How to create a private space for each client in confluence
Asked by Peter:

Hi,

I am looking for hours for a solution but i didn't find it yet. I want to create a space for each client we have. On this space we can then share central documents which should be great. I'll write the scenario's which come close to the solution but i also write why this solution is not an option.

1: I can create a public space (for annonymous users) for each client on which I can share then documents to them and they can write comments, add other docs, etc.

Con: i cannot hide the space. If i can provide the space via an URL that's only known by them it would be great. But if i give my current URL they just can hit the "space" button and see other public spaces to other clients.

2: I can create a user account for each client and allow them to their specific space.

Con: I have to create a user account for each client which will bumb up my lisence. But ok that's still acceptable. From the moment they have an account they can hit the "people" button and see all the other clients and my whole team. I don't want that.

Please advise which work-around i have to use or how i can make this work.


Answers:
author: Daniel Borcherding
body: Hello Peter,

I think your second option is going to be the better of the two. We have the following document that outlines how you would hide the people directory. This would limit inidividula users access to information to your other clients.

<https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Hiding+the+People+Directory>

Note that We have an outstanding feature request for adding controlled privacy groups to a Conlfuence instance. The gist is that you would silo out your users groups from one another. They would all access a vini version of Confluence inside of a larger confluence instance. Note too that this feature is not yet resolved.

<https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-7837>

I have added this post to the issue to further increase it's visibility.

comments: author: Peter
body: Hi Daniel,

Great! This is was what I was looking for. Thx.


author: David Alcindor
body: All,

I am experiencing the same issue here - I have about 14,000 readers, all of whom request anonymity/invisibility.

Any suggestion as to what other solution might be available, either within HipChat, or outside?

Thank you in advance.

David


author: Mick Davidson
body: Peter,

You're welcome. I like to keep an eye on the forum to see if I can help, but also to see what I can learn. There's always useful questions being asked. Some are more relevant than others, but it's a good way to learn about both Confluence and how people use it. :)


author: Peter
body: Hi Mick,

Thanks for the fast response! I see I am not the only one looking for this. If they just allow to add the "View user profiles" setting (which is already available in the Global permissions - annonymous settings) also with individual users or groups the problem was solved actually. Your scenario only works if - like you said- you can live with it. In our case it's not an option.


author: Mick Davidson
body: Peter,

I don't think you can hide the people in your People list. I discovered this last year but we chose to live with it. I don't see the advantage of having everyone's details visible, but that's the way it is at the moment.

What I did in my previous role is to have a space that all clients could see, but then set permissions for specific groups of pages (organised by client) so that only the named client could access that group of pages.

For example:

* Client Space:
  * Page 1 (visible to all clients)
  * Page 2 (visible to all clients)
  * Page 3 (visible to all clients)
  * Page 4 (only visible to client A)
    * Sub-Page X (only visible to client A)
  * Page 5 (only visible to client B)
    * Sub-Page Y (only visible to client B)

Etc. Does that help?

Cheers.