Migrating from Data Center to Cloud without the right preparation can break your entire content experience. Formatting macros stop rendering, links to pages and attachments become dead ends, and carefully configured Dark Mode styles simply disappear – leaving your Confluence instance looking nothing like what your team built.
Here’s what makes Aura Formatting unique: it migrates directly from Data Center to Cloud – no intermediate steps, no separate Cloud migration required. Simply use the Atlassian Cloud Migration Assistant and Aura Formatting comes with you, automatically.
All Aura macros migrate smoothly without any differences in appearance or functionality. Every link to a Data Center page or attachment is automatically updated to point to its new Cloud location. And your Dark Mode color settings and branding styles? Fully preserved – exactly as you set them up.
Why Aura Formatting Is the Smarter Path for Your Confluence Cloud Migration
A common pain point in DC-to-Cloud Migrations is “macro breakage” – where formatting, tables, or specialized math formulas fail to render in the new environment. We understand that for large-scale operations, “hope” is not a strategy. To ensure your transition is seamless, the Aura Apps Suite provides:
- Sandbox Testing: We advocate for a “test-first” approach. You can verify your migration in a sandbox environment to ensure every macro renders correctly before the final cutover.
- Visual Consistency: All Aura macros migrate without differences in appearance or functionality, maintaining your corporate identity.
- Automatic Updates: Links to Data Center pages and attachments are automatically updated to point to their new Cloud locations, preventing broken references.
- Design Preservation: Dark Mode color settings and branding styles are fully preserved during the transition.
- Feature Parity & Beyond: Beyond simply matching DC functionality, Cloud users gain access to exclusive features like Unsplash Integration, Custom Fonts, and Macro Templates that weren’t available in the Data Center environment.
Your 8-Step Confluence Cloud Migration Framework for Aura Formatting
Integrating the Aura Apps Suite is designed to be straightforward, keeping the burden off administrators. However, any migration – especially with large datasets – requires a high degree of precision. To ensure the transition for your team is smooth and not a single detail is lost, we have developed a proven 8-step plan.
For a detailed technical breakdown, you can also refer to our official Migration Path Documentation. With this structured roadmap, your transition to the Cloud is guaranteed to succeed:
Step 1: Check Aura Formatting Versions
Before starting, ensure your instances are running the compatible versions of Aura. This is crucial for the migration tools to communicate correctly:
Step 2: Download and Install the Pre-Migration Utility
Download the specific Aura Pre-Migration Utility for your environment:
- For Confluence 8.5.4-8.9.8 and 9: aura-pre-migration-utility-0.1.8.jar
- For Confluence 10: aura-pre-migration-utility-0.2.3.jar
Once downloaded, install the utility in your Confluence Data Center instance.
Step 3: Reindex & Backup
As a standard safety measure, always perform a full site reindex and backup of your DC instance before proceeding with any migration steps.
Step 4: Audit Macro Usage
Log in as a System Administrator and navigate to Confluence administration > Macro Usage. Search for Aura macros and take a screenshot. This serves as your “baseline” documentation to verify the migration later.
Step 5: Run the Pre-Migration Utility
Run this utility only right before your actual migration. Note: After execution, Aura Titles, Aura Tab Groups, and Aura Tabs can no longer be edited, as they are intentionally locked to ensure a safe transfer. No new page versions are created during this process. Action: Navigate to Confluence administration > Aura Migration and click Migrate.
Step 6: Verify Macro Status
Return to Macro Usage. All former aura-tab and aura-tab-collection macros should now be renamed to aura-tab-migratable and aura-tab-collection-migratable. If the old names still appear, run the utility again and re-check until the old count reaches zero.
Step 7: Cloud Migration
Migrate your instance using the Atlassian Cloud Migration Assistant. During this process, Aura automatically ensures that links used in Background Contents, Buttons, Cards, and Panels are stored correctly in Atlassian’s Cloud storage system.
Step 8: Post-Migration Cleanup
Once your data is in the Cloud, finalize the process:
Navigate to Confluence Administration > Apps > Aura Migration Hub > Aura Post-Migration Utility. Select All Spaces and choose Actual Migration. In the table, select all detected Aura macros, agree to the terms, and click Start Migration.
Planning to Consolidate More Apps? Explore the Full Aura Migration Hub
Aura Formatting is the only app in the Aura Suite that migrates directly from Data Center to Cloud. For all other third-party apps, the Aura Migration Hub handles the Cloud-to-Cloud consolidation in Step 2 – after you have completed your standard DC-to-Cloud migration. Are you looking for a complete picture of all migration paths? Read our guide: Confluence Cloud Migration: Maximize Your ROI with the Aura Apps Suite
If you have unique infrastructure requirements or complex data structures, you don’t have to navigate this transition alone. At Seibert Group, we specialize in turning high-stakes migrations into streamlined, successful deployments. As an Atlassian Platinum Solution Partner, our expertise is built on hundreds of successful transformations. We provide more than just data transfer; we deliver a fully optimized Cloud environment tailored to your organization’s specific needs. From initial audit to final go-live, we bring the technical precision and strategic insight necessary to protect your corporate identity and maximize system performance.
Ready to elevate your Confluence experience? Let’s discuss your Aura Formatting migration strategy and ensure your move is a success from day one.