How to use an installed add-on (Confluence)

[Helen Heath]

I'm sure this is a really stupid question, but I cannot find an answer anywhere!  I have installed a new plugin to Confluence (v5.8.13) using UPM and I can see it installed and enabled successfully in 'Manage add-ons'.  There's no configuration that needs doing (it's a Calendar-style plugin).

What I cannot tell is how an end-user references that plugin from within a newly created page, actually creates himself a calendar (in this instance, but it could be any plugin) on his page?  How do you reference add-ons/plugins for actual use?  I can't believe that's not in the Confluence help anywhere, or if it is, that I've managed to miss it!

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

There aren't any instructions on using add-ons in the Confluence docs because an add-on could do all sorts of things.  It might add new macros (in which case Alex's answer is spot on), but it might add reports, views, buttons on pages or in toolbars, extra admin functions, background coding hooks, or even (and yes, I've seen this done) a "kitten picture of the day) on the dashboard.

The main question is really "what do you expect the add-on to do?", and then maybe "what do the add-on's docs say about using it?"

[Helen Heath]

Thanks but there aren't any add-on docs.  It's a calendar plugin/add-on, so I rather expected to be just able to add it to a page, but I don't see it available in any page button, toolbar, macro list, views or anywhere else!  I think I need to contact the author and see how he intended it to be used.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Hmm, I'm not sure I'd install an add-on if I didn't know what it was supposed to be doing.  Which add-on is it?  Or, more importantly, what are you trying to do?

[Alex Yasurek]

Hi,

You can look it up like you would any other plugin on a page. Either go to the tool bar->Insert->other Macros and then search for it or on the page type "{ name of macro" and a drpo down should appear listing macros matching the name you wrote out

[Helen Heath]

Hmm  I tried this, but none of the user-installed add-ins show up in the macro list, so I'm a bit confused how to reference it!