A Confluence database is one of the content types you can create in Confluence Cloud, and there are four ways to start one: describe it to Rovo, use the Create button, select + beside Content or a parent item in the space sidebar, or type /database in the editor. Once it's created, setup gives you three starts, which are inserting Jira issues, using a template or importing a CSV file, or you can begin with a blank database.
Here's the catch. Where your database lands depends on how you create it and what you're allowed to do. If you use the Create button in a space where you don't have edit permission, the database defaults to your personal space, not the team space you were looking at. And if your organisation runs on the Atlassian Government environment, databases aren't available at all, as of October 2026.
The four ways to create a Confluence database
| Start method | How |
|---|---|
| Rovo | Create, Create with Rovo, describe the data, Submit, then Add to Confluence |
| Create button | Create, then Database |
| Content tree | Select + next to Content, or next to a parent item, in the space sidebar |
| Editor | Type /database |
They all end in the same place, a database, but they suit different moments. The content tree route is the one I'd use when I already know where the database belongs, because you're picking its position as you create it. Typing /database is quickest when you're already writing in the editor and realise a list would work better as structured records. The Create button is the general route, and Rovo is for when you'd rather describe what you need than build it field by field.
Creating a database with Rovo
The Rovo route is a short conversation. You select Create, then Create with Rovo, and describe the data you want to keep. Submit gives you a preview, and you can keep refining it in conversation before you select Add to Confluence.
The preview is the useful bit. You see the structure before anything lands in your space, so you can ask for changes until the fields look right. I'd describe the data the way you'd explain it to a new colleague: what each record is and what you need to know about it. Nothing is added to Confluence until you choose to add it, so trying a few descriptions costs you nothing.
Where your new database ends up
This trips people up. Created from the Create button without edit permission in the current space, the database goes to your personal space. That's a sensible fallback, because it stops you from adding content where you're not allowed to, but it means a database you meant to share can end up somewhere only you'd think to look.
Two habits avoid it. Check that you can edit the space before you start, and if you know exactly where the database should live, create it from the content tree with + beside Content or beside the parent item it belongs under. Databases sit in the content tree like pages, so treat placement the way you'd treat placing a page.
Jira issues, a template, a CSV file or blank
After you create the database, setup offers three ways to fill it, or you can skip them and start blank. Each one fits a different starting point.
| Starting point | When I'd pick it |
|---|---|
| Connect a Jira instance and insert issues | The records you want to track already exist as Jira issues |
| Use a template | You know roughly what you want and would rather adjust than design |
| Import a CSV file | The data lives in a spreadsheet today and you're moving it into Confluence |
| Start blank | You know the exact fields you need and want nothing extra |
The CSV import is the one most teams will reach for first, because so much of this kind of data starts life in a spreadsheet someone keeps updating by hand. The Jira option is the one to remember if you've got a team writing in Confluence and tracking work in Jira, because you start from issues you already have.
Databases next to pages, live docs and whiteboards
Confluence creates pages, live docs, whiteboards, databases and slides, so a database is one choice among several. Atlassian says pages suit versioned content such as documentation or policy. Live docs support up to 30 simultaneous editors, which makes them the pick for a document a group is writing together.
A database earns its place when you're keeping records rather than writing prose. If the content is a policy or a how-to people need to trust, a page is the better home. If it's a list of things that each have the same details, such as items with an owner and a status, that's where a database beats a table pasted into a page.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
How to set up your first database
- Select Create in the navigation.
- Choose Database, or Create with Rovo if you'd rather describe it.
- Pick Jira issues, a template or a CSV import, or start blank.
- Name the fields and add your records.
My verdict on Confluence databases
I'd use one if your team already lives in Confluence and you're keeping a list in a spreadsheet next to it, because a CSV import brings that list in beside the pages that explain it. Create it from the content tree so it lands where people will find it, and check your edit permission first so it doesn't drop into your personal space. I'd skip it if you're on the Atlassian Government environment, where databases aren't available, or if what you're writing is policy that needs versioned pages. If you're still working out what Confluence costs on each plan, here's a breakdown of the Confluence plans, and if you're weighing it up against Jira, start with how Jira and Confluence split the work.
Setting up a database is a small job. The AI workflows around it are where I come in. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement, AI automation and GEO, which is about getting your business seen and cited in AI answers. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams, telecom companies and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a database in Confluence?
Use Rovo, the Create button then Database, + beside Content or a parent item in the space sidebar, or type /database in the editor.
Can I import a CSV into a Confluence database?
Yes. Setup lets you import a CSV file, connect a Jira instance and insert issues, use a template, or start blank.
Why did my Confluence database go to my personal space?
If you create it from the Create button without edit permission in the current space, it defaults to your personal space.
Can Rovo create a Confluence database?
Yes. Select Create, then Create with Rovo, describe the data, Submit for a preview, refine it in conversation and select Add to Confluence.
Are Confluence databases available in the Government environment?
No. As of October 2026 databases are not available in the Atlassian Government environment.
What's the difference between a Confluence page and a database?
Pages suit versioned content such as documentation or policy. A database is a separate content type for structured records.
