Ho do we insert pages into a page tree that are yet to come inorder not to create empty pages?

[Claudia Hausmann]

I want to provide an IT project structure and show page trees in overview pages, but I do NOT want to create empty pages that might be filled eventually. These empty pages spam the search, hide real information, and provide nothing but a waste of time otherwise. The solution should be clear to read (e.g., similar to empty links in Wikipedia that are shown in red color and have the mouseover "This page does not exist").

Any other idea to provide clear structure without spamming the search is welcome.

[Kristian Klima]

Hi @Claudia Hausmann and welcome to the Community

You can experiment with Live Docs and Drafts.

You can't create structures with Drafts but you can do so with Live Docs, so a combination of the two will allow you to create a structure without the content. See the screenshot.

As there's no content, not even page titles, the impact on search would be mininal. But you can also restrict access to the space to the admins or only to people who will create the content on those pages.

The point is that neither Live Docs or Drafts are empty pages, they each live in a qualitatively specific limbo.

[Claudia Hausmann]

Hi @Kristian Klima , Thank you for your immediate answer!
I should have mentioned previously that I normally use the Table of Contents macro.
Drafts are not shown in a Table of Contents based on my tests.
I could consider a static solution by creating a list of links to (also non-existent) pages, but the missing automation would require constant supervision of the page. A Table of Contents macro with the prospect of future pages in an overview (providing structure, without creating empty pages or crowding the side tree) would be ideal.

[Kristian Klima]

@Claudia Hausmann 

That is correct, neither drafts nor live docs (before they're converted to a page) appear in a ToC.

However... you can enter a Live Docs link in a Confluence database.

So you could create a DB with all live docs and configure the DB to show various properties of that live docs ... and monitor the DB.

Edit - Child items (ex Child pages) macro shows Live Docs.

[Claudia Hausmann]

Thank you, @Kristian Klima sounds good, I will check!