A new Confluence space for every client or project

Checked against Atlassian's documentation on 2 November 2026. Written by the maker of Spacewright, a Confluence app. Every step below works without it.

Agencies, consultancies, PMOs and audit teams often give each client, project or audit cycle its own space. The work is the same each time, so it pays to make it a checklist. This guide has three parts: design the template once, create each new space, and check it.

Part 1: design the template space once

Create an ordinary space called something like Template – Client and build it exactly as a new client space should look. A structure that works for many teams:

• Mark where names go. Use one obvious marker, such as CLIENT NAME, everywhere the real name will appear, so you can find every spot later.
• Use global page templates for recurring pages such as meeting notes. A space's own templates are not copied when you copy its pages; global ones are available everywhere.
• Keep links inside the tree. Link pages to each other with Confluence's link tool, not by pasting full addresses. Links typed as full addresses are the ones most often left pointing at the template.
• Put every page under the home page. One tree can be copied in one operation; several top-level trees cannot.
• Agree on key and name rules, for example key ACME and name Acme – Client. Space keys must be unique on the site.

Part 2: create each new space

With Confluence alone

1. Create → Space, with the agreed name and key. On Premium, use Copy access settings to copy the template space's access, or set access by hand (see copying space permissions).
2. In the template space, duplicate the home page with Include children into the new space in one operation (steps).
3. In the Duplicate dialog, rename the titles in bulk, for example by putting the client name in front.
4. Open each page that contains the marker and use the editor's find and replace. Atlassian Community users report that it can miss text inside some macros, so look over those pages.
5. Add the space description and logo, and give the client's people access.

With Spacewright

Spacewright is our app. A space admin marks the template space as a template once and writes {{client}} instead of a marker. After that, creating a client space is one form: pick the template, type the client name and the new key, choose what to copy and start. Spacewright copies the whole space in the background, fills in the values in titles, text, links and macro settings, switches links to the new space, and writes a report page listing anything it skipped. See Templates and variables.

It does not set the space description or logo, and it does not copy comments, page history, whiteboards or databases (full list).

Part 3: check the new space (5 minutes)

• Search the new space for your marker. Nothing should be left. (With Spacewright, read the report's Placeholders not filled section instead.)
• Click three or four links on different pages. The address should contain the new space key.
• Open pages that use Include page, Page properties report or Content by label, and confirm they show the new client's content, not the template's. See the links guide.
• Open the space's people and permissions screen and confirm only the right people have access.

When the work ends

Consider archiving the space rather than deleting it: archiving takes it out of the space directory without deleting its content. If you use global automation, its Archive space action can do this for you.

Sources

• Atlassian: Move, copy, and hide content items
• Atlassian: Create a template
• Atlassian: Copy space permissions
• Atlassian: Actions in Confluence automation