How to compare page versions in Confluence
Compare two Confluence publications in Version history by selecting their checkboxes and choosing Compare selected versions.
Use the comparison to answer a specific review question, such as whether the release scope changed between approval and engineering handoff. It is a published-version comparison, not a complete record of every keystroke.
Step-by-step guide
Choose meaningful endpoints
Open More actions → Version history. Pick the approved scope and the version sent to engineering using timestamps and comments. Comparing adjacent versions is useful for one edit; comparing the approval baseline with today’s version answers a wider change question.
Run the native comparison
Check the boxes beside the two versions, then select Compare selected versions. Read the displayed differences rather than assuming the newer version contains only the changes described in its change comment.
Inspect changes in their surrounding context
For example, distinguish “bulk export excluded” becoming “bulk export included” from a harmless wording correction. Large unchanged sections are collapsed to an ellipsis, so open the full version when a decision depends on surrounding conditions.
Record the review result
Capture the two version numbers, the material scope changes and who needs to approve them. If content needs correction, edit the current page and publish normally; reviewing a comparison does not itself update the page.
Common mistakes
Treating a diff as approval
The comparison identifies changed content. It does not prove that a stakeholder approved the new scope.
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.