# Default topic timer to auto-delete replies!

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** topic-timers
**Created:** [September 26, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181 "2023-09-26T14:36:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jordan-violet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jordan-violet/32/281428_2.png) [@jordan-violet](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jordan-violet)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/1 "2023-09-26T14:36:14Z")

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Would love for there to be a way to have a default topic timer for all new topics created in a category, to auto-delete replies that are n days old.

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### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/2 "2023-09-26T15:08:53Z")

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You can set one for close or bump in the category settings (on the Settings tab):

 ![category timers](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/d/e/4/de4196d38406934662146f209bbdf8c74d76e92f.png)

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### Author: ![jordan-violet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jordan-violet/32/281428_2.png) [@jordan-violet](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jordan-violet)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/3 "2023-09-26T15:50:15Z")

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My goodness, I posted so fast after searching I forgot to clarify what kind of topic timer.

I want to set a topic timer for all new topics in a category, to remove posts that are 30 days old.

I updated the title and OP.

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### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/4 "2023-09-26T16:54:51Z")

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Ha. 🙂 No worries. I don’t believe there is one currently for ‘auto-delete replies’, ~~though I think there is a #Contribute > Feature request for it~~

Nope. I can’t find it. I could’ve sworn I’d seen one. 🤔

But it would make a good addition. 👍

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### Author: ![jordan-violet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jordan-violet/32/281428_2.png) [@jordan-violet](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jordan-violet)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/5 "2023-09-26T17:02:59Z")

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Topic updated.

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### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/7 "2023-09-26T19:08:57Z")

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Just to link it up - it was also requested/suggested here too - [How to set auto-delete replies on the category level](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-set-auto-delete-replies-on-the-category-level/208890)

And I linked in there to some replies in this topic [Category-level auto-delete topics the same as auto-close feature - #7 by PhilippBoeing](https://meta.discourse.org/t/auto-delete-topics-the-same-as-auto-close-feature/138361/7) which also suggested it too (though the #Contribute > Feature topic itself is about something a little different)

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### Author: ![Heliosurge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/heliosurge/32/571810_2.png) [@Heliosurge](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Heliosurge)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/8 "2023-09-29T22:57:20Z")

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You might see if this Plugin Author might be willing to do a feature request to extend this plugin features.

> [@Delete Unreplied Topics plugin](https://meta.discourse.org/t/delete-unreplied-topics-plugin/163546):
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> The Delete Unreplied Topics plugin scans designated categories for topics that exist over x days which did not get any replies, and deletes them. This keeps your forum clean of topics that did not gain any traction for whatever reason. Settings: delete\_unreplied\_topics\_categories the categories to work on delete\_unreplied\_topics\_days the amount of days before a topic without any posts will be deleted delete\_unreplied\_topics\_dry\_run a safety net to test and make sure the plugin will not delete…

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### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2023, 7:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/9 "2023-09-30T07:47:25Z")

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That plugin serves an entirely different purpose, so I would suggest creating a new plugin for this. Although it would be better to see this in core.

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### Author: ![Heliosurge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/heliosurge/32/571810_2.png) [@Heliosurge](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Heliosurge)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2023, 7:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/10 "2023-09-30T07:49:40Z")

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Agreed but figured your plugin might have a reasonable base line to build from.

Off hand how does the team handled their auto delete reply topics? is it manually done ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![RGJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/rgj/32/523185_2.png) [@RGJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RGJ)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2023, 8:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/11 "2023-09-30T08:06:03Z")

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You can set a topic timer **on a topic** that auto-deletes replies after a number of days.  
This feature request merely asks to be able to set it **on a category** so it applies to all topics in that category by default.

(That’s also why I think the Delete Unreplies Topics plugin is not suitable as a base for this, that plugin removes topics _that do not satisfy a certain condition_, which is functionality that is not already available. This feature request would only need to implement a category setting and apply that to every new topic upon creation).

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jordan-violet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jordan-violet/32/281428_2.png) [@jordan-violet](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jordan-violet)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/12 "2024-03-29T19:51:12Z")

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@JammyDodger just wanted to bump this: Any chance this feature has made it to any lists? 😬

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### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-topic-timer-to-auto-delete-replies/280181/13 "2024-03-29T20:21:01Z")

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I’m afraid this one. hasn’t been allocated any dev time as yet. ☹
