Bulk actions confusion - Delete Topics

zogstrip · August 21, 2026, 7:17am

we’re in the process of improving the “actions” offered in bulk mode, but this one fell through the cracks as it’s not (yet) available.

github.com/discourse/discourse

FIX: Bulk delete topics is recoverable, not permanent (#42776)

main ← fix-bulk-delete-topics-copy

merged 07:46AM - 25 Aug 26 UTC

ZogStriP

+104 -21

Reported in [Bulk actions confusion - Delete Topics](https://meta.discourse.org/…t/410444). Selecting topics and choosing **Delete** asks you to confirm: > Permanently delete the selected topics. This action cannot be undone. …and then soft deletes them, so they can be recovered. Not search-specific — the same modal is used by every topic list. There is no configuration where the copy is true. `TopicsBulkAction#delete` builds `PostDestroyer` with an empty options hash, so `permanent?` is never satisfied, and `PUT /topics/bulk` doesn't permit `force_destroy` in the first place. `can_permanently_delete` has no bearing on this path. The description was added with the copy pass in 4b6169028f and never matched the behaviour. ### Also fixed Two long-standing bugs in the same six lines: - `delete` was the only operation in `TopicsBulkAction` that never appended to `@changed_ids`, so the endpoint always answered `{"topic_ids":[]}`. A bulk delete where the guardian skipped every topic looked exactly like a successful one, toast included. - `ordered_posts` is scoped by `Trashable`, so for a topic whose first post was already deleted it returned post 2. `is_first_post?` was then false, `@topic.trash!` never ran, and an unrelated reply was deleted while the topic stayed alive — reported as a success. `TopicsController#destroy` already gets this right with `ordered_posts.with_deleted.first`. ### Follow-ups, not in this PR - `ordered_posts.first` feeding `PostDestroyer` carries the same latent bug at five other call sites: `Jobs::DeleteTopic`, three in `DestroyTask`, and `TopicGuardian#can_recover_topic?`. Worth a `Topic` accessor rather than a sixth hand-rolled copy. - Search results give no hint whether a hit is a topic or a reply, which is the other half of the report. `post_number` is already serialized and `search.post_format` already exists, but is gated to the in-topic dropdown. - Translations of this key still assert permanence until the pipeline catches up.

Topic		Replies	Views
Permanently Delete does not show (even after 5 minutes) Bug permanently-delete	14	196	July 29, 2026
Batch Delete topics in a category? Feature bulk-actions	47	8971	November 18, 2016
How can I permanently delete a topic with multiple posts? Support permanently-delete	5	258	July 29, 2026
Permanent bulk delete of old topics Feature	8	1795	July 5, 2025
Confirmation prompt before deleting an entire topic Feature	3	323	December 1, 2023

Bulk actions confusion - Delete Topics

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