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 teams document how work happens
On the other side, you have SharePoint and OneDrive:
where governance and compliance are managed
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:
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.
Still deciding whether your team needs both platforms in the first place? Our Confluence vs SharePoint comparison breaks down where each one is stronger.
Want to jump ri
Let's imagine how work should flow if tools weren't getting in the way.
Confluence is where teams:
It's where the story of the work lives.
SharePoint (and OneDrive for Business) is where teams:
It's where the source of truth for documents lives.
Teams end up doing this:
Multiply that by:
And suddenly the team is arguing about documents instead of using them.
|
Action |
Where It Happens |
Result |
|---|---|---|
|
Write documentation |
Confluence |
Everyone sees context + decisions |
|
Store and manage documents |
SharePoint / OneDrive |
Governance stays intact |
|
Preview + edit documents |
Directly inside Confluence |
No downloading, no duplicates |
|
Collaborate in Word/Excel/PowerPoint |
Microsoft 365 |
Real-time editing stays supported |
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".
To make this workflow real, you need something that:
That's exactly what ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence does, but without forcing teams to change how they already work.
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.
This is the quickest workaround. Someone grabs a SharePoint link and pastes it into a Confluence page. It works... until it doesn't.
This leads to time spent verifying documents instead of using them.
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.
Some IT teams try to fix the problem with:
These solutions are clever, until they become technical debt:
If your integration only works when one engineer is in the building, it's not reliable.
A connector app handles the integration at the platform level, not the user level.
This means:
No extra workflows. No manual uploads. No IT babysitting.
This is the approach that actually scales across teams, departments, and new hires.
ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in 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.
Most integrations point from Confluence to SharePoint.
This one brings SharePoint into Confluence.
Meaning:
Everything stays connected.
|
Without the Connector |
With the Connector |
|---|---|
|
Files are copied or duplicated |
Files stay in SharePoint. One authoritative version |
|
Users download to edit |
Edit Word, Excel & PowerPoint directly in Confluence |
|
Pages fill up with outdated attachments |
Every page always shows the latest version |
|
Permissions are inconsistent and unclear |
SharePoint + Confluence permissions stay aligned |
|
Collaboration stalls |
Real-time co-authoring works exactly like Office Online |
This workflow is what eliminates confusion:
No one ever asks, "Wait, which version are we reviewing?", because there is only one.
This connector creates immediate clarity and alignment for teams that:
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.
Let's keep this practical. Here's what it actually looks like to connect SharePoint to Confluence using ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector.
No setup scripts. No server-side configuration. No IT project.
Just connect a folder and work.
Go to the SharePoint Connector in Confluence listing on the Atlassian Marketplace and click Try it free. Once installed, you'll see SharePoint Connector in your Confluence sidebar.
Done.
Open the SharePoint Connector from the sidebar. Click Connect folder. Choose where the folder lives:
Authenticate your Microsoft account. Select the folder you want to share with your team. (Optional) Set permissions based on how your team works. Click Connect.
That's it. The folder is now available inside the space.
No copying files. No migrations. No storage changes.
When editing a Confluence page:
Type /attach or /sharepoint. Choose the SharePoint documents or folders you want to display.
You can attach:
They will show up as live, previewable, clickable elements.
Not static attachments. Not copies. Not uploads.
Users can:
All of this stays in Confluence, but is stored in SharePoint.
Click Edit on any Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file.
It opens in the Microsoft 365 online editor.
You get:
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.
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:
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.
The connector works with your existing governance model:
|
Access is Controlled By |
Determines |
|---|---|
|
Confluence permissions |
Who can view the page |
|
SharePoint / OneDrive permissions |
Who can open, view, or edit the file |
|
Optional connector folder access controls |
Restrict visibility to specific users or groups when needed |
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.
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:
This is especially beneficial for Finance, Legal, HR, Security, and regulated industries.
When teams look for ways to connect Confluence with SharePoint, capabilities vary across editing, permissions, admin governance, and how much of SharePoint actually shows up inside Confluence.
Here is how the leading dedicated SharePoint-for-Confluence apps compare.
