Confluence SharePoint Integration: The Complete Guide to Connecting Files, Teams and Knowledge

Why Confluence SharePoint Integration Matters More Than Ever

Most teams don’t struggle because they lack tools; they struggle because their tools don’t talk to each other.

On one side, you have Confluence:

• where decisions are made

• where project context lives

• where teams document how work happens

On the other side, you have SharePoint and OneDrive:

• where documents are stored

• where governance and compliance are managed

• where organizations standardize file structure and access

Both platforms are strong. But when they operate separately, people end up asking the same questions across teams:

“Which version of this file is the latest?”
“Is this the document we approved last week, or is it an older copy?”
“Why are we uploading the same Excel sheet everywhere?”

And just like that, you get:

• duplicated documents

• lost edits

• broken links

• time wasted hunting for “the right version”

The goal of Confluence SharePoint integration is simple:

Store each file once in SharePoint and use it everywhere in Confluence.
With previews. With editing. With real-time updates.

That’s the foundation of a single source of truth.

And when teams stop chasing documents and start working with them where the work happens, collaboration feels… actually collaborative.

The Ideal Workflow: Confluence for Context. SharePoint for Documents.

Let’s imagine how work should flow if tools weren’t getting in the way.

Where Confluence Fits

Confluence is where teams:

• Plan projects

• Document decisions

• Share knowledge

• Create playbooks, onboarding guides, how-tos, and project docs

It’s where the story of the work lives.

Where SharePoint Fits

SharePoint (and OneDrive for Business) is where teams:

• Store files securely

• Maintain governance and compliance

• Manage permissions across departments

• Keep official and approved versions of documents

It’s where the source of truth for documents lives.

When These Two Don’t Connect

Teams end up doing this:

• Download file from SharePoint

• Upload to Confluence

• Someone edits the file locally

• Someone else edits the uploaded version

• Paste a SharePoint link in Confluence, but no one can see the file content without leaving Confluence and re-authenticating

• Now there are two versions, and neither is guaranteed to be correct

Multiply that by:

• weekly status docs

• budgeting spreadsheets

• procedure manuals

• HR forms

• sales playbooks

And suddenly the team is arguing about documents instead of using them.

The Ideal Setup Looks Like This

In this ideal environment:

• Confluence provides context.

• SharePoint provides the documents.

• Teams collaborate in Microsoft 365, without ever re-uploading files.

No confusion. No manual syncing. No “final_v9_REAL_this_one.xlsx”.

The Missing Piece

To make this workflow real, you need something that:

• Connects Confluence and SharePoint

• Embeds SharePoint folders and files inside pages

• Respects permissions and governance

• Allows editing in real time using Microsoft 365

• Keeps everything synced automatically

That’s exactly what the SharePoint Connector for Confluence does, but without forcing teams to change how they already work.

Integration Options (and Why Some Cause More Problems Than They Solve)

Before we get into the best solution, it’s worth acknowledging how teams try to connect Confluence and SharePoint today. And why most of those approaches quietly break down.

Option 1: Paste SharePoint Links into Confluence Pages

This is the quickest workaround. Someone grabs a SharePoint link and pastes it into a Confluence page.

It works… until it doesn’t.

• Links break when folders move

• Users get access denied messages

• There is no preview, so people must switch to SharePoint to even understand what the file contains, then come back to Confluence

• Nobody knows if they are looking at the right version

This leads to time spent verifying documents instead of using them.

Option 2: Upload Files from SharePoint into Confluence

This one is even more common.

Someone downloads the “official” SharePoint file, uploads it to a Confluence page, and now that file is not official anymore.

Every upload is a new version living outside SharePoint’s governance.

This is how version chaos begins.

• “Why are there three versions of this spreadsheet?”

• “Wait, which one did Finance approve?”

• “Who edited this one?”

Everyone is trying to find the truth, but the truth is scattered.

Option 3: Build Scripts / Flows to Sync Content

Some IT teams try to fix the problem with:

• Power Automate

• Custom APIs

• Microsoft Graph scripts

These solutions are clever, until they become technical debt:

• They require maintenance

• They break when permissions change

• They fail silently, causing version mismatches

• And the complexity lands on the IT team forever

If your integration only works when one engineer is in the building, it’s not reliable.

Option 4: Use a Purpose-Built Confluence SharePoint Connector (The Scalable Path)

A connector app handles the integration at the platform level, not the user level.

This means:

• Files stay in SharePoint (no duplicates)

• Confluence displays them (with preview + metadata)

• Users can edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint directly inside Confluence

• Changes sync automatically

• Permissions remain intact

No extra workflows.
No manual uploads.
No IT babysitting.

This is the approach that actually scales across teams, departments, and new hires.

Meet the SharePoint Connector for Confluence by ikuTeam

The SharePoint Connector for Confluence removes the friction between SharePoint and Confluence by making them behave like one cohesive workspace. Instead of uploading files, sending links, or manually managing versions, the connector brings SharePoint folders into Confluence, while keeping SharePoint as the single source of truth.

