As app developers across the Atlassian ecosystem work to migrate from Connect to Forge, a gap in feature parity has been identified regarding page discoverability and navigation control.

In Connect, developers have the ability to define General Pages that are not discoverable through the Confluence UI unless explicitly linked via a webItem or other navigational elements. This allows apps to implement advanced functionality, configuration screens, or specialized workflows without exposing these pages unnecessarily in the user interface, helping to maintain a clean and focused experience for end users.

In Forge, the closest equivalent is the confluence:globalPage module. However, these pages automatically appear in the Confluence menu, even if they are not intended for general user access. This results in:

• UI clutter and confusion for users who do not need to interact with these pages

• Reduced UX clarity and navigation coherence

• Difficulty in implementing advanced app behaviors without exposing technical or backend elements

Suggestion:

Introduce the ability in Forge to mark confluence:globalPage modules as:

• Non-discoverable (not added to any UI navigation by default)

• Conditionally discoverable (via permissions, groups, or displayConditions)

This would align Forge more closely with Connect’s flexibility and provide developers with finer control over the user experience.

Benefits:

• Enables cleaner and more focused navigation for Confluence users

• Supports modular or role-based experiences within apps

• Facilitates migration from Connect without significant UX compromise

• Encourages development of advanced app functionality while maintaining a user-friendly interface