# Better indication a topic is locked
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [June 9, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826 "2015-06-09T22:04:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@strager](https://meta.discourse.org/u/strager)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/1 "2015-06-09T22:04:34Z")
So I was perusing the [Emby forums](http://emby.media/community/) the other day and I came across a locked thread. It was very obvious that the thread was locked because instead of the Post Reply button there was a big giant “This Topic is Locked” icon in it’s place. Just wanted to suggest that Discourse consider doing something similar - this is really helpful as an end user so you aren’t spending any time trying to reply to something when you don’t realize it is locked.
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### Author:  [@KazWolfe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/KazWolfe)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/2 "2015-06-09T22:43:40Z")
Well, the lock icon is on the title of the post:
And, the Reply button is also hidden for non-admins, implying that a post can’t be replied to.
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### Author:  [@strager](https://meta.discourse.org/u/strager)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/3 "2015-06-09T22:50:22Z")
I know! It’s just not very obvious, especially to a new user not familiar with Discourse.
The fact that it is hidden actually exacerbates the issue, because the user can spend considerable time (as much as a minute or two) looking for a reply button thinking that they just aren’t seeing it instead of moving on or creating a linked topic to discuss whatever it is they wanted to talk about.
The example above even goes a step further by giving a second line (Also in the screenshot) that says “No replies to this topic” for the absolute newbie in case they don’t understand what a locked topic is.
I dunno - I just think it would make for a better user experience for the newbie - maybe I’m wrong?
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### Author:  [@KazWolfe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/KazWolfe)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/4 "2015-06-09T23:06:31Z")
> [@strager](#):
>
> “No replies to this topic”
This means that the topic in question didn’t receive a reply.
> [@strager](#):
>
> I just think it would make for a better user experience for the newbie - maybe I’m wrong?
Probably, but Discourse is very click-everything-you-can-see oriented. The underlying UX tries to remain as simple as possible: if you don’t see it, you can’t do it. If you don’t see a way to reply, then you probably aren’t able to reply.
* * *
On that note, maybe it would be a good idea to mention this in the introduction PM that all users get?
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### Author:  [@strager](https://meta.discourse.org/u/strager)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/5 "2015-06-09T23:12:53Z")
> [@KazWolfe](#):
>
> Discourse is very click-everything-you-can-see oriented. The underlying UX tries to remain as simple as possible: if you don’t see it, you can’t do it.
What if you made it clickable, but when you click it a lightbox (or similar) pops up explaining what a locked thread is?
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/7 "2015-06-09T23:21:22Z")
I am not a big fan of imagining problems users “might” have, I am a fan of reacting to reports from real users.
I’m not convinced this is unclear, and more significantly, _I have never heard a report from any user or site owner that this was a problem._
That said, I am interested in providing a better more condensed set of Staff Messages, perhaps using iconography. But it’d be the same message, in the same place, with the same color just with a lock icon and smaller.
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### Author:  [@strager](https://meta.discourse.org/u/strager)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/8 "2015-06-09T23:51:23Z")
@riking - I was talking about the “vanilla” locked topic. I was referring to the generic discourse theme and not to our own custom CSS work - hence this being on the public forum and not in our private board 😉 - Do you really think i’m that lame to complain to you about my own (or my associates) work? 😜
@codinghorror - I actually had a problem myself on some forums where I couldn’t find a reply button for one reason or another (usually a permissions thing or the like) and its incredibly frustrating when you think you should be able to reply to something and can’t. Fair point however - if people aren’t complaining about it no use in spending the effort to resolve.
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### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/9 "2015-06-09T23:52:50Z")
[quote=“strager, post:8, topic:29826”]
Do you really think i’m that lame to complain to you about my own (or my associates) work?
[/quote]Oops, I misread… Deleted that post.
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### Author:  [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2025, 11:35am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/better-indication-a-topic-is-locked/29826/10 "2025-12-04T11:35:59Z")