Your first search

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The fastest way to understand this is to run a search Confluence could not: every page nobody has updated this year, longest first.

That takes one filter, one sort and about a minute.

#Step by step

The Capable Search window with filter chips for Spaces, Contributors, Updated At, Labels and Macros above a results table. The Labels chip is open and lists labels to pick from
Each chip in the bar opens its own list of values, so picking a label narrows the table without writing a query.
The Confluence left sidebar showing For you, Recent, Starred, Spaces and Apps, with Content Manager highlighted under Your apps and Explore more apps below it
Capable is opened from the Apps menu in the Confluence sidebar, where it may be listed as Content Manager.

Step

What you do

1

Open Capable, then Search, and select New search.

2

Filter by space, so you are looking at something you recognise.

3

Add the Updated filter with Select filters and pick a date range that ends before the start of this year.

4

Open Configure sorting and sort by Words, descending, so the longest pages come first. Words comes from the Metrics capability.

5

Add the Words column with Select columns, so you can see how long each page is.

6

Save the search with the save button (Save search as), and give it a name somebody else would understand.

#What to try next

The Search table macro in Capable Macros, with a preview table of pages above the Try it out settings for search mode, page size, columns, filter mode and filters
The search table macro has its own settings, where you choose the columns, filters and page size for the table on your page.

  • Put the saved search on a page with the search table macro, so it stays current without anybody maintaining it. See Show a live Confluence search on a page.

  • Use the Domains filter, from the Quality capability, to find every page linking to a service you are retiring.

  • Use the Apps filter to find every page that uses a chosen app's macros.

  • Tick pages and use Bulk Change to label, move or set the status of everything the search found. See Bulk changes and export.

#A few things that catch people out

  • Saved searches are objects, not bookmarks. Renaming or re-scoping one changes it everywhere it is used.

  • To reuse the exact query in Confluence's own search, select Switch to CQL and copy it from the field.

  • Permissions always apply. You cannot find a page you could not already open.

One filter. One minute.