What is Markso Editor for Confluence?
Markso Editor is a free Confluence Cloud plugin that adds three editing capabilities to your Confluence workspace: a live Markdown editor, an XHTML source editor, and a Markdown export tool. Built on Atlassian Forge, it runs entirely within Atlassian infrastructure and never sends your page content to any external server.
System Requirements
Markso Editor requires Confluence Cloud. It is not available for Confluence Data Center or Confluence Server. No additional software, browser extensions, or configuration is required.
Installation
- Go to the Atlassian Marketplace and search for Markso Editor for Confluence.
- Click Get it now and select your Confluence Cloud site.
- Review and accept the permission scopes.
- Markso is installed instantly — no restart or additional configuration required.
Inserting the Macro
Open any Confluence page in edit mode. In the content body, type /Markso or use the Insert menu to find the Markso Markdown macro. Select it to insert a new Markdown editor block on the page.
Writing Markdown
The editor opens in a split-pane view: your Markdown source on the left and a live rendered preview on the right. Markso supports GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM), including:
- Headings (H1–H6), bold, italic, strikethrough
- Ordered and unordered lists, nested lists
- Tables with alignment
- Fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting
- Blockquotes and horizontal rules
- Task lists (interactive checkboxes)
- Mermaid diagrams via fenced
```mermaidblocks - Collapsible sections using
<details>and<summary>
Toolbar Reference
| Group | Actions |
|---|---|
| Text | Bold, Italic, Strikethrough, Inline code, Superscript, Subscript |
| Style | Text colour, Highlight, Font size |
| Structure | H1–H6, Paragraph, Blockquote, Horizontal rule |
| Lists | Ordered list, Unordered list, Task list, Indent, Outdent |
| Insert | Table (size grid), Link, Image, Emoji picker, Mermaid diagram, Collapsible section, Code block |
| Alignment | Left, Centre, Right |
| Actions | Undo, Redo, Dark mode toggle, Full-screen |
Task Lists & Interactivity
Create task list items using - [ ] for unchecked and - [x] for checked. When the page is published, each checkbox is clickable. Checking or unchecking a task saves the updated state back to the macro automatically — no re-editing required.
Mermaid Diagrams
Insert diagrams by opening a fenced code block with ```mermaid. Markso renders the diagram live in the preview pane. Supported types include flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, class diagrams, and state diagrams.
Emoji Shortcodes
Use the emoji picker in the toolbar or type standard shortcodes such as :rocket:, :white_check_mark:, or :warning: directly in your Markdown. Markso resolves shortcodes to Unicode emoji on render.
Dark Mode
Click the moon icon in the toolbar to switch the editor to a VS Code-style dark theme. Your preference is saved to your Atlassian account via Forge KV Store and persists across sessions and devices.
Uploading Images as Attachments
Drag and drop an image into the editor or use the image toolbar button. Markso uploads the file as a Confluence page attachment and inserts the correct Markdown image reference automatically. Images are stored as standard Confluence attachments and follow your page's permissions.
Opening the Source Editor
On any published Confluence page, open the page actions menu (•••) and select Edit XHTML Source. The Source Editor opens as a full-screen modal showing the raw Confluence storage format for the page.
Editing XHTML
The editor uses CodeMirror 6 with full XML syntax highlighting and live validation. The Save button is disabled until your XHTML is fully valid — invalid markup cannot be written to the page under any circumstances.
Format & Prettify
Click Format in the toolbar or press Shift+Alt+F to auto-indent and prettify the XHTML. This is non-destructive — it only adjusts whitespace and indentation.
Find & Replace
Press Ctrl+F to open Find, or Ctrl+H to open Find & Replace. Both support plain text and regular expressions.
Tag Folding
Click the fold gutter to the left of any opening tag to collapse its contents. Use the toolbar button to fold all regions at once. Folding is visual only and does not affect the saved content.
Preview Before Save
Click Preview to see how Confluence will render your edited XHTML before saving. The preview uses Confluence's own renderer so what you see is exactly what will be published.
Single Page Export
Open the page actions menu (•••) on any Confluence page and select Export to Markdown. Markso converts the page to clean Markdown and downloads a .md file immediately. All conversion happens in your browser — no content leaves Atlassian.
Bulk Export
Open Apps → Markso Export in the Confluence left navigation. Select a root page and choose whether to include child pages. Toggle Include attachments to bundle linked images. Click Export to download a zip archive.
Zip Folder Structure
The exported zip mirrors your Confluence page tree exactly. Each page becomes a .md file named after the page title. Child pages are placed in a subdirectory named after their parent. Attachments are placed in an attachments/ subfolder adjacent to their page file.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Format / prettify | Shift+Alt+F |
| Find | Ctrl+F |
| Find & Replace | Ctrl+H |
| Command palette | F1 |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y |
| Fold all | Toolbar button |
| Copy source | Toolbar button |
FAQ
Does Markso work on Confluence Data Center or Server?
No. Markso Editor is built on Atlassian Forge and is available for Confluence Cloud only.
Does Markso send my page content to any external server?
No. All processing happens within Atlassian infrastructure. Markso has no external API calls, no analytics, and no third-party integrations. Export conversion runs entirely in your browser.
What Markdown flavour does Markso support?
Markso supports GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM) — tables, task lists, strikethrough, fenced code blocks, and autolinks — plus extensions for Mermaid diagrams and collapsible sections.
Can I use the Source Editor without the Markdown editor?
Yes. The Source Editor is a standalone feature available from the page actions menu on any Confluence page.
Where is my dark mode preference stored?
In Atlassian Forge KV Store, keyed to your Atlassian account ID. It is accessible only to you and persists across sessions and devices.
What happens to my Markdown content if I uninstall Markso?
Your Markdown source is stored as a Confluence macro parameter. If Markso is uninstalled, the macro will no longer render, but the raw Markdown text remains in the page's XHTML and can be recovered via Confluence's storage format access.
Can Markso export attachments alongside Markdown files?
Yes. During bulk export, toggle Include attachments to bundle images and other linked attachments in an attachments/ subfolder inside the zip.
Is it safe to use the XHTML Source Editor? Can I break my page?
Markso validates all XML before allowing a save. If your XHTML is invalid, the Save button remains disabled — you cannot write broken markup to a Confluence page. Always use Preview to confirm the result before saving.