Header links open new browser tab to the customer portal instead of the header on the article page

[Laura Sands]

Hello,

I have my service desk connected to Confluence space. My Confluence articles allow me to create documents with macros and links. I decided to use the new header link feature as a way for readers to navigate quickly to different sections in the article, after the ToC macro didn't work (see more details below). 

When I published the article with the list of sections linked to headers in the article, I tested the links on Confluence and they properly jumped me to those sections on the same page. 

However, when I tested the article hosted on the service desk, the links open a new browser tab and those redirect to the customer portal, instead of jumping to the linked header on the page. 

I originally tried using the Table of Contents macro which worked properly in the published Confluence page but then disappeared in the customer portal article. (I found this ancient bug that has not yet been dealt with for a few years: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JSDCLOUD-3565)

Since neither the header links nor ToC macro work, I don't know what else to do so that readers can easily navigate the page. Has anyone found another way to make this work? (Anchor macros were problematic too.) 

Lastly, does anyone know if a bug has been submitted relating to header links on the same page not working? If so, please kindly share the link so I can vote on it. :)

Thank you!

Laura

[Sharon Helms]

Hi @Laura Sands ,

We also use Confluence with Jira Service Desk and have been frustrated by the TOC issue that Ira mentions. I've spoken to both Confluence and Jira Service Desk developers, and have been told there is no current plan to fix it.

The workaround we found is to use the Table of Contents Zone macro instead. It took a lot of work to go into hundreds of existing pages to update them with this macro -- but fingers crossed we won't need to go through that pain again. (Our page template now includes the macro for new pages.)

Here are some screenshots showing how it works for us:

This first image shows the TOC-zone macro in Edit mode. The main body/text of the page is inside of the macro. We set it to show headings 2 and above, only at the top. 

This next image shows the page published in Confluence, with the TOC generated underneath the words "On this page".

This last image shows the same page viewed from our connected Jira Service Desk Help Center. The TOC links successfully work to let the viewer skip down the page.

I hope this helps! Best wishes, Sharon

[Ira Chandler]

Sharon, this actually works.

You are a freaking genius.  If you are ever in ATL, we owe you a fine lunch!

Note that the macro defaults to TOC at top and bottom (both) and we only use top. 

The bullets cannot be turned off, and since we use numbered sections, the TOC is a bit more cluttered than we like.  BUT, IT WORKS!  We are in process of converting all docs and moving them to the knowledge base.

I will post this in the other issue locations for the rest of the poor suckers who have suffered at the hands of Atlassian negligence and irresponsibility.  HOW COME THEY could not figure this out?  How much work did THEY do to find a workaround on our behalf?  Obviously not much.  This should be a learning experience for them, that the solution was right under their nose and they missed it for years.

G-d bless you, Sharon.

[Laura Sands]

@Sharon Helms Excellent. Thank you so much for responding and sharing your steps and screenshots. I have been able to easily, quickly replicate what you did. 

It isn't ideal, but it works for now until Atlassian gets it together with repairing their substandard JSD knowledge base. ;)

[Ira Chandler]

I am holding my breath

[Hanna Pososhenko]

Hi All,

please feel free to vote - JSDCLOUD-9131

[Ira Chandler]

IGNORE.

We have a particular doc that is NOT working properly and was corrupted.  And it was the one that got out to a customer.  

So far as I know now, the PDF export with TABLE OF CONTENT ZONE works.

...

Sorry for the bad post that I deleted...

[Abel Lineberger]

AAAAC\K - you've got to be kidding me. 

Testing...

[Abel Lineberger]

Ira, looks like it populates the TOC, but the generated anchor links don't work for me.  Sharon, did you figure out how to get the anchor links for the generated TOC zone to work?

[Ira Chandler]

What are the "anchor links" you reference???  Are those what the TOC entries jump to?  When I use the regular TOC it creates them.  Since I migrated regular TOC to TOCZONE, I (assume) I already had them and they work fine.

Do your content with a regular TOC, and then copy into the TOCZ macro.  Should work.

Also, I just discovered, it APPEARS that ALL content that is placed IN the TOCZ macro CANNOT BE COPIED OR CUT OUT AND RETAIN FORMATTING!

This means that a lot of work could be lost.  I cannot get any content inside the TOCZONE macro to retain its headings when I cut/copy and then paste it in the body of the doc.  Maybe I am just too dumb to paste correctly?  ;-) 

[Ira Chandler]

And what is even worse is that I requested they consolidate the three bug reports on the TOC issue into one, since they INSIST that you have to VOTE!  I asked that they update the vote count on one to reflect the total votes on all three DUPLICATE issues.  

Surprise!
They refuse.
They ignore me.

Surprise, there is no workaround, not even a stinky one.  We have hundreds of TOC entries across dozens of documents and cannot and will not attempt to recreate them manually, and then MAINTAIN them manually.

Welcome to our World.

[Laura Sands]

Hi Ira, 

Thanks for your reply. It sounds very frustrating! 

Has the header link issue been happening for you as well, or have you not tried it? Do you know if someone has issued a bug for it?

Thanks,

Laura

[Ira Chandler]

The TOC issue has caused us to abandon the entire "Knowledge Base" functionality - neutering the value prop totally.

I am NOT going to waste time (tens of hours) trying to MANUALLY create links that will only need to be updated MANUALLY in days.  We have hundreds of links over scores of documents.  Therefore, I have no idea if manual section links work.

Given the JOKE that is the BUG report system, I don't waste time there either, so no idea if a report exists.  When I researched the TOC, I found three duplicate issues that they refuse to merge, BUT will consider the "VOTES" on each individually, guaranteeing - apparently - that they will never make a fix.  Great system.  Good luck with it.

We HAVE run out of patience with the Atlassian liars.

We BOUGHT JSD substantially for this FANTASTIC Knowledge Base...  Nobody mentioned the TOC will not work.  Imagine our surprise.