A live doc saves every change on its own and shows it to everyone straight away, with no publish button involved. A page works the other way round: you draft it, publish it, and each publish adds a version you can compare or restore. Pick a live doc for fast shared writing and a page for content that should only change when you say so.
What a live doc does that a page doesn't
Think of a live doc as a shared notepad and a page as a document with a release step. The difference shows up the moment you start typing, because a live doc never asks you to confirm anything before your team sees it.
- Every edit is saved automatically and appears for all viewers in real time.
- There's no publishing step, so what you type is what your team sees.
- Up to 40 people can edit the same live doc at the same time.
- Up to 100 people can have it open as viewers at once.
- Version history still exists: a new version is stored when editing begins and finalised roughly 10-15 minutes after the last edit.
Live doc and page side by side
If you only want the headline differences, this is the short version.
| Live doc | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Saving | Automatic, on every change | You publish when the content is ready |
| Who sees edits, and when | Everyone with access, instantly | Readers see the last published version |
| When a version is added | Automatically, while people edit | With each successive publish |
| Switching | Convert to page, in More actions | Convert to live doc, in More actions |
How a page and a live doc behave once your team gets to work
A page starts life as a draft. The first time you share it, you select Publish... in the top right of the editor toolbar and confirm its location, who can access it and any version comments. Every later publish adds another entry to the page's version history, and you can compare those versions or restore an older one.
That rhythm suits content where you want a clear before and after. You can work on wording, tidy the layout and only push the update out when it's ready.
A live doc skips all of that. Changes are visible to everyone with access the instant they're made, which is brilliant when five people are filling in notes during a call and painful if you'd rather nobody saw a half-finished paragraph. There's no draft state to hide behind.
So the choice isn't about features so much as timing. Ask yourself whether readers should see the work as it happens, or only once someone signs it off.
The catch: admins control whether live docs exist in a space
Live docs have to be turned on in the space, and space admins can switch them on or off. If a space doesn't offer them, ask that space's admin.
The second limit is size. A live doc tops out at 40 simultaneous editors and 100 simultaneous viewers. For a team workshop that's plenty. If you expect more readers than that at once, plan around the 100-viewer figure before you choose a live doc as the home for it.
How to switch a live doc to a page, or a page to a live doc
You don't have to get the choice right first time. Both directions are a menu option away.
Turning a live doc into a page
- Open the live doc and select Convert to page from the More actions menu.
- Review your publish settings and confirm them.
Turning a published page into a live doc
- Open the page and select Convert to live doc from the More actions menu.
- Select Confirm to make the switch.
One way to use both is to start meeting notes or a rough plan as a live doc while everyone's contributing, then convert it to a page once the content settles and you want changes to go through a publish again.
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Who should use which
Live docs suit small groups writing together right now: meeting notes, brainstorms, quick drafts and working lists where speed matters more than polish. If the people involved would otherwise be pasting comments into chat, a live doc gives them one place to type.
Pages suit anything people rely on as a reference, such as process guides, policies and project documentation, where readers should only see changes someone has signed off. If you're still getting to grips with how spaces and pages fit together, my guide to what Confluence is and how it organises content covers the basics.
And if you're weighing up whether this way of working fits your team at all, it's worth comparing it with how Notion handles shared docs or browsing other wiki tools for team knowledge before you commit.
As of Nov 2026, Atlassian's support documentation is the reference for how live docs and pages behave in your Confluence site.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a way to keep a live doc hidden while I finish it?
Yes. You can make a live doc private at any time, so do that first if the content isn't ready for the whole space.
Where does a new live doc appear?
In the space sidebar, straight away, where anyone with access to the space can see it.
If I convert a live doc to a page, can I turn it back later?
Yes. Once it's a published page, Convert to live doc in More actions switches it back, followed by Confirm.
Do version comments work the same way in live docs?
Version comments are part of a page's first publish, alongside location and access. For live docs, check Atlassian's help page before relying on them.
How long does a live doc wait before closing a version?
Roughly 10-15 minutes after the last edit, so a burst of typing ends up as one entry rather than dozens.
