Frequently asked questions
Why not use Confluence's own PDF export?
Confluence shows right-to-left text correctly on screen, but its PDF and Word exports write it from left to right, so Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Urdu documents come out unreadable. Atlassian's request to fix it, CONFCLOUD-1373, has been open since 2019. RTL Export makes exports in which every paragraph keeps its direction.
Does my content leave Atlassian?
No. The app runs on Atlassian's own platform (Forge) and talks to no other server. Exports are made in your browser and saved to your computer; the app stores only your site's export defaults. See the privacy policy.
Who can export, and what can they export?
Anyone who can view a page can export it. The app reads pages with your own permissions, so an export never contains a page you cannot view, and child pages you cannot view are left out.
Which export should I use?
- Print view to print, or to save a PDF from the browser's print dialog.
- Download Word for a document you want to edit further in Microsoft Word or LibreOffice.
- Download PDF for a finished document to share: it has page numbers, a running title and bookmarks in every browser.
Word and PDF downloads need an active licence; the print view works without one.
Which browsers does it work in?
Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. When printing from the print view, Chrome and Edge add the running title and page numbers, and Safari and Firefox leave them out. Download PDF includes them in every browser.
Can numbers use Arabic-Indic or Persian digits?
Yes. Choose Arabic-Indic under Numerals. It applies to numbers in Arabic, Persian and Urdu text, to list numbers and to page numbers; Persian and Urdu pages get Persian digits (۱۲۳). Code, links and numbers after English words keep Western digits. See Options.
Can I export a whole space?
Not yet. You can export a page with up to 100 pages under it as one document. Exporting a whole space in the background is planned.
Does it work with blog posts and live docs?
Yes. Pages, blog posts and live docs all have Export RTL in their ••• menu.
Who can change the defaults?
Confluence administrators, in Settings → RTL Export. Everyone else can change the options for each export in the export dialog.
Copied text from a PDF comes out in the wrong order
Each PDF viewer reorders right-to-left text in its own way when copying. See the known limitations for what each one does; Preview and Firefox copy best.
Something did not export correctly
Tell us: see Support for how to reach us and what to include.