Topic
- Content & Knowledge Management
- Cross-Team Collaboration
- Workflow Automation & Efficiency
Featured Apps
Table of Contents
The problem
Confluence Cloud migration is rarely a single cutover event. Most organizations migrate gradually, space by space, over weeks or months. During this time, it is common for some teams to continue working in Confluence Data Center while others begin operating in Confluence Cloud.
As soon as shared spaces exist in both environments, content starts to diverge. Updates are made in one place but not the other. Teams become unsure which version of a page is current, decisions are made based on outdated information, and admins are pulled into constant manual checks just to keep content aligned.
What often begins as a short hybrid phase turns into an extended period of coexistence, making it increasingly difficult to maintain a single source of truth in Confluence.
Who this affects
This challenge most directly impacts Confluence Admins and IT teams responsible for planning and executing the migration. It also affects program leads, space owners, and team managers who rely on shared documentation to coordinate work and communicate decisions.
End users feel the effects as well, even if they are not involved in the migration itself, through reduced trust in Confluence content and uncertainty about which information is accurate.
Real-world migration scenarios
Using Atlassian’s Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant (CCMA)
Many organizations rely on Atlassian’s Confluence Cloud Migration Assistant to move spaces from Data Center to Cloud. CCMA works well for one-time migration, but once a space has been migrated, there is no ongoing synchronization between Cloud and Data Center.
If migration is paused, rolled back, or extended, updates made in one environment are no longer reflected in the other. Teams must manually coordinate changes or accept that content will drift over time.
When hybrid usage becomes unavoidable
In practice, not all teams migrate at the same pace. One department may move fully to Cloud early, while another remains on Data Center due to dependencies, compliance requirements, or timing constraints.
Despite this, teams continue to rely on shared Confluence spaces such as onboarding guides, program documentation, or leadership updates. Without a way to keep these spaces aligned, admins are forced to choose between freezing updates, duplicating work, or tolerating inconsistencies.
Native tools and manual workarounds
Before introducing additional tools, admins often try to manage hybrid setups through manual processes. These may include copying pages between spaces, exporting and importing content, enforcing read-only policies, or relying heavily on governance rules and communication.
While these approaches can work temporarily, they increase operational overhead and depend heavily on human discipline. As content volume grows and more teams are involved, they become difficult to sustain and introduce a higher risk of error.
How teams address this at scale
As hybrid operation continues, teams recognize that maintaining a single source of truth requires more than process and communication alone. They need a way to keep critical Confluence spaces aligned automatically, without blocking progress or forcing teams to change how they work.
The goal is not to replace Atlassian’s native migration tools, but to complement them by supporting hybrid coexistence in a controlled and sustainable way.
Introducing Space Sync for Confluence (Data Center)
Space Sync for Confluence (Data Center) is used to synchronize selected Confluence spaces between Cloud and Data Center during the hybrid phase. Admins typically start by identifying spaces that must remain consistent across environments, such as shared knowledge bases, onboarding content, or executive dashboards.
Synchronization is applied selectively and intentionally, working alongside CCMA for initial migration and existing Confluence governance practices. This allows teams to continue working in their respective environments while keeping shared content aligned where it matters most.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, see: How to Keep Confluence Cloud and Data Center Content in Sync During Hybrid Migration
What teams gain during migration
Maintaining a single source of truth during migration delivers both immediate and long-term benefits.
Operationally, shared Confluence spaces remain consistent across Cloud and Data Center, reducing manual rework and eliminating confusion over which page is correct. Teams spend less time validating information and more time executing on their work.
From a migration perspective, organizations gain flexibility. Teams can migrate at their own pace without disrupting collaboration or forcing premature cutovers. For admins and the business, this approach reduces risk, restores trust in Confluence as a reliable knowledge system, and creates a smoother transition to Cloud.
