Confluence Page Restrictions

Page restrictions let you control who can view or edit a specific page, independently of the space's overall permissions. Use restrictions to protect sensitive content while keeping the rest of your space open and collaborative.

Restrictions vs Space Permissions

Space permissions control who enters the space. Page restrictions control who accesses one particular page inside that space. Think of it like a museum: space permissions decide who enters the building, while page restrictions lock individual exhibition rooms.

Museum Analogy

MUSEUM (Confluence Site)
│
├── SPACE PERMISSIONS = Who can enter the museum
│
└── PAGE RESTRICTIONS = Which rooms need a special key
      │
      ├── 📄 Public Gallery        → anyone with museum entry can see it
      ├── 📄 Members-Only Room     → restricted: members only
      └── 📄 Director's Office     → restricted: director + PA only

Two Types of Page Restrictions

Confluence offers two restriction options for any page.

Restriction Types

RESTRICTION         WHAT IT PREVENTS        WHO STILL HAS ACCESS
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
View restriction    Others cannot see       Only the people or groups you list
                    the page at all

Edit restriction    Others cannot edit      Anyone can read; only listed
                    the page                people can change it

Edit restrictions are the more common choice. Teams use them to protect finalised documents — like an approved policy — from accidental edits while keeping the content readable by everyone.

Setting a Page Restriction

Restrictions live on the page itself, not in space settings.

Steps to Add a Restriction

STEP 1  →  Open the page you want to restrict
STEP 2  →  Click the lock icon 🔒 (top-right toolbar)
            OR click … → Restrictions
STEP 3  →  The restrictions panel opens
STEP 4  →  Choose: "Edit" or "View and Edit"
STEP 5  →  Search for a person or group to allow access
STEP 6  →  Click Add → then Apply
RESULT  →  The page shows a 🔒 icon in the sidebar

Restriction Panel Diagram

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔒 Page Restrictions                                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Restrict:  ○ View and Edit    ● Editing only           │
│                                                         │
│  Allow these people/groups to edit:                     │
│  [Search people or groups...]                           │
│                                                         │
│  ✓ Priya Sharma (added)                                 │
│  ✓ HR Managers Group (added)                            │
│                                                         │
│              [Cancel]  [Apply]                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

How Restrictions Affect Child Pages

A restriction on a parent page does not automatically apply to its child pages. Each page inherits no restrictions by default. You must set restrictions on child pages separately if you need them protected.

Restriction Inheritance Diagram

📄 HR Policies (restricted: View — HR only)
│
├── 📄 Leave Policy             ← NOT automatically restricted
│                                  (set separately if needed)
└── 📄 Salary Bands             ← NOT automatically restricted

This means a user blocked from viewing the parent page can still access a child page directly if it has no restrictions. Review child pages when you set restrictions on a parent.

Viewing Who Has Access

Click the lock icon on any restricted page to see the current access list. This shows you exactly which people and groups can view or edit the page.

Access Summary View

🔒 Current Restrictions on: "Salary Bands 2025"

View access:   HR Managers Group, Finance Director
Edit access:   HR Managers Group

Everyone else: ✗ Cannot view or edit this page

Removing a Restriction

Open the restrictions panel, click the × next to each person or group you want to remove, then click Apply. Remove the final restriction and the page becomes open to all space members again.

Common Restriction Use Cases

When to Use Page Restrictions

SITUATION                           RESTRICTION TYPE    WHO TO ALLOW
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Salary or compensation docs         View + Edit         HR team only
Final approved policy               Edit only           HR Managers Group
Draft page not ready to share       View + Edit         Author only
Board meeting minutes               View + Edit         Executives only
Confidential client proposal        View + Edit         Account team only

Space Admin Override

Space administrators can always see and edit all pages in their space, regardless of page restrictions. This prevents a situation where a restricted page becomes inaccessible because the person who set the restriction leaves the team. Space admins act as the safety net — Topic 16 covers space administration in full.