In confluence 4, how can I easily insert a link with a specific format?

[Mark_Booth]

In previous versions of Confluence, we used to use the wiki markup [<number>@tag] to create links of the form https://<long url body>/<number> displayed as r<number>.

With the new wiki markup editor we have to do Insert wiki markup, type [<number>@tag] as before and then click on Insert.

It would be nice if there were a more convenient way of adding these links in the wysiwyg editor.

What are my options?

If this isn't something I can do as a Confluence user, what do I need to request from my Confluence administrators?

[Andrew Frayling · Accepted solution]

Hi Mark,

It sounds like you're using shortcut links - http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Configuring+Shortcut+Links (site down for maintenance at 12:29pm GMT) - which are still available in Confluence 4.x and once configured can be entered directly into the editor without having to wrap them with the wiki markup macro.

If the Shortcut Links have already been configured you should just be able to type [<number>@tag] in to the editor and Confluence will expand the link using the alias provided in the shortcut configuration.

If they haven't been configured you need to get an administrator to select Browse -> Confluence Admin -> Shortcut Links and create a shortcut link with the following values:

* Key: tag
* Expanded Value: http://<your url body>/
* Default Alias: r%s

Hope that helps,

Andrew.

[Mark_Booth]

Thanks Andrew, but that isn't working for me. As soon as I type [ the 'Link suggestions' box pops up, I type the rest of the shortcut but as soon as I add the closing ] the box disappears and the text remains exactly as I'd typed it, rather than being replaced by the link. It looks like I'll need to contact our Confluence admin to fix it.

[Andrew Frayling]

Just a follow up to this, which version of Confluence 4 are you using? I was testing on 4.1.4 which works as I described, but I just found https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-23392 which says the shortcut functionality did change in 4.0. If your admin has already set up the shortcut links and you're on 4.0.x rather than 4.1.x it could be the above issue that you're hitting.

[Mark_Booth]

That's probably it, it says "Confluence 4.1" at the bottom of the page, so I'll have to ask when we are due to upgeade.

[Mark Hrynczak]

The ability to type a link directly into the editor and have it convert on the closing ']' was introduced in 4.1.2. See https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-24038

If you are using an earlier version, and upgrading is not an option, then the easiest way to enter a shortcut link is:

• Press Ctrl+K to open the Links browser
• Switch to the 'Advanced' tab
• Enter your link there as <number>@tag
• Press the 'Insert' button

This is also described here: http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Linking+to+Pages#LinkingtoPages-shortcutlink