Confluence attachment size limit
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The Confluence attachment size limit is 100 MB per file by default, on both Confluence Cloud and Confluence Data Center. A Confluence administrator can change it in the attachment settings; other users can’t. On Data Center, the text inside attachments over 100 MB may also not be searchable, even when the upload limit is higher.
Below are the limits for each deployment, step-by-step instructions for changing them, and what to do with a file that still won’t fit.
Confluence Cloud file size limit
On Confluence Cloud, a setting called Attachment maximum size caps the size of a single file attachment. According to Atlassian’s Confluence Cloud documentation, the default is 100 MB, written as 104,857,600 bytes.
- Default: 100 MB per file (104,857,600 bytes).
- Who can change it: Confluence administrators.
- Where: Settings → Configuration → General configuration → Attachment settings → Attachment maximum size.
- Units: the field takes a number of bytes, not megabytes.
Because the limit is a site setting, the Confluence file size limit on your site may not be the default. If a file well under 100 MB is refused, ask your admin what the limit is before you start compressing anything.
Confluence Data Center file size limit
Confluence Data Center also defaults to 100 MB per attachment. Administrators change it in the Attachment Maximum Size field under Administration → General Configuration, as described in Atlassian’s Data Center documentation.
Large attachments and search
Confluence extracts the text from attachments such as PDFs and Office documents so that people can search inside them. That takes a lot of memory, so Confluence skips text extraction for attachments over a separate indexing limit: 100 MB by default, controlled by the system property atlassian.indexing.attachment.maxsize.
The two limits are independent. If an admin raises the upload limit to, say, 500 MB, a 300 MB PDF will attach normally, but the words inside it may not turn up in Confluence search. The file is still on the page; only its contents may be missing from search results.
How to change the Confluence attachment size limit
Both deployments need a Confluence administrator. Decide on the new figure first: on Cloud you enter it in bytes, and on Data Center a higher upload limit doesn’t change the indexing limit described above.
Confluence Cloud
- Select the settings (cog) icon at the top right to open Confluence administration.
- In the left-hand navigation, find Settings, then select Configuration → General configuration.
- Scroll down to Attachment settings.
- Enter the new limit in Attachment maximum size, in bytes. To convert, multiply the number of megabytes by 1,048,576: 100 MB is 104,857,600 bytes, and 200 MB is 209,715,200 bytes.
- Select Save configuration changes.
Confluence Data Center
- Select the cog icon to open the Administration menu, then choose General Configuration.
- Select Edit.
- Enter the new value in Attachment Maximum Size.
- Select Save.
When a file is over the Confluence max file size
ShareQuik’s 500 MB limit is higher than Confluence’s 100 MB default, so a file Confluence rejects can be shared with a code instead, with no account needed. Upload the file to ShareQuik, get an 8-character code, and the other person types it on sharequik.com to download. Nobody signs up, which also helps when a customer, contractor or supplier can’t open your Confluence at all. A share is deleted after 3 days, or 15 if you extend it.
Treat the code like a link: anyone who has it can download the files until the share expires. Don’t paste it on a Confluence page many people can see, and put confidential files in an encrypted archive first.
Other options
- Compress it. Zip a folder of logs, export a PDF at a smaller size, or trim and re-export a screen recording. How to compress files for sharing goes through each file type.
- Link it from cloud storage. Upload the file to your organisation’s approved storage and paste the link into the page. Access then follows your company’s permissions, and nobody has to raise a limit.
- Ask your admin. If the file belongs in Confluence, a higher limit may be the right fix. Mention the file size and the space it’s for, so they can judge whether the change is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum file size in Confluence?
By default, 100 MB per attachment (104,857,600 bytes) on both Confluence Cloud and Data Center. Your site may differ, because administrators can change the limit.
Can I increase the Confluence attachment size limit?
Yes, if you’re a Confluence administrator. On Cloud, change Attachment maximum size (in bytes) under Settings → Configuration → General configuration. On Data Center, edit Attachment Maximum Size under Administration → General Configuration. Other users need to ask their admin.
Why can’t I search inside large Confluence attachments?
On Data Center, Confluence skips text extraction for attachments over its indexing limit, which is 100 MB by default (the atlassian.indexing.attachment.maxsize setting). The file stays attached, but its contents may not appear in search results.
How do I share a Confluence file with someone outside my workspace?
Use storage your organisation approves and share a link with the right permissions. For a non-confidential file going to someone without an account, you can upload it to ShareQuik and send them the 8-character code; neither of you has to sign up.
Sharing with someone outside Confluence?
Upload once and send an 8-character code. No account for you or the person downloading.
Send files without signing upDo it with ShareQuik
- Send files without registrationSend or transfer files without registration: no account for you or your recipient. Up to 500 MB with an 8-character code, plus what other services ask of you.
- Share documents online without an accountShare documents online, from PDFs and Word files to spreadsheets and slides, with an 8-character code and no account. Advice on handling sensitive documents safely.
More from the blog
- Jira attachment size limit: Cloud and Data CenterJira Cloud allows 1 GB per file by default (2 GB maximum); Jira Data Center defaults to just 10 MB. Where admins change the limit and why uploads still fail.
- How to compress files so they are easier to shareHow to make videos, PDFs, photos and folders smaller before you send them, what each method costs in quality, and when splitting a transfer works better.