Some features in Jira and Confluence require users to have application access. We did our best to ensure these work even with License Optimizer enabled. Please see below for more details. On this page, we also provide some more context on the topic.

REST Calls

When calling any REST API of Jira or Confluence with a user managed by the License Optimizer, the call will only succeed when using Basic Authentication. This is because we can’t derive the username from the request when using Bearer Authentication, which is the only allowed method for Atlassian’s Personal Access Tokens.

Alternatives

• Create a dedicated group that provides application access to these users permanently, essentially excluding them from being managed by License Optimizer

• Use Basic Authentication with an app that provides both secure tokens and allows that:

  • https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1221586/api-token-authentication-for-jira-expand-connection-security?hosting=datacenter&tab=overview

  • https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1221608/api-token-authentication-for-confluence-expand-user-security?hosting=datacenter&tab=overview

Jira

To ensure Jira functionality doesn’t break for currently unlicensed users, they will be temporarily assigned to the group that grants access to the applications (Jira Software and Jira Service Management) as needed.

License Optimizer and Jira E-Mail Notifications

Please read a more detailed description of what you need to verify here: https://wiki.resolution.de/go/ud/jira-notifications

Remaining limitations

• Rendering Confluence content via Application links in Jira won’t always work if the user currently has no license in Confluence (if you’re using License Optimizer in both Jira and Confluence, that is)

  • This will be fixed in the upcoming version 6.6.0 of the app and around early August 2026

• Automation Rules

  • We can’t interact with Jira Automation Rules, and thus they will stop working properly if the actor currently has no license and/or the rule tries to do something with a user that requires them to have a license

    • As a workaround, you should exclude actors from being optimized (e.g., by granting them a permanent license via a dedicated group)

    • The workaround for the rule actions itself, however, is not so simple, and requires an app like Adaptavist Script Runner that allows you to add users to a group as part of the rule

• E-mail handler integrations: users currently not licensed can't create issues by sending an e-mail

• Data sent via application links (e.g., commits posted from Bitbucket to Jira) is not being detected.

Activity in Jira

Jira Service Management

Even with an open browser tab but with no real user interaction in it, the Jira REST API is periodically called from that tab:

• The Service Management SLA (re)calculation endpoint

Thus, these users would not be removed from the group providing licensed access unless they close any open tabs with issues in Jira Service Management.

Confluence

To ensure Confluence functionality doesn’t break for currently unlicensed users, they will be temporarily assigned to the group that grants access to the applications (Jira Software and Jira Service Management) as needed.

Remaining Limitations

• Rendering Jira content via Application links in Confluence won’t always work if the user currently has no license in Jira (if you’re using License Optimizer in both Confluence and Jira, that is)

  • This will be fixed in the upcoming version 6.6.0 of the app and around early August 2026

• Recommended updates via email to users who currently don't have a Confluence license

  • We don't plan to work around this issue.

Activity in Confluence

Even with an open browser tab but with no real user interaction in it, the Confluence REST API is periodically called from that tab:

• The Quick Reload endpoint by the plugin with the same name lets a user know if new comments have been added to the page that they're on

• The Notifications and Tasks REST endpoint is used to inform about new notifications in Confluence

• The Atlassian Analytics API, if enabled

Thus, these users would not be removed from the group that provides licensed access unless they close any open Confluence tabs.

E-Mail Notifications and License Consumption

Many users can be added to the license group to address the email notification limitation mentioned above. You might have pages with many watchers who are currently not actively working.
License Optimizer will only add as many users as there are available licenses. Please note that this may prevent some users from receiving notifications. If some spaces or pages are frequently updated and you have a large number of subscribers, this can also increase the need for additional licenses. Keeping the inactivity period setting at the minimum allowed value will at least ensure that licenses are freed up again as soon as possible.