Migrating from a Read-Only Confluence Instance
A recurring question: our Confluence license is about to expire and the instance will become read-only - can WikiTraccs still migrate?
This post is about Confluence Data Center, which is the case where an expiring subscription puts the instance into read-only mode. Confluence Server licenses are perpetual - an expiring Server maintenance period does not trigger read-only; the instance keeps working as before, just without support and upgrades. Confluence Cloud handles license lapses differently and is out of scope here.
Current State
Short answer: it should work. Longer answer below.
WikiTraccs only reads from Confluence. It never writes. As long as Confluence is reachable and the REST endpoints still answer, a migration can run. A read-only state caused by an expired license should not block the kind of access WikiTraccs needs.
This has been observed working against read-only Confluence instances in the past. Atlassian documents that a Data Center instance becomes read-only when the subscription expires, but the docs do not specify whether REST API endpoints stay fully reachable in that state. So while practical experience says yes, there is no Atlassian-side guarantee for every Data Center version.
Plugin Behavior Can Change
A separate angle: apps/plugins installed in Confluence may behave differently when the instance license is invalid, which can alter what their macros render - and therefore what WikiTraccs sees and migrates.
The same effect happens when an app license itself expires (independently of the Confluence license). Macros from such apps may render normally, render a license-expired notice, or refuse to render at all. WikiTraccs migrates what Confluence delivers - so if a macro renders a “license expired” message instead of its usual content, that is what ends up in SharePoint.
References
The claims above are backed by these sources:
Data Center subscription expiry triggers read-only mode
“If your subscription expires, Confluence will become read-only, which means you’ll be able to view pages, but not create or edit them.”
Managing your Confluence License - Atlassian Documentation (DC 10.2) Source: first-party Atlassian (confluence.atlassian.com). Last modified Oct 3, 2023.
Server licenses are perpetual (no read-only on maintenance expiry)
“As all server licenses are perpetual, you can use your software into perpetuity.”
What Happens When Your Jira Server or Data Center License Expires? - Atlassian Support Source: first-party Atlassian (support.atlassian.com). The article is Jira-titled, but the perpetual-licensing model is Atlassian-wide and applies to Confluence Server as well. Last updated Feb 12, 2026.
The same conclusion is echoed in a Confluence-specific community Q&A:
“As all Server licenses are perpetual, you can use your software into perpetuity. This means the server product will continue to operate in its current state after the maintenance period expires.”
Atlassian Community: what happens after (server) Confluence license expired? Source: Atlassian Community forum thread. Answer by Ollie Guan, “Community Champion” (community member, not Atlassian staff). Posted May 29, 2020.
Apps may behave differently in read-only mode
“Not all apps (also known as plugins or add-ons) are compatible with read-only mode, and may continue to allow users to create or update content while read-only mode is enabled.”
Using read-only mode for site maintenance - Atlassian Documentation (DC 10.2) Source: first-party Atlassian (confluence.atlassian.com). Last modified Mar 29, 2023.
The same Atlassian developer documentation explicitly states that apps must be made compatible with read-only mode by their developers - it is not automatic: How to make your app compatible with read-only mode. Source: first-party Atlassian (developer.atlassian.com). Last updated Feb 4, 2022.