Byline Properties & Changelog
This document explains the updated byline-based Properties experience in Confluence, with a focus on how users access property groups from the page, how the changelog works, and how this fits with the portal, display macro, and report experience.
Before: users had to insert a macro in the page, then create groups and add fields inside that macro block.
Now: properties are accessed from the page-level byline area and page Properties entry point, so users can open, use, and manage property groups in context without starting from a creation macro.
Overview
Byline Properties introduces a more native way to work with structured page data. Instead of treating Properties as something users must first place into the body of a page, the new experience starts from the page itself. Users open a Confluence page, use the Properties entry point in the page-level experience, and then view, attach, edit, or manage property groups from there.
This keeps the page body cleaner while making structured metadata easier to reach during everyday work. It also better separates different jobs:
Use properties on a page: done from the page-level Properties experience
Create or redesign a property group: done in the Properties Portal
Show property values in page content: done with the Display Property Groups macro
Compare property data across many pages: done with the Property Group Report
Important
The recommended starting point in the new design is the inline page experience through the page-level Properties entry point.
Byline Properties experience
On Confluence pages, property groups are hidden by default so the page body stays focused on content. Users open the page-level Properties experience from the page and then work with property groups in context.
Capability | How it works | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
Open properties | Click the page-level Properties entry point on the page | Lets users access metadata without changing the page body |
Add property group | Select an existing group and attach it to the current page | Encourages reuse of the same structure across many pages |
Create new group | Open the editor from the page flow by going to the Properties Portal | Creates reusable structure when no suitable group already exists |
Edit values | Click a field value and update it directly in context | Makes day-to-day changes faster and lighter |
Review changes | Open the field changelog | Shows who changed what and when |
This page-level experience is now the default working flow for most users. It is especially useful when a property group is already attached to a page and contributors only need to maintain values as the content evolves.
How users access and use byline properties
The new flow is designed to keep setup and editing close to the page where the data matters.
Open a Confluence page.
Click the page-level Properties entry point.
Open the Properties panel.
Choose Add property group if an existing group should be attached.
Choose Go to Properties Portal if a new group needs to be created or the structure needs to be managed.
Changelog
The changelog is built into the page-level Properties experience and gives users a clear audit trail for field updates. This is especially useful when multiple contributors maintain the same page over time.
The changelog is tracked at the field level. That means each field keeps its own history rather than relying on one undifferentiated page history for all property updates.
Each changelog entry records:
Who made the change
When the change happened
What field was changed and what was updated
This makes the changelog useful for several common scenarios:
Traceability: understand who updated a key value such as owner, status, or date
Review: confirm whether a value changed recently and by whom
Coordination: reduce confusion when multiple people contribute to the same page
Confidence: help teams trust the data because changes are visible and attributable
Why field-level history matters
Properties are often used for operational metadata such as ownership, status, deadlines, and linked pages. Tracking change history at field level makes those updates easier to understand than relying on broad page edit history alone.
Closing note
Byline Properties makes structured page data easier to discover and maintain by moving the primary experience closer to the page itself. Combined with field-level changelog tracking, it gives teams a clearer and more reliable way to manage metadata in Confluence while still supporting inline display and reporting where needed.