Page Branching can be configured at two levels: globally for the whole site and per space. Site administrators set the site-wide default, and space administrators decide how branching behaves inside their own space.
Global administration
Site administrators can open Page Branching global settings (from Settings → Apps → Page Branching, or the app’s global settings entry) to decide whether Page Branching is enabled by default in all spaces.
If you turn this off, Page Branching is only available in spaces where a space administrator explicitly enables it – ideal for a controlled rollout.
📷 Screenshot needed: The Page Branching global settings panel under Settings → Apps, showing the Enable by default in all spaces toggle.
Space administration
In each space, open Space settings → Apps → Page Branching to configure:
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Enable Page Branching in this space – turn branching on or off for the space
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After merge – choose whether merged branches are archived (moved to an archive area under Branches) or deleted
We have found that Archive meets the needs of the majority of teams: it keeps a history of what was merged, which is great for audits and rollbacks. Pick Delete if you prefer a minimal page tree.
📷 Screenshot needed: Page Branching space settings page with the Enable toggle on and the After merge option set to Archive.
Permissions
Page Branching uses Confluence’s standard permission model – no extra permission system to learn.
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Users need normal create and edit permission on the original page to create a branch.
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Space settings can only be changed by space administrators.
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Branch pages inherit access from the space Branches parent page, so they follow your existing space permissions automatically.
If you need branches to be visible to a smaller group, set page restrictions on the Branches parent page or on individual branches, exactly like you would on any other Confluence page.
Where branches are stored
Branch content is kept as regular Confluence pages under a parent page titled Branches in each space. Because branches are real pages, your existing Confluence backup, search, and audit tooling already covers them – no separate data store to worry about.
📷 Screenshot needed: The space sidebar showing the Branches parent page with several branch child pages underneath, plus an Archive sub-area.