|
Feature / Capability |
ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence |
Elevatic's SharePoint Connector for Confluence |
Bilith's OneDrive & SharePoint for Confluence |
Apps+'s SharePoint & OneDrive+ Embed for Confluence |
|
Supported Storage |
✅ MS 365 (SharePoint & OneDrive), single-provider |
✅ MS 365 only (SharePoint & OneDrive) |
⚠️ Single-provider, generalist cloud-storage app family |
⚠️ Single-provider, generalist cloud-storage app family |
|
Architecture & Platform |
✅ Atlassian Forge, hosted on Atlassian's own secure cloud runtime |
✅ Atlassian Forge, hosted on Atlassian's own secure cloud runtime |
❌ Atlassian Connect, hosted on external vendor-managed servers |
❌ Atlassian Connect, hosted on external vendor-managed servers |
|
Full File Manager Browser UI |
✅ Live desktop file manager: folder-tree navigation, uploads, in-place file/folder creation, deletion, and renaming |
❌ No file manager; multi-widget presentation views (custom list columns, document carousels, single-file embeds) |
❌ No file manager; minimalist macro cards that pop up preview modals or external links |
❌ No file manager; tabbed container dashboards nesting cloud links alongside text notes |
|
In-Page Live Previews |
✅ Full format previews (Word, Excel, PPT, PDFs, images, video) |
⚠️ Office formats and PDFs |
⚠️ Modal pop-up card previews |
⚠️ Basic file previews inside tabs |
|
Real-Time Co-Authoring & Live Editing |
✅ Edit and co-author without downloading, directly in Confluence |
⚠️ Opens in a separate Microsoft tab |
❌ Redirects out to native apps |
❌ Redirects out to native apps |
|
New File Creation & Direct Uploads |
✅ Create new files or upload directly from Confluence |
⚠️ Direct upload supported |
❌ No direct creation or upload |
❌ No direct creation or upload |
|
Attached vs. Embedded Folder Modes |
✅ Flexible attachment to pages or full folder/library embeds |
⚠️ Embeds and sidebar shortcuts |
❌ Macro link embeds only |
⚠️ Tab container embeds |
|
PDF Editing & Annotation |
✅ Advanced edition: edit text, annotate, fill forms, and digitally sign PDFs in Confluence |
❌ Read/preview only |
❌ Read/preview only |
❌ Read/preview only |
|
AI Assistant Capabilities |
✅ AI document summarization and insight extraction |
✅ AI Smart Assistant for task extraction |
❌ No AI integration |
❌ No AI integration |
|
In-App Folder Access Permissions |
✅ Three levels: open editing, editing restricted, or view/edit restricted by user, group, or role |
❌ Relies solely on page or Microsoft 365 ACLs |
❌ Relies solely on page or cloud-storage ACLs |
❌ Relies solely on page or cloud-storage ACLs |
|
Advanced Admin Governance |
✅ Disable storage types, Mirror Permissions toggle, global macro layout defaults |
⚠️ Basic site URL management |
❌ OAuth client settings only |
❌ Basic macro toggles |
|
User & Space Scope Rules |
✅ Restrict who can use the app and connect folders, and which Confluence spaces can use it |
❌ Confluence default permissions |
❌ Confluence default permissions |
❌ Confluence default permissions |
|
SharePoint Lists Macro |
Advanced Edition: embeds and formats live SharePoint Lists on Confluence pages |
✅ Embeds and formats live SharePoint Lists on Confluence pages |
❌ Not available |
❌ Not available |
|
Embed Confluence pages in SharePoint |
❌ Not currently available |
✅ Yes, via SharePoint web parts |
❌ Not available |
❌ Not available |
|
Security & Compliance |
✅ Cloud Fortified, Forge-native, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA compliant |
✅ Cloud Fortified, ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified |
⚠️ Not detailed in public materials |
⚠️ Not detailed in public materials |
Across the table, ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence comes out ahead of all three competitors on nearly every capability that matters day to day: it's the only one with a real file manager, full-format previews, in-Confluence PDF editing, three-tier folder permissions, and admin-level governance controls, and it's built natively on Forge rather than the Connect framework Bilith's and Apps+'s apps still depend on. For most teams connecting SharePoint to Confluence, it's the stronger, more complete choice.
Elevatic's only edge is very specific: pushing Confluence content into SharePoint web parts. Beyond that single feature, ikuTeam's connector is the superior option across the board.
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.
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:
This gives you:
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:
|
Team |
Folder Examples |
|---|---|
|
HR |
Policies, onboarding docs, employee handbook |
|
Finance |
Templates, budget master spreadsheets, reports library |
|
Product |
Product strategy docs, specs, release notes |
|
PMO |
Project artifacts, timelines, shared reports |
This keeps Confluence pages clean, navigable, and trustworthy.
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:
The connector works because it keeps ownership clear.
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:
Use this simple but powerful rule:
|
If someone should |
Then give them access to |
|---|---|
|
View a page |
View-only in SharePoint |
|
Edit a page |
Edit permissions on the SharePoint folder |
You should not:
That leads right back to version chaos.
If your files include:
Enable "Require Authentication" in the connector settings.
This ensures:
Trust is good. Verification is better.
"Do Not Upload Files to Confluence. Attach Them From SharePoint Instead."
This is the habit that changes everything.
Make it a team-wide norm:
The connector replaces the upload workflow entirely.
|
Do |
Avoid |
|---|---|
|
Store files in SharePoint |
Uploading documents into Confluence |
|
Connect only the folders that matter |
Connecting entire SharePoint sites |
|
Use Confluence for explanation and decisions |
Using Confluence as a storage system |
|
Let Microsoft 365 handle co-editing |
Downloading files to edit locally |
When teams follow these patterns, the integration becomes invisible; it just works.
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:
ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence removes that gap:
No migration. No file duplication. No workflow change.
Just clarity.
A single source of truth, used everywhere teams work.
You can try ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence now, or, if you'd prefer to see it in your workflow first, book a 10-minute walkthrough.
If your work flows through Jira (tickets, service requests, project tasks), you can enable the same seamless access there, too.
Try ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence: 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.
If your organization uses more than one storage provider (SharePoint + Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, etc.), consider:
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.
Can you integrate SharePoint with Confluence? Yes. You can integrate SharePoint with Confluence using ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Jira. This app lets you browse, embed, and edit SharePoint files and folders directly on Confluence pages, with real-time updates and no duplicate copies.
How do I connect SharePoint to Confluence? Install ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence from the Atlassian Marketplace. Open the connector from the Confluence sidebar, click Connect folder, choose SharePoint or OneDrive for Business, and authenticate with your Microsoft 365 account. Select the folder you want to share, and it becomes available inside the space.
Does the integration work with Confluence Data Center? Yes. ikuTeam's SharePoint Connector in Confluence works with both Confluence Cloud and Confluence Data Center 10.0.1 to 10.2.14, so self-managed teams get the same folder browsing, previewing, and editing capabilities as Cloud.
What are the benefits of integrating SharePoint with Confluence? Integrating SharePoint with Confluence helps teams centralize document storage while keeping context and decisions in Confluence, avoid duplicate or outdated file copies, edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files without leaving Confluence, keep SharePoint permissions and compliance intact, and give every page the current version of a file automatically instead of a static upload.