# Change one post in topic to a PM
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [August 10, 2018, 4:53am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367 "2018-08-10T04:53:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Biscuit](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Biscuit)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2018, 4:53am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/1 "2018-08-10T04:53:36Z")
**Problem:**
I can select a post within a topic and move it to a new or existing topic. I can also change it’s ownership. But, I can’t change that one post to a PM. I can change a whole topic to a PM. But, I can’t change one post to a PM.
**Scenario:**
Someone posts a reply in a topic and I want to remove it and explain why to them, privately. An easy approach is to turn that one post into a PM and then reply to it privately, outside the topic.
**Recommendation:**
Have the same “change to PM” functionality available for both topics and posts.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2018, 4:55am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/2 "2018-08-10T04:55:10Z")
Why? You can split the post to a new topic, then make that new topic a PM. Done and done.
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### Author:  [@Biscuit](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Biscuit)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2018, 5:04am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/3 "2018-08-10T05:04:18Z")
Moving it to a new topic is a clunky non-intuitive 2-step workaround.
I could also copy the message to the clipboard, start a new PM and then paste it in… but this moderation use-case is so common it deserves to be optimised to a single convenient step.
Splitting it into a new topic also means that temporary topic has to either appear briefly within a public category (undesirable and not private), or a staff category (which is also not fully private), until it’s converted to PM.
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/4 "2018-08-10T05:22:55Z")
How is it originally in a topic that _is_ fully private?
What I often do is
- delete the post
- click the avatar to open the user card
- click message
The post is one boxed / linked to, and I can comment on and discuss the post in the message that is created.
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### Author:  [@Biscuit](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Biscuit)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/5 "2018-08-10T06:11:10Z")
Interesting. I never use the MESSAGE option on the user card. Good to know, thanks. Can the user view the deleted post though? Haven’t tested yet.
> [@Mittineague](#):
>
> How is it originally in a topic that _is_ fully private?
I’d be removing the post because it’s undesirable, so moving it into a new topic that appears at the top of the new topics list isn’t great.
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### Author:  [@tkrunning](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tkrunning)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/6 "2018-10-15T14:07:00Z")
Just ran into this need today as well, so consider this a vote for the feature. I’ll use the workaround for now, but I agree with @Biscuit that it would make a very useful feature.
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### Author:  [@techAPJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/techAPJ)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-one-post-in-topic-to-a-pm/94367/8 "2018-12-31T13:14:47Z")
This feature is now implemented. Details here:
> [@Move posts to private conversation](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-posts-to-private-conversation/63007/10):
>
> This feature is now available via: When moving posts from a topic there will be three options. Move to … New Topic Existing Topic New Message When moving posts from a PM there will be two options. Move to … New Message Existing Message