No syncing.
No duplicating files.
No new workflow to learn.

Teams just keep working, but without the chaos.

What Makes This Different From Other “Integrations”?

Most integrations point from Confluence to SharePoint.

This one brings SharePoint into Confluence.

Meaning:

• You see SharePoint folders and files inside the Confluence sidebar

• You can browse, upload, preview, and organize documents without leaving the page

• You attach live SharePoint files to Confluence pages, not copies

• Edits happen in Microsoft 365 and sync instantly back to SharePoint

Everything stays connected.

Key Benefits at a Glance

The Real “Magic”: One File That Works Everywhere

This workflow is what eliminates confusion:

1. A file is stored in SharePoint (or OneDrive)

2. It is attached as a live object inside a Confluence page

3. Users preview, or click edit, without downloading

4. Changes are saved back to the original file in SharePoint

5. Any page where that file is attached updates automatically

6. You can also connect a SharePoint folder to any Confluence page, navigate subfolders, preview, edit, and upload files directly in context

No one ever asks, “Wait, which version are we reviewing?”, because there is only one.

Who This Helps Most

This connector creates immediate clarity and alignment for teams that:

• Use Confluence for documentation and SharePoint for file storage

• Need version control and compliance (Finance, Legal, HR, Security)

• Work across departments or regions

• Collaborate on documents frequently (Policy docs, specs, spreadsheets, playbooks)

• Want fewer meetings to explain “what changed and where”

If your team spends time finding the latest document, the connector removes that effort entirely.

Ready for the practical side?

Next, we walk through how to connect SharePoint to Confluence in just a few clicks and how your workflow changes immediately after.

How the Integration Works (Simple, Clear, No New Workflow to Learn)

Let’s keep this practical. Here’s what it actually looks like to connect SharePoint to Confluence using the SharePoint Connector.

No setup scripts.
No server-side configuration.
No IT project.

Just connect a folder and work.

Step 1: Install the SharePoint Connector for Confluence

• Go to Atlassian Marketplace and search: "SharePoint Connector for Confluence ikuTeam"
• Click Try it free.
• Once installed, you’ll see SharePoint Connector in your Confluence sidebar.

Done.

Step 2: Connect a SharePoint or OneDrive Folder

1. Open the SharePoint Connector from the sidebar.

2. Click Connect folder.

3. Choose where the folder lives:

   • SharePoint

   • OneDrive for Business

4. Authenticate your Microsoft account.

5. Select the folder you want to share with your team.

6. (Optional) Set permissions based on how your team works.

7. Click Connect.

That’s it. The folder is now available inside the space.

No copying files.
No migrations.
No storage changes.

Step 3: Attach Live SharePoint Content to Confluence Pages

When editing a Confluence page:

• Type /attach or /sharepoint

• Choose the SharePoint documents or folders you want to display

You can attach:

• Single files

• Whole folders

• Nested folders

• Templates

• Project directories

They will show up as live, previewable, clickable elements.

Not static attachments. Not copies. Not uploads.

Step 4: Preview & Navigate Without Leaving the Page

Users can:

• Expand a folder on the page

• Preview files inline

• Open documents fullscreen

• Browse subfolders

• Upload new files directly to SharePoint via the page

• Create new files in the connected folder, ready for editing

All of this stays in Confluence, but is stored in SharePoint.

Step 5: Edit Files in Microsoft 365 with Real-Time Collaboration

Click Edit on any Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file.

It opens in the Microsoft 365 online editor.

You get:

• Live co-authoring

• Autosave

• Track changes

• Comments

• Familiar UI (no new editor to learn)

When you close the tab, the file is already updated back in SharePoint.

If this same file is attached to 10 different Confluence pages, every page shows the updated version instantly.

Step 6: How Editing & Permission Control Works in Practice

Once your SharePoint or OneDrive folder is connected, Confluence doesn’t store copies of your documents. It simply displays the originals.

When someone clicks Edit on a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, the file opens in the Microsoft 365 web editor, where your team can edit, review, and collaborate without downloading anything.

Here’s what actually happens:

• Click Edit on an attached file (from the page, file manager, or preview).

• The file opens in the Microsoft 365 Online editor.

• Autosave continuously saves every change.

• If the file is .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx, real-time co-authoring works just like in Office Online.

• When you close the browser tab, the work is already saved back to SharePoint.

• Every Confluence page where that file is attached shows the latest version instantly.

About OpenDocument formats (.odt, .ods, .odp): These can also be opened through Microsoft 365, but they do not support real-time co-authoring. They open for editing, just not simultaneous multi-user editing. The content still syncs back to SharePoint.

How Permissions Are Respected (No New System to Learn)

The connector works with your existing governance model:

No duplicate permissions.
No new portal.
No additional user management step.

However, one important detail:

Permissions are applied when the file or folder is attached to the Confluence page. If SharePoint permissions change later, the file attachment won’t automatically update. To apply new access rules, simply re-attach the file or folder.

This ensures access isn’t accidentally removed or granted, so permission changes are always intentional.

For Stricter Compliance-Driven Organizations

If your organization requires that users have a Microsoft 365 account with access to the file in order to see or edit it, simply enable:

Require Authentication (Admin Setting)

This enforces:

• SharePoint / OneDrive access rules at the source

• Audit-friendly identity and permission tracking

• Zero risk of unauthorized file access inside Confluence

This is especially beneficial for Finance, Legal, HR, Security, and regulated industries.

Best Practices for Rolling Out Confluence SharePoint Integration (So It Scales Smoothly)

Once the connector is installed, most teams don’t struggle with using it; the friction usually comes from how the file structure and access model are organized. A bit of upfront structure prevents the version chaos you were trying to eliminate in the first place.

Here are the rollout patterns that consistently work across organizations.

1. Start With One Team or Department, Not the Entire Company

Integration is not just a technical switch; it’s a workflow shift.

Start with one group that already uses Confluence and SharePoint heavily, such as:

• PMO or project management teams

• HR / People Ops

• Finance & compliance groups

• Product teams or engineering documentation groups

This gives you:

• Real usage feedback

• Real examples to show other teams later

• A reusable setup pattern

2. Choose the Right Folder Structure for Confluence

Don’t expose the entire SharePoint site to Confluence spaces. That just recreates the “shared drive chaos” inside Confluence.

Use this rule instead:

Connect the folder where approved documents live, not where drafts and scratch work happen.

Good examples to connect:

This keeps Confluence pages clean, navigable, and trustworthy.

3. Maintain One Source of Truth, in SharePoint

Files should always be stored in SharePoint, not in Confluence attachments.

So the workflow rule is:

If it's a document, it lives in SharePoint. If it's context, decisions, or explanation, it lives in Confluence.

This prevents:

• Versioning problems

• Migration headaches

• Internal debates about “which version is correct”

The connector works because it keeps ownership clear.

4. Use Confluence Pages to Explain Why, Not Just Link Files

Linking a folder is not enough.

Confluence provides the “thinking”.

Example:

Instead of embedding a spreadsheet alone, write:

“This is the weekly project budget tracker.
Updated live from Finance's SharePoint library.
If you see something that needs a change, click Edit and update directly; no local copies.”

A short sentence like this prevents:

• Confusion

• Accidental duplicates

• People downloading to “just tweak something”

5. Keep Permissions Tight and Consistent

Use this simple but powerful rule:

You should not:

• Grant edit access in Confluence but read-only in SharePoint

• Share files via “Anyone with this link” permissions

• Upload edited versions back into Confluence

That leads right back to version chaos.

6. Turn On Require Authentication for Regulated Workflows

If your files include:

• HR data

• Finance reports

• Legal documents

• Security/audit records

Enable "Require Authentication" in the connector settings.

This ensures:

• Only Microsoft 365 identities can open files

• SharePoint audit logs stay valid

• No accidental “public by link” access

Trust is good. Verification is better.

7. Train Teams With One Message:

“Do Not Upload Files to Confluence. Attach Them From SharePoint Instead.”

This is the habit that changes everything.

Make it a team-wide norm:

• /sharepoint → Always attach live files

• No downloading

• No uploading copies

• No “final_final_v3” versions

The connector replaces the upload workflow entirely.

Quick Recap: The Rules That Keep Workflow Clean

When teams follow these patterns, the integration becomes invisible; it just works.

Conclusion: One Workspace, One Source of Truth, Zero Document Chase

Confluence and SharePoint were always meant to complement each other: one for the thinking, the other for the files. The problem was never the tools. It was the space between them.

When documents get uploaded, copied, renamed, and re-shared across teams, the result is predictable:

• Multiple versions of the same file

• Extra meetings just to clarify “what changed”

• Decisions are delayed because no one is sure which copy is correct

The SharePoint Connector for Confluence removes that gap:

• Files stay stored once in SharePoint or OneDrive

• Confluence displays them as live, always-current documents

• Teams preview and edit Word, Excel & PowerPoint using Microsoft 365

• Every page always shows the latest version

• Your existing permission and compliance rules remain in control

No migration.
No file duplication.
No workflow change.

Just clarity.

A single source of truth, used everywhere teams work.

Next Steps (Simple and Fast)

You can try the SharePoint Connector for Confluence now: Install SharePoint Connector for Confluence

Or, if you'd prefer to see it in your workflow first: Book a 10-minute walkthrough

Also Connecting Jira?

If your work flows through Jira (tickets, service requests, project tasks), you can enable the same seamless access there, too.

Try SharePoint Connector for Jira: Attach live SharePoint or OneDrive files directly to issues, no uploading, no version drift, no friction.

Confluence = knowledge
Jira = work tracking
SharePoint = document governance
Together = one continuous workflow.

Working Across Multiple Cloud Storage Platforms?

If your organization uses more than one storage provider (SharePoint + Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, etc.), consider:

• Team Files for Confluence

• Team Files for Jira

These apps let you connect multiple storage services, attach folders anywhere, preview and edit files in place, and maintain a single source of truth across platforms.

One workspace.
No silos.
No duplicates.