---
title: "Strategies for content re-use in Confluence"
date: 2014-06-24
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/06/24/strategies-for-content-re-use-in-confluence/
---
# Strategies for content re-use in Confluence
## The scenario

Suppose you're creating a bicycle manual for a Trek 7.3 FX (which happens to be the exact bike I recently bought). There's a 7.1 FX and 7.2 FX model for the Trek bike, which you're also creating online manuals for.

Additionally, the parts are also pushed into another brand entirely: Gary Fisher. The parts are mostly the same for the Gary Fisher and Trek bikes, except the parts for the Fisher bikes are rebranded with the Gary Fisher brand. There are three Gary Fisher bike models: City Slicker 2.0, City Slicker 2.1, and City Slicker 2.2. So in total, you have six manuals to produce from roughly the same content.

There are approximately 30 sections in your manual, with topics such as maintaining brakes, adjusting handlebars, tightening bottom brackets, greasing chains, inflating tires, and so on.

There are some variations between the topics, sometimes as trivial as simple name changes, other times more substantial, such as entirely different processes. For example, while the Trek and Fisher bikes both have Shimano brakes and derailers, the Fisher bikes have different cranks and pedals than the Trek cranks and pedals. Both have the same tires and wheels, but the Fisher has a different spoke size. Both have similar seat stems, but the Trek is fastened via a bolt while the Fisher is fastened with quick release, and so on.

Let's say you're using Atlassian Confluence, and you're writing for an online format. What are your options for content re-use? What strategies do you use?

## Separate spaces for each version

First, you know that your Trek bike customers won't want to see information about Gary Fisher bicycles in the same manual. While a Trek customer might be okay seeing content for 7.1 FX, 7.2, FX, and 7.3 FX model stuffed into the same manual with various notes calling out different versions, the audience won't tolerate documentation for other brands to also be jammed into this same guide. You also don't want readers to know the parts are the same for both bikes.

One strategy is to create a separate space in Confluence where your source content will live. In this space, you write the source documentation. You then create another space for your Trek content and another space for your Gary Fisher content. You can then push the source content into these other spaces. You keep the source documentation space private.