the copy operation will continue in the background. A notification about this will appear on the page instead of the progress bar.

As soon as the connection is restored, the progress bar will update to display the latest status of the copy operation.

Why is there the Unknown Attachment label on pages and in comments?

You might have not selected the Attachments option when copying your space. You can delete the new space and repeat the copy operation with the option selected.

How to enable logging for copying spaces?

To enable logs, follow the guidelines from the section Add logging for an additional class or package of the document on logging configuration.

In the Class/Package name field, enter com.atlassian.confluence.plugin.copyspace.

Last modified on Jul 6, 2023

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