Confluence Tables

Use the Simple Table bodied macro to wrap a native Confluence table and enable all Simple Tables features (sorting, filtering, renaming, data types, footer aggregations, exports, etc.).

How it works

  1. Edit the Confluence page.
  2. Paste or build a Confluence table as usual.
  3. Wrap the table (or select it) with the Simple Table bodied macro.
  4. In the macro settings (view mode or preview), you’ll see live controls and can configure features.
  5. Publish the page to view the fully interactive table.

Important limitations

In edit mode (the Confluence editor UI), the macro may not render changes you make inside the body. This is a known limitation of the Cloud editor. You can preview how it will appear by opening the macro preview panel before publishing.

Once published—or when configuring the macro settings in view mode—the table behaves fully: sorting, filtering, formatting all work as expected.

Why use it?

*Native Confluence tables* become rich and interactive **without converting to CSV or JSON**. Perfect for collaborating, editing in place, and preserving existing data structures.

Use case: Collaborative status board
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Product Team

Acme Co — Product Development

Context and challenge:
The product team maintains a native Confluence status table tracking feature releases, owners, due dates, and status. They want to enable sorting, filtering, and inline updates without migrating to external tools.

Solution – Simple Table bodied macro:
Wrapping the Confluence table with the bodied macro instantly turns it into an interactive Simple Table. Users can sort by due date, filter by status, apply footer aggregations like count or unique status types, all within the page.

Benefits:
• In-place collaboration: Keep editing the original Confluence table directly.
• Interactive features: Real‑time sorting, filtering, and aggregations.
• No data import: No need to copy into CSV/JSON or switch contexts.
• Consistent view/edit sync: Published and view modes reflect actual settings, while edit mode lets users work in native UI.

Impact:
The team reduced task-board setup time by 80%, improved cross-functional alignment, and maintained a single editable source of truth—all within Confluence.

Differences vs Simple Table (standalone)

  • Simple Table macro: imports external data (CSV, JSON, XLSX) as a new table inside the macro.
  • Simple Table bodied macro: wraps an existing Confluence table and upgrades it in-place.
  • Both support full Simple Tables features, but the bodied variant preserves collaborative editing on the original table structure.