Why Confluence deletes local links?
Asked by Thomas:

Hi,

we use local links in confluence. It worked a long time in combination Firefox+LocalLink-Addon.

A few weeks ago we updated to Confluence 6.1.4.

Now I insert a link which I can see in the Source View:  
\<p\> \<a href="file:///ICSF002/home/Test.txt"\>Test\</a\> \</p\>

When I save and edit again the Link is not there! There is only:  
\<p\> \<a\>Test\</a\> \</p\>

Why Confluence deletes content? Is that a feature?

Regards Thomas


Answers:
author: AnnWorley
body: Hi there Thomas,

It looks like the issue is the **file:** portion of the link being restricted in modern browsers. Please see: [Cannot link to local files from within Confluence](https://confluence.atlassian.com/confkb/cannot-link-to-local-files-from-within-confluence-216958257.html)

comments: author: Thomas
body: Hi Ann,

I know the link above.

The file is there. In the past our links where not deleted. Why Confluence accepts the link in the first step and then delete it?

Regards Thomas


author: Thomas
body: I can reproduce it again and again:

1. inser text, link it to:  
   file://///sfile/share/Folder/Subfolder/filename.pdf
2. Save
3. The link works now.
4. Edit the Page, edit the link. There is no Link!!!
5. Cancel Editmode
6. The Link can be used, but it is not editable!?!


author: Mamun Ahsan Khan
body: I have the same problem like thomas with Confluence Version 6.1.2.

After saving a page with a local link works fine. After a while the link doesn't wotk, even on the same pc. If i edit this page again, there are no links on this page. It looks like, conflunce checks peiodically all the pages with local links and delete them.

This should be an issue of confluence, cause i use very often a webapplication on firefox with plenty of local links to files on a local network shares. The only thing, i have to do is, change some security setting in Firefox by editiong the page about:config. More about change setting <http://kb.mozillazine.org/Links_to_local_pages_do_not_work>

Hope someone from altlassian team would help us in this issue.

Regards Khan


author: AnnWorley
body: > It looks like, conflunce checks peiodically all the pages with local links and delete them.

Please rest assured that Confluence does not have a mechanism that deletes the links.

We have discussed this at length on another thread so please forgive me if I point you back there rather than repeating the same points in my own words: [Confluence: How to place a link to a file on a server share in a confluence page?](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Confluence-questions/Confluence-How-to-place-a-link-to-a-file-on-a-server-share-in-a/qaq-p/258790/jump-to/first-unread-message#)


author: Mamun Ahsan Khan
body: Hi Ann,

i read this thread before.

I would correct my posted comments on this thread about deleting local link periodically. Actually, it is not confluence, but its standard editor.

Standard installation of confluence editor allows inserting local link like file://///gudwindowsserver/share1/Path/file1.pdf . It works also nice, when i change the setting in my browser firefox accordingly. The problem arises, when we edit a page containing local links. By editing the same page with local links, confluence just delete all these links, so that after saving the page no links in this page work.

Howerver, i have an workaround using a user macro inserting link within confluence Editor, It works. I could find the suggestion from this thread.

<https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-26166>

Regards Khan


author: AnnWorley
body: Thank you for sharing the workaround, I am sure it will help others as there is a lot of attention to this topic.


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