What is the recommended approach to fix out of memory errors in Confluence?

• A. Decrease the heap to 128 MB
• B. Increase the max heap gradually, e.g., to 512 MB, until the error goes away
• C. Install more RAM only
• D. Disable features to reduce memory usage

Answer: (B)

When Confluence runs out of memory, the Java heap isn’t large enough to handle the workload. The best fix is to increase the maximum heap size (-Xmx) gradually and monitor until the errors stop. Starting with a modest bump and then raising it step by step lets you find a balance where there’s enough memory for normal operation without causing long garbage-collection pauses. Simply decreasing the heap would make the problem worse, and while adding more physical RAM can help, it won’t help unless the JVM is configured to use that memory. Disabling features might reduce usage short-term but doesn’t address the underlying memory needs. After adjusting the heap, keep an eye on memory usage and GC behavior to ensure stable performance.