# Discourse Custom Topic Lists
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186
**Category:** Plugin
**Tags:** experimental
**Created:** [June 7, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186 "2024-06-07T19:42:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gabriel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gabriel)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/1 "2024-06-07T19:42:31Z")
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| :discourse2: | **Summary** | Allows you to create custom topic lists that can be accessed via a URL |
| 🛠 | **Repository Link** | [GitHub - discourse/discourse-custom-topic-lists: custom topic lists · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-custom-topic-lists) |
| 📖 | **Install Guide** | [How to install plugins in Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-plugins-in-discourse/19157) |
### Features
This plugin adds a new dropdown; when clicked, it leads you to a custom topic list based on a filter defined in the configuration.
The new dropdown:
The sidebar links, you can decide if the list should appear on the side or not:
When you click to go to the custom list page, you are met with a page similar to a topic list:
> The name, banner label, icon and path can be defined in the configuration
### Configuration
Make sure to have `experimental topics filter` enabled
This is the config I’ve used in the example:
---
### Author:  [@Heliosurge](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Heliosurge)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 12:35am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/2 "2024-06-08T00:35:59Z")
This is very useful. Awesome thank you!
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### Author:  [@NateDhaliwal](https://meta.discourse.org/u/NateDhaliwal)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/3 "2024-06-08T01:26:14Z")
Looks great! I was wondering, how is different from categories? Why not use a category instead?
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### Author:  [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 7:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/4 "2024-06-08T07:15:44Z")
Is this kind of frontend for experimental filter?
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### Author:  [@thaidb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/thaidb)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/6 "2024-06-09T14:38:29Z")
Hello, Can i custom multi select groups tag as this topic [Multi menu select Group tags](https://meta.discourse.org/t/multi-menu-select-group-tags/110548)
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### Author:  [@gabriel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gabriel)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/7 "2024-06-10T13:46:02Z")
Thanks for the feedback guys!
> [@NateDhaliwal](#):
>
> how is different from categories? Why not use a category instead?
It uses this experimental feature called `/filter`, you can see the DSL query in this [meta post](https://meta.discourse.org/t/experimental-topics-list-filter-feature/263641)
This is different from categories because you can create a custom list with 2 categories, e.g., `category:bug,feature` or, in my case, `category:arts-media,feature` would bring all topics that include both categories.
> [@thaidb](#):
>
> Hello, Can i custom multi select groups tag as this topic [Multi menu select Group tags](https://meta.discourse.org/t/multi-menu-select-group-tags/110548)
I have tested, and from what I could see, tag groups are not supported in the `/filter` feature.
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### Author:  [@Heliosurge](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Heliosurge)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2024, 12:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/9 "2024-06-11T12:20:50Z")
Will tag groups be added a n future? As it seems to be an under utilized feature concept.
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### Author:  [@gabriel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gabriel)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2024, 10:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/10 "2024-06-11T22:03:29Z")
I worked on that: [https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/27427](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/27427).
I’ll keep you guys and the changelog updated.
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### Author:  [@gabriel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