What is the difference between the groups listed by default in Confluence Cloud Edit Global Permissions?

[Jordan M. Pflum]

This question is in reference to Atlassian Documentation: Global Permissions Overview

In the linked documentation guide, what is the difference between the groups of "site-admins" and "system-administrators" and "administrators"?  We see in a screenshot in that documentation that these groups are all listed in Confluence under Editing Global Permissions, but that these all have different permissions.  What is the difference?  And how do we manage these groups?  I understand what "administrators" is (the application, not the site), but what are the other two?  Under site administration, I can see how to manage the "site-admins" group, but not the "system-administrators".  Is it a case of the "system-administrators" group not actually being a group at all, but rather that this is just the collection of users who are site administrators?  It is very confusing why there are 3 groups listed in this way, and even more why their permissions are so different.

[Monika Antos [Adaptavist] · Accepted solution]

Hi Jordan ,

I agree that the names of the groups and permissions are very confusing.

In Confluence Server 'System Administrator' permission gives you access to site-wide admin functions, including those that can compromise the security of the system. Since this is a Cloud environment hosted by Atlassian, that permission is assigned to Atlassian staff who are represented by a system-administrators group. This is why you can't see that group under the Group management, nor you can change its permissions on the Global Permissions screen. 

site-admins are users who have access to billing and user management functions, plus access to admin console.

administrators are users who have access to admin console.

Cheers,
Monika