In Confluence, go to the space, select More actions then Space settings, open Look and Feel, choose Templates and select Create new template. Only space administrators can do this. You can add variables, placeholder text and labels, but not images or attachments, and your team then picks the template when creating a page.
Check you're a space admin first
Only space administrators can create or edit templates in Confluence Cloud. If you don't have Admin permission for the space, you won't see the Look and feel card in Space settings at all, so there's no greyed-out button to give you a clue. If the option's missing, ask whoever runs the space to make you an admin or to build the template for you.
This page covers space templates, which live in one space and are available to anyone creating pages there.
Building the template
- Open the space where the template should live.
- Next to the space name in the sidebar, select More actions (•••), then Space settings.
- Open the Look and Feel menu and select Templates.
- Select Create new template.
- Add placeholder text with /placeholder, variables with /variable, and any labels.
- Add a description from Templates in Space settings, using the pencil icon in the Description column.
The description matters more than it looks. It appears in the template gallery, so it's what helps a colleague choose the right one when there are several. Something like 'Use for every new client kick-off' beats a blank.
Variables, placeholders and labels compared
| Element | What the page creator sees | How to add it |
|---|---|---|
| Variable | A form field or drop-down to fill in when they create the page | Type /variable and press Enter (new editor only) |
| Placeholder text | Instructions or sample text while editing, invisible once published | Type /placeholder, press Enter, type the text, press Enter again |
| Label | Applied automatically to every page made from the template | Enter labels separated by spaces, then Add and Close |
A variable can be Text, Multi-line Text or List. Variables with the same name must share the same parameters, and whatever someone enters for one copy appears everywhere that variable is used. That's handy for a client name that appears in the title, the summary and the sign-off.
Labels earn their keep in reporting. Because a template's labels carry through to every page made from it, a page properties report can pull all those pages together without anyone tagging them by hand.
What your team sees when they use it
Once it's saved, colleagues pick the template when they create a page in that space, guided by the description in the gallery. If you've added variables, they're shown a short form with a field or drop-down for each one before the page opens. Placeholder text sits in the page while they edit it, then disappears when they publish.
No images, and variables need the new editor
Atlassian Support's guide to creating a template is clear on the two limits. There's currently no way to add images or attachments to a template, so your logo or a standard diagram will have to be added to each page after it's created. And variables only work in templates built with the new editor. If /variable does nothing, that's the reason.
A template worth building first
For a small agency or consultancy, a client kick-off page is the obvious first template: a List variable for the service, a Text variable for the client name, placeholder text explaining what goes in each section, and a 'kick-off' label so every one lands in a single report. Build that, use it on two clients, then adjust.
Templates in Notion
In Notion you create a template from inside a database. The template page shows a bar across the top naming the database it belongs to, and you can set properties for it, such as a bug report template.
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My advice before you roll it out
Keep the first template short. Use variables for the things that change every time, placeholder text for the guidance, and a label so you can report on the pages later. Write a one-line description so people pick it, and accept that images go in after the page is created.
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Frequently asked questions
Who can create a Confluence template?
Only space administrators can create or edit templates in a space.
Can a Confluence template include images?
No. There's currently no way to add images or attachments in templates.
What's the difference between a variable and placeholder text?
A variable becomes a form field the page creator fills in. Placeholder text is instruction text visible only while editing.
Can a template add labels automatically?
Yes. Labels added to the template are applied to pages created from it.
Where do I find the template option?
Space settings, then Look and Feel, then Templates.
