Diagram settings overview
Diagram settings exist at three levels, and they resolve in a fixed order. Almost every confusing settings question is really a question about which level is deciding.
The rule is simple: the macro wins if it has an opinion, then the space, then the site.
#When you would change this
Before changing anything, so you change it in the right place.
When a setting appears to have no effect.
Rolling a standard out across a site rather than page by page.
#What you can set
Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
Site settings | Which languages exist, shape libraries, templates, AI, egress, renderer. |
Space settings | Rendering defaults for every diagram in a space: display mode, dark mode, titles. |
Macro settings | One diagram, overriding the space where it chooses to. |
#Which level wins
Setting | Set at | Overridden by |
|---|---|---|
Available languages | Site | Nothing; this is the master list |
Display mode, dark mode, sizing | Space | The macro, when not set to inherit |
Shape libraries | Site | Nothing; they are available everywhere |
Templates | Site and space | Neither; both appear in the picker |
AI features | Site | Nothing |
Start at the space. Space settings are where most useful standardisation happens, and they are reversible without touching a single page.
#A few things that catch people out
Most macro settings default to inherit, which means "use the space value". That is what makes space defaults useful.
Turning a language off site-wide hides it from the picker but does not delete existing diagrams.
Site settings need Confluence administrator rights; space settings need space admin.
#Related
Set it once, in the right place.
