It’s easy to see why teams turn to Confluence when they need a knowledge base. It’s flexible, widely adopted, and fits neatly into the Atlassian ecosystem. But flexibility doesn’t always translate into usability.

We’ve seen it happen: well-meaning teams set up a space, start documenting, and before long, the structure starts to fray. Pages multiply. Formatting veers off course. Information gets buried. Instead of streamlining work, the knowledge base becomes one more place where clarity goes to die.

The result? Teams spend more time searching for answers than sharing them. Onboarding slows down, and collaboration grinds to a halt. The support queue fills with questions that should have been self-service.

So how do you build a knowledge base that actually works? That’s what we’re covering here. From common pitfalls to best practices, we’ll walk through what it takes to create a Confluence knowledge base that empowers, not overwhelms.

Why an effective knowledge base matters

When structured effectively, a knowledge base shifts from passive storage to an active tool for communication, decision-making, and team support.

Here’s why a well-designed knowledge base delivers impact:

1. It boosts team efficiency

When content is organized intuitively and consistently, teams spend less time searching for answers and more time executing. This is critical because studies have shown that employees can waste up to two hours a day looking for documents or information they need to do their jobs. Simply put, clarity drives velocity.

2. It enables self-service

Whether for internal teams, external customers, partners, or otherwise, the ability to find answers independently reduces the load on support staff and subject-matter experts. For example, Malmö, Sweden-based app-marker 55 Degrees struggled with low engagement on its public documentation due to poor usability. After upgrading to a clearer, more navigable knowledge base, support requests dropped considerably. Even as their team and customer base grew, their knowledge base was so effective it allowed them to keep the support team lean.

3. It accelerates onboarding for new hires

A well-structured knowledge base helps new hires, who are likely full of questions, get up to speed faster. This is especially critical in the age of remote and hybrid work arrangements, as folks may not have colleagues in close proximity to turn to for quick answers. And the stakes are high – 64% of new hires leave early due to poor onboarding experiences.

4. It centralizes knowledge sharing

When documentation lives in a dozen Slack threads, siloed folders, or individual desktops, information will inevitably fall through the cracks. A well-maintained knowledge base consolidates critical resources into a single, trusted source. That means fewer duplicate pages, less back-and-forth, and greater transparency across teams.

Common challenges with Confluence knowledge bases

From the previous section, we already know that a thoughtful knowledge base is a force multiplier. But unfortunately, many teams struggle to get there. 

Why?

For all the powerful capabilities that out-of-the-box Confluence has, the following challenges can still stand in the way:

1. Information sprawl

With no enforced information hierarchy, knowledge gets scattered across multiple spaces and pages. Teams often duplicate information, misplace key articles, or fail to consolidate updates. This, in turn, can lead to version confusion and knowledge siloes.

2. Navigation and search

Native search in Confluence can return broad results. Without custom navigation to guide users toward frequently accessed resources, or promoted search results tied to common queries, users may be left to click through multiple articles hoping to land on the right one.

3. Inconsistent article formatting

Knowledge base articles often lack a shared structure. Some are longform, others bulleted. Some have introductions and FAQs, others don’t. Inconsistent formatting leads to inconsistent comprehension that can undermine trust in the content.

4. Outdated or redundant content

When there’s no review cadence or archiving process, stale content lingers and clutters up search results. Users end up reading outdated material, which can cause operational errors or compliance issues.