---
title: "Publishing using the app add-on user"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/CPCL/1433075760/Publishing%20using%20the%20app%20add-on%20user"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (aura-html)


## User permissions for publishing setting

In the source space publishing dashboard, a space administrator can select the user permissions in the target space that are used for single-page publishing and space publishing actions:

- **Comala Publishing for Confluence Cloud** app add-on user permissions
- user permissions of the **User responsible for the action**

![cpc_publishingdashboard_selectuserpermissionsforpublishingoption_targetspace productdevelopmentpubliccontent.png](media://1f31caeb-9baa-479c-80fa-acbc74f9c322)

By default, for a new space publishing configuration, the **Comala Publishing for Confluence Cloud** app add-on user permissions in the target space are used for publishing actions.

The choice of user permissions for publishing is set using the **Select user performing publishing action** dropdown.

![cpc_selectuserforpublishing_appuser_selected_dropdownoptions.png](media://559e82b9-ad06-4602-a010-245cb5e2d002)

Pages are published using the selected user’s permissions in the target space.

## Why use the app add-on user as the user responsible for the publishing action?

![Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 14.28.03.png](media://f4dc42bf-74e5-401c-901a-fd540a56b746)

 When publishing is configured to use the app add-on user, only the app add-on user requires edit permission in the target space.

There is no need for a Confluence user who publishes content (a page editor or a space administrator) to have edit permissions in the target space. 

> ✅ Removing user edit permissions in the target space can support compliance with published documents.

## Comala Publishing for Confluence Cloud app add-on user space permissions

On installation of Comala Publishing, the app add-on user is automatically added with edit permission in all the spaces on the Confluence site.

![cpc_confluencespace_user_publishinguser_permissions_highlighed_min.png](media://ad13f63f-fb93-4787-81e7-cd1637fb1bdf)

Using the app add-on user permissions to publish pages can support compliance, as a user undertaking a single page or space publishing action does not require edit permission in the target space.

If the app add-on user permissions are not selected, the publishing user must have the required permissions in the target space.

> 📝 The app user permissions are used when publishing occurs using an applied Comala workflow, irrespective of the selected publishing configuration for **User publishing permissions**.

## Target space page history

When the **Select user performing publishing action **option is set as **Comala Publishing for Confluence Cloud**, the add-on user is recorded in the target space page history. 

**Initial publish and sync of a page**

If the page has not been previously published, publishing and syncing add the app add-on user as the page's owner and creator in the target space.

![cpc_onpage_targetspacepage_adonuser_published_owner_creator.png](media://6a5a2df2-d0d1-4ac4-aa34-ee3ce0ae1517)

The Confluence target space page history displays the Comala Publishing for Confluence Cloud app add-on user in the **Changed By** entry.

![cpc_targetspacepage_publishedusing_app_addon_user-permissions_pagecreator.png](media://ee3b0f33-9e6a-4c99-8913-7509acb48a48)

**Publish and sync a page after the initial publish using the user permissions**

If the page has been previously published using the publishing user permissions, the app-add-on user is added as the user who last changed the page in the target space.

![cpc_targetspacepage_onpage_addonuserpublishing_previousconfluenceuserpublish.png](media://9e9c6b54-7030-4ce2-9ed3-f813d6ef868b)

The Confluence target space page history displays the Comala Publishing app add-on user in the Changed By entry each time the page is published and synced. The latest **Changed By** entry also displays the user who initially published the page and is the page creator.

![cpc_pagehistory_targetspacepage_initialusepublish_later_addonuserpublish.png](media://5eb7ed64-4980-4a09-a649-8855c7d09e81)

> 📝 When using a [Comala workflow to publish a page](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CPCL/pages/1091043351) and the app add-on user permissions are used for publishing, the add-on user is added to the **Changed By** entry in the target space page history.

## **Publishing reports**

When the **Select user performing publishing action **option is set as the app add-on user:

- the [space publishing report](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CPCL/pages/647004645) displays the Confluence user as the **Publisher** of the last whole space publish action
- the [publishing report](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CPCL/pages/1085473466) for the target space displays
  - **Last updated by** as the Comala Publishing for Confluence Cloud app add-on user
  - **Last synced by** as the Confluence user who triggered the publishing action

![cpc_publishingreport_targetspace_5pages_allsynced_anystate_filter_app_addon_user_lastupdatedby.png](media://069b84fe-6c56-4af0-827c-6691c9c83507)

> ℹ️ In the source space, the **Last updated by** and **Last synced by** values are the Confluence user who triggered the publishing action.

## **Page analysis tool**

In the [page analysis diagnostic tool](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CPCL/pages/953516116), when the **Select user performing publishing action **option** **is set as the app add-on user:

- the **Publisher** in the page manifest is the Confluence user who triggered the publishing action
- in the publishing configuration, the** Publish as add-on user** is
  - **YES** - space publishing action uses the app add-on user permissions

![cpc_pageanalysistool_overview_publishasaddonuser_yes.png](media://b5ada6f8-d36d-44a7-ab29-38e4a9cd0c56)

> ℹ️ When the **Publish as add-on user value** is **NO**, the space publishing action uses the current Confluence user permissions for publishing.

The exportable **Manifest** screen includes a `true` value for `addonUser` in the source manifest and `isPublishedAsAddon` in the space configuration.

![cpc_pageanalysistool_manifest_publishasaddonuser_true.png](media://e566bf7b-f335-4482-b8a1-a49e20d4e184)

If the Confluence user permissions are used, the values are set as `false`.

## Page level restrictions

When the app add-on user permissions are used for the publish action on a page with page-level restrictions, the Comala app user must have permission to view and edit the page.

> 📝 A warning message is displayed for a page that cannot be published due to page-level restrictions or space permissions.

## Related pages

- [Space administration - space settings publishing dashboard](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CPCL/pages/646252290)
- [User permissions for publishing](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CPCL/pages/645334813)