---
title: "Link to Jira instances with application links"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/TBL/74811527/Link%20to%20Jira%20instances%20with%20application%20links"
format: markdown
---
# <span style="color: #000000">Description</span>

<span style="color: #000000">This article illustrates the process of linking Confluence to Jira using </span><span style="color: #000000">[application links](https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/integrating-confluence-with-other-applications-233148856.html)</span><span style="color: #000000"> (sometimes called app links or AppLinks). If a linked Jira instance is specified in the </span><span style="color: #000000">*Jira application link*</span><span style="color: #000000"> parameter of the </span><span style="color: #000000">*JQL Table*</span><span style="color: #000000"> macro editor, the macro recognizes the link, </span><span style="color: #000000">and renders the Jira issues</span><span style="color: #000000"> as per the specified JQL search on the Confluence page. After the initial verification, URLs to this linked instance are treated as direct links and do not need any further authentication. Creating app links has many advantages such as:</span>

- <u><span style="color: #000000">Security:</span></u><span style="color: #000000"> Password is only required to authenticate user credentials when an application link is created, and thus, sensitive information like user credentials are hidden from exposure.</span>
- <u><span style="color: #000000">Usability:</span></u><span style="color: #000000"> Authentication is done only when the application link is created, thus, frequent prompts for user credentials are avoided.</span>
- <u><span style="color: #000000">Seamless access across the platform</span></u><span style="color: #000000">: Administrators have to configure application links only once for permitted users to access the app.</span>

> ℹ️ ### Prerequisites for creating app links:
> ℹ️ 
> ℹ️ - <span style="color: #000000">To lin</span><span style="color: #000000">k Confluence to another app, you must be an administrator for both the apps.</span>
> ℹ️ - <span style="color: #000000">Atlassian recommends that you use OAuth with impersonation authentication if you select the </span><span style="color: #000000">*The servers have the same set of users*</span><span style="color: #000000"> option when linking.</span>
> ℹ️ - <span style="color: #000000">You require a working URL link for the Jira instance to be linked with Confluence.</span>

# Instructions

<span style="color: #000000">Create the application link in Confluence administration as mentioned in the Confluence support page on</span> <span style="color: #000000">[application links](https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/linking-to-another-application-360677690.html)</span><span style="color: #000000">. Once the linking is successful, you can see the status as </span><span style="color: #000000">*Connected*</span><span style="color: #000000"> in green.</span>

![Configure Application links](media://303e1bf4-d83b-4ddb-bb22-a38f0b72cb0a)

## <span style="color: #000000">Using application links in </span><span style="color: #000000">*JQL Table*</span>

1. <span style="color: #000000">Add a </span><span style="color: #000000">*JQL Table*</span><span style="color: #000000"> macro to a Confluence page, or edit an existing macro to see the macro edito</span><span style="color: #000000">r.</span>
2. <span style="color: #000000">Specify any of the linked Jira instances in the editor's </span><span style="color: #000000">*Jira application link*</span><span style="color: #000000"> parameter</span><span style="color: #000000">. </span>

> ℹ️ ### Points to remember
> ℹ️ 
> ℹ️ - <span style="color: #000000">Administrators can link Confluence with other Atlassian applications such as Bitbucket.</span>
> ℹ️ - <span style="color: #000000">After the links are created, user credentials are authenticated only once when an application linked URL is processed through a macro.</span>
> ℹ️ - <span style="color: #000000">Once user credentials have been verified through the macro, URLs given from a verified application link then works like an absolute path to the specified Jira instance.</span>

# <span style="color: #000000">Additional resources</span>

- <span style="color: #000000">[JQL Table macro](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TBL/pages/74811686)</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">[Example of the JQL Table macro](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TBL/pages/74811578)</span>