How to archive a page tree in Confluence
Archive a Confluence page tree by archiving the parent and including its nested items in the confirmation.
Nested archiving is all or nothing for the items you can archive. For a completed launch workspace, first move any still-active runbook outside the branch so it remains discoverable.
Step-by-step guide
Check the branch and its access
Inspect the parent and descendants before archiving. You need permission to archive the relevant items; space-level archive permission does not override view restrictions. Set explicit view restrictions where inherited access could change when items leave the live tree.
Move active exceptions out first
Suppose “Spring launch” contains a reusable rollback runbook and obsolete launch notes. Move the runbook to an active operations parent before archiving. The nested-archive option is not a selective descendant checklist.
Archive the parent with nested items
Open the parent’s More actions menu, choose Archive and include its nested items. Add a reason identifying the completed release and its replacement documentation. Items you cannot view or archive may remain and move up the live hierarchy.
Verify both the archive and remaining tree
Open Space settings → Content → Archived and inspect the preserved hierarchy. Recheck access on any descendants left behind under a new parent. Links still work with an Archived indicator; archive is not permanent deletion.
Common mistakes
Assuming every descendant moved
Permission exceptions can leave content behind. Inspect the remaining tree instead of relying on the parent’s absence.
Sources and verification
Based on product documentation checked on 2026-11-04. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.