Comparing Branches

Before you merge, it is a great idea to compare a branch with its original page so you know exactly what is about to change. Page Branching gives you a rendered side-by-side view.

Open the diff view

  1. Open the branch page in view mode.

  2. In the Page Branching byline below the page title, open the actions menu.

  3. Choose View diff.

    The Page Branching byline on a branch page with the actions menu open and Diff highlighted.

The diff modal opens with the rendered content of the branch on one side and the original page on the other.

Read the diff

Use the diff to spot accidental deletions, double-check tone changes, or get a quick approval from a reviewer before you publish. Differences are highlighted inline:

  • Added content (new on the branch) is highlighted in green.

  • Removed content (gone on the branch) is highlighted in red.

The diff modal showing a branch with several added paragraphs (green)

Macros appear as readable placeholders in the diff, so you can still see that something changed without wading through raw macro markup.

Page Branching renders both versions as Confluence HTML, so headings, tables, macros, and images all show up like they would on a normal page.

What to do next

Happy with the changes? Close the diff and click Merge from the byline to publish the branch back to the original.

See something off? Click Edit on the branch, polish it, then run the diff again. As long as the branch is still up to date with the original, you can keep iterating safely.

If the diff shows that the original has moved on while you were working on the branch, run Update first to pull the latest content into the branch. See Merge Conflicts if any overlapping edits need attention.