Workaround for Confluence Page Status w/ Macros

[Lindsay Kirsch]

Has anyone created a workaround to not being able to add page status to page property reports and without using a 3rd party app?

I was thinking of using a /custom status option but I don't like that anyone can use any status they want versus the page status which is set.

[Levente Szabo _Midori_]

@Lindsay Kirsch

You're definitely not alone in wanting to include page statuses in reports without relying on third-party apps. However, Atlassian only partially solves content lifecycle management problems, so it could be beneficial to trust an established solution.

Unfortunately, as of now, Confluence doesn't support including the built-in page status in Page Properties Reports, which is a common limitation. The page status is treated differently from fields like those inside the Page Properties macro, so it can’t be surfaced in reports directly.

You're on the right track thinking about using a custom status or even a manually controlled field in the Page Properties table. 

Some teams standardize this by:

• Creating a predefined list of statuses like "Draft," "In Review," or "Final"

• Embedding that list into page templates

• Training users to stick to those terms

It’s not bulletproof, but combining a template with some team documentation or process can help keep the data clean.

If you're looking for a more robust and reliable workaround, Better Content Archiving and Analytics for Confluence offers its own page status macro. The apps page status solution lets you:

• Centrally define and manage page statuses across spaces (20 instead of the built-in 5)

• Automate page status changes (e.g., set to "Stale" after X days)

• Prevent teams from creating ad-hoc or inconsistent statuses

• View and report on all pages and user activity on dedicated analytics that's available to you on Confluence Standard!

So while it’s not a Page Properties report, it does solve the bigger problem: getting a reliable, scalable overview of content status with proper Confluence analytics — without upgrading to Confluence Premium or relying on manual data entry.

Hope that gives you some helpful options!

(Note that I'm part of the Midori team developing Better Content Archiving and Analytics since 2008.)

[Adrian Hülsmann - B1NARY]

Hi @Lindsay Kirsch and @Katarina Müller

As you found out, the native Confluence page status feature has pros and cons, but also limitations, which quickly become apparent when trying to use it for robust review or approval workflows. 

In addition, speaking of those workflows, companies usually want more than just "page status".

What about:

• Continuous reports,
• Clear ownership and accountability,
• Reminders and notifications,
• Analytics,
• or dedicated views/dashboards for all pages of a certain status?

All of these useful features build on just a "page status" but elevate it to something very valuable. With "valuable," I not only relate to process improvements within a company but also to a high return on investment. 

So, a third-party app like Breeze might not only bring you useful features but can also be such a time-saver that you can save money (even when paying for the app).

If you are interested in learning more about this or seeing our document management solution Breeze in action, feel free to schedule a personal demo with me.

All the best and nice greetings from Germany,
Adrian from B1NARY (we are the developers of Breeze)

[Katarina Müller]

Hey! I totally get what you're aiming for—it's frustrating that the native Page Status can't be pulled into a Page Property Report. I’ve run into the same limitation.

One workaround I’ve seen (not perfect, but helpful) is to manually copy the page status into a controlled field inside the Page Properties macro using a predefined list of options via the `/status` macro. To avoid people creating random statuses, you could:

• Create a template or include instructions next to the Page Properties box with the exact status options to use (like "Draft", "In Review", "Final").
• Use a dropdown from a Forms macro (if you have access to it in your Confluence setup).

This way, even though it’s not the official page status, the values stay consistent across reports.

Still a workaround, but at least it’s manageable and doesn't rely on a third-party app.

Would love to hear if anyone has found a more dynamic solution though!