To highlight text in Confluence, start with the built-in editor. A background highlight is useful for a short passage; changing the letters’ color is a separate choice. You do not need a converter to highlight a few words.
Method 1: Highlight text with a background color
Select the exact words first, then use the toolbar’s combined text-and-highlight color menu to apply a background color.
- Edit the page or live doc. Open the content and enter edit mode.
- Select the text. Drag across only the words or sentence that need emphasis.
- Open the color menu. Choose Text and highlight color in the editor toolbar or floating toolbar.
- Choose a highlight. Pick a color from the highlight palette, not the text-color palette.
- Publish or update. Check the result in context, then save the page.
Method 2: Change text color or replace a highlight
Reselect the passage and reopen the color menu. Choose a new background color to replace its highlight, or choose a text color to change the letters. Check a short selection first so you can see which setting changed.
What is the difference between text color and highlighting?
Text color changes the letters; highlighting adds color behind the letters. They solve different reading problems.
| Format | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight color | A short warning, decision, or review point that must stand out | A yellow background behind “Decision needed” |
| Text color | A restrained semantic cue within a team convention | Red text for a blocked item |
| Panel or status | A whole message or a repeatable workflow state | An info panel or “In progress” status |
Confluence puts text color and background highlighting in the same menu. If the result changes the characters instead of the area behind them, reopen the menu and choose from the highlight options.
Method 3: Remove unwanted highlighting
Select the highlighted text, reopen Text and highlight color, and choose the default or no-highlight option. Then update the page.
If pasted content keeps an unwanted background, first try clearing the highlight through the toolbar. For a larger cleanup, paste the passage as plain text and reapply only the formatting you need.
Example: highlight the decision, not the whole paragraph
Imagine a review note: “Decision needed: keep the current export format until the migration is complete.” Highlight only Decision needed. Leave the explanation uncolored so the reader can still scan the page. This is an illustrative HTML example, not a screenshot of the Confluence toolbar.
After applying the highlight in Confluence, check the saved result, then remove it once the decision is resolved. Keep the written label so the note still makes sense without color.
Common Confluence highlighting issues and fixes
Why can’t I find the highlight control?
The most common causes are being outside edit mode, not selecting text, looking at a different toolbar rollout, or editing a content type with different controls.
- Confirm that you can type on the page.
- Select text before looking for the floating toolbar.
- Check the toolbar overflow menu on a narrow screen.
- Do not confuse page text with text inside a whiteboard element.
- Ask an administrator whether an app or editor policy changes the available options.
Highlighting disappears after pasting
Plain-text paste removes styling. Paste a small rich-text sample to compare; if the destination drops its background, apply the highlight in Confluence after pasting. Do not assume a copied webpage’s CSS will survive.
Does ==text== add a highlight?
Atlassian’s Cloud Markdown shortcut list does not list that syntax. Use the color menu rather than relying on a Markdown extension from another editor.
Do I need a formatting app?
Use the native control for ordinary text highlighting. Consider an app only when you need a specific page-design feature beyond this workflow. Text to Confluence Editor prepares draft structure; apply the final native highlight in Confluence.
How should teams use highlights accessibly?
Use highlighting sparingly and never make color the only carrier of meaning.
- Add a word such as Warning, Decision, or Blocked.
- Keep enough contrast between the text and its background in both light and dark themes.
- Reserve a small, documented palette for repeatable meanings.
- Use a status, panel, or heading when the entire block matters.
For the current editor behavior, see Atlassian’s official Format text and format with the toolbar documentation.
Related Confluence guides
Want to spend less time formatting in Confluence?
Formatting headings, tables, lists, and emphasis by hand works for a few edits. For a formatted draft, Markdown, or a Word document, use Text to Confluence Editor to prepare the content, inspect the preview, and copy rich text into Confluence with less manual reformatting.
- Bring your content: paste Markdown, or open your .doc/.docx document in Word or Google Docs and copy its body into the document tool.
- Check the preview: review heading levels, tables, lists, and emphasis, then adjust the draft as needed.
- Copy and paste: copy the formatted rich text, paste normally into Confluence in edit mode, and review the result before publishing.
No account needed. The Word workflow uses copied document content, not direct file upload. Formatting support depends on the source and destination editor; check background highlights, mentions, and macros after pasting, and add them in Confluence where needed.
Last reviewed against current Atlassian Cloud documentation.