Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact us if you need more explanation or have any other questions.

Can we still use Wiki Markup in ThemeBuilder?

Yes, you can still use wiki markup in ThemeBuilder. There's an option in the Panel Editor to choose between Storage Format, Wiki Markup, or Plain HTML for each panel. You can also use the New Macro Insert and Editor buttons in Wiki Markup mode. Remember that wiki markup in a skin has to be processed by Confluence to be displayed as HTML, making it less efficient than rendering in the storage format. That extra processing time may be measured in milliseconds. Still, this can be a crucial detail at the enterprise level, so we recommend using the storage format as soon as you're comfortable with it.

Can we use existing Theme Builder layouts in the new version?

No, we tried hard to make this happen but just couldn't. This is mainly because there isn't an efficient way to allow full backward compatibility with the new skin format. The power and flexibility in skins are such advancements on previous ThemeBuilder versions that it would have negatively impacted the product to allow old layouts to be imported. We knew this would be an issue with our loyal ThemeBuilder users, so we created the new, free Layout Exporter app to help you migrate your layout to ThemeBuilder.

The Layout Exporter can export a ThemeBuilder layout into the new skin format. However, some manual conversion may still be needed if, for example, you have a theme that uses complex menu code or older, deprecated macros. Please remember that the Confluence 5 user interface has evolved, and these older designs need to be reviewed and updated to ensure you're taking advantage of all the great new functionality in Confluence and ThemeBuilder.

Do we have to pay for the Layout Exporter?

No, the Layout Exporter app is entirely free, and it can be downloaded from the Migrating from ThemeBuilder 4 to ThemeBuilder 5 page.

Where has the panel layout view gone?

The new code used in ThemeBuilder to hold all the Confluence content together has a different fixed, table-based framework than the previous ThemeBuilder version relied on for a content layout. The ROOT Skin recreates the standard Confluence 5 look to give you a familiar starting point for a new design, but because the whole page is now based on HTML divs, not tables, you're free to pull apart and rebuild a Confluence page in any shape you like when you customize a skin.

Because the panel divs are positioned on the page only when that page is finally displayed in the browser, we can't show a panel view that resembles the finished page. ThemeBuilder presents all panels in a list to edit names and descriptions to help you relate those panels to the correct areas on the finished page. The bonus here is that you are no longer limited by a fixed number or positioning of content panels. You can have as many panels as you want in a skin, nest them, and position them where you want with CSS.

Will there be a mobile responsive skin?

The great thing about the ThemeBuilder is that it takes Confluence elements out of the standard theme and rebuilds them inside your custom HTML. If you want a theme that meets mobile or responsive needs, you can build that into your skin precisely as you would with any other web template.

We will also work on a mobile skin to be released as part of the new Themes For Confluence product.

Can ThemeBuilder control content display so it can only be seen by certain groups?

Yes, one of the powerful features in ThemeBuilder is the ability to set conditional logic that controls content display under certain pre-set circumstances. This is known as flagLogic, and in previous versions, it was often used with the Builder Show and Builder Hide macros to wrap logic-controlled content. ThemeBuilder 5 takes this logic a step further by adding into every ThemeBuilder macro the ability to detect and use flags, making the conditional display a native part of every function in your skin.

You can read more about FlagLogic in our ThemeBuilder 5 Documentation.

Will there be more support in the paid version?

Yes, for licences of 50 users or higher, the paid version of ThemeBuilder will include one year of Help Desk support, app maintenance, and updates.

There will be community support forums and app maintenance and updates.

Can the images in the Carousel Macro have alt tags added for accessibility?

The Carousel macro is a decorative item; the images are added to the page as CSS backgrounds; therefore, they should not need alt tags. We have added an accessibility review of the Carousel Macro to the ThemeBuilder roadmap, but please contact us if this is an urgent issue for you.

Can I use the ThemeBuilder macros without creating a custom skin?

Yes, if you have ThemeBuilder installed with a current license, you can use any of the included macros, like the Carousel Macro, in any of your Confluence pages.

For ThemeBuilder support, if you cannot find the answer in our documentation, please read the Adaptavist Product and Add-ons Support SLA.