Step by step instructions for placing an interactive flipbook inside a Confluence page with the Iframe macro: allowlisting the domain, sizing the frame, handling Cloud versus Data Center differences, and fixing blank frames, with comparison tables and real team examples.
Your team uploaded the employee handbook to Confluence as a PDF, and nobody opens it. The attachment sits at the bottom of the page, it downloads instead of displaying, and the version people read is always the one from three quarters ago. There is a better way: turn the PDF into a page-turning flipbook with Flipbooks AI and display it right inside the page using the Confluence Iframe macro. Readers flip pages without leaving the wiki, and you update the source once.
This article walks through the whole setup, from allowlisting the domain to sizing the frame, plus the mistakes that produce a blank box instead of a flipbook.
Wikis are great at text and weak at long, designed documents. Brand books, product catalogs, onboarding packs and quarterly reports are all built in design tools and exported as PDF. Pasting them as attachments creates three problems:
A flipbook fixes all three. It renders in the browser, opens on the right page, adapts to phones, and lives at one URL. When you replace the source file, every page that embeds it shows the new version.
💡 Pro tip: If your wiki is the single source of truth for a team, embed the flipbook on the page where people already look, not on a separate "Documents" page nobody visits.
An iframe is a window into another web page. The Confluence Iframe macro takes a URL and displays that page inside a rectangle on your wiki page. For a flipbook, the URL is the public or password-protected link produced by your flipbook platform.
| Use case | Typical wiki space | Why a flipbook helps |
|---|---|---|
| Employee handbook | HR | One page-turning document, always current |
| Product catalog | Sales enablement | Reps browse without downloading |
| Training manual | Onboarding | New hires read in order, on any device |
| Annual report | Leadership | Polished layout stays intact |
| Press kit | Marketing | Journalists preview before downloading |
This is where most guides skip the details, and where most people get stuck. Atlassian ships Confluence in two main flavors, and they treat iframes differently.
| Feature | Confluence Data Center / Server | Confluence Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Built in Iframe macro | Yes, under Insert, Other macros | Not offered as a standard macro |
| Domain control | Admin allowlist | Controlled by the app or Smart Link support |
| Typical workaround | None needed | Marketplace iframe app, or the Embed Smart Link |
| Admin approval | Required for new domains | Required to install an app |
⚠️ Heads up: Atlassian changes its editor and macro catalog regularly. Check your own instance before you promise a colleague a specific menu path. The steps below describe the standard Iframe macro found on Data Center and Server, and the equivalent approaches for Cloud.
The built in macro is all you need. You will add the flipbook domain to the allowlist, then insert the macro and paste the link.
You have two practical options. First, a Marketplace app that provides an iframe style macro, installed by a site admin. Second, pasting the flipbook link on its own line and choosing the embed display option for a Smart Link, when the domain is supported. If neither is allowed by your admin, a plain link card that opens the flipbook in a new tab is the fallback.
Before touching Confluence, you need something worth embedding. Here is the short version of the process on Flipbooks AI.
The Embed Flipbook on Website tool explains the embed options in more detail.
Confluence will not load an external site inside an iframe until an administrator approves it. Skipping this step is the number one reason for a blank frame.
✅ Best practice: Allow the narrowest pattern that works. Allowing one exact flipbook host is safer than allowing a whole top level domain.
An iframe loads someone else's page with your page as the parent. Admins want a record of exactly which outside sources are trusted. That is a good habit, not a roadblock. Ask for it once, document the approved domain on a wiki page for your team, and later embeds are one click.
Now for the main event. Open the Confluence page where the flipbook should appear and switch to edit mode.
Page turning reads best in a wide frame. A flipbook shows two pages side by side on a desktop, so a tall narrow box squeezes the spread.
| Wiki layout | Suggested width | Suggested height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full width page | 100% | 700 px | Best for catalogs and reports |
| Standard page | 100% | 600 px | Safe default for handbooks |
| Two column layout | 100% | 520 px | Single page view on narrow columns |
| Sidebar widget | 100% | 400 px | Use for cover previews only |
Setting width to 100% lets the frame fill the page content area, whatever the screen. Fixed pixel widths look fine on your monitor and break on a laptop. Use percentages for width and a pixel value for height.
💡 Pro tip: Open the published page on a phone before announcing it. If the flipbook feels cramped, increase the height a little instead of shrinking the width.
An HR manager exports the employee handbook to PDF, converts it, and embeds it at the top of the "New Hire Start Here" page. New employees flip through at their own pace. When the leave policy changes, HR replaces the source file and the page stays current without edits. If the handbook is internal, a Training Manual Flipbook with a password keeps it private.
A sales enablement lead embeds the current Product Catalog on the team space home page. Reps open it before calls, share the same link with customers, and never ask "which version is latest?" again.
A finance team publishes the Annual Report as a flipbook, embeds it in a leadership space, and checks the analytics to see which sections get read.
| Approach | Reader experience | Maintenance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDF attachment | Download or small preview | Re-upload on every change | Rarely read files |
| Page rebuilt in Confluence | Fully native | Heavy, layout is lost | Short text content |
| Iframe flipbook | Page turning, in the page | One source link | Designed documents |
| Link card to flipbook | Opens in a new tab | One source link | Cloud without iframe support |
Something will go wrong at least once. Here is the checklist, ordered by how often each cause shows up.
This is expected when protection is on. Share the password in your onboarding message, or pick a link setting that fits the space. Wiki permissions control who sees the page, while the flipbook password controls who reads the document. Using both is a solid pairing for sensitive material.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Blank gray box | Domain not allowlisted | Add domain in admin allowlist |
| "Refused to connect" | Host blocks framing | Use the platform's official embed link |
| Cropped pages | Frame too small | Increase height, set width to 100% |
| Works on desktop only | Fixed pixel width | Switch to percentage width |
| Password prompt loops | Browser blocks cookies in frames | Allow cookies for the flipbook domain |
⚠️ Warning: Some corporate browsers block third party cookies by default. If a password protected flipbook keeps asking for the password inside the frame, test in another browser before you blame the setup.
An iframe loads a second page, so every embed adds a little weight. Place one flipbook per section, not ten on one page. If you need several, use the Confluence expand macro so the frame loads when the reader opens it, or give each flipbook its own page and link between them.
On the Professional plan, analytics show which pages get read and for how long. A handbook where everyone stops at page six tells you the next chapter needs a rewrite. See the pricing plans for what each tier includes.
An embedded flipbook is only useful if people can actually read it. A few small decisions make a large difference.
Screen readers announce iframes by their title. If your macro or app supports a title field, use something descriptive like "Employee Handbook flipbook" rather than leaving it blank. Pair the frame with a normal text link just above it, so anyone who cannot use the embedded viewer can open the document directly.
Add a sentence under the frame such as "Prefer a full screen view? Open the flipbook in a new tab." This helps in two situations: a reader on a locked down browser where frames are blocked, and a reader who simply wants the biggest possible view. A direct link also gives you a safe backup when an admin removes a domain from the allowlist.
Wiki pages are read on phones more than most teams admit. Because the flipbook layout is responsive, it switches to a single page view on narrow screens. Open the published page on a phone and check three things: the frame fits the width, pages turn with a swipe, and the page does not trap the scroll. If the frame traps the scroll, reduce the height so a part of the page remains visible above and below it.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Descriptive text link above the frame | Gives a fallback path |
| Width set to 100% | Avoids sideways scrolling |
| Height tested on laptop and phone | Prevents cropped pages |
| Password shared with the audience | Avoids support questions |
| Source file named clearly | Makes updates easier later |
Embedding is easy. Keeping a wiki healthy is harder, because documents age. A small routine prevents stale embeds.
Teams that publish public material such as a Press Kit or Digital Catalog benefit most, since the same link serves the wiki, the website and email campaigns. Browse the full flipbook tools directory to find a template that matches your document type.
You now have the full recipe: build the flipbook, allowlist the domain, insert the Iframe macro, size it sensibly, and test it on a phone. The whole process takes about fifteen minutes once your admin has approved the domain, and it replaces a pile of stale PDF attachments with one living document.
Ready to try it? Create your first flipbook for free on Flipbooks AI, browse the tools and templates to pick a starting layout, and compare pricing plans when you need analytics, lead generation or unlimited flipbooks. When you are ready to publish, the Embed Flipbook on Website page has the embed options in one place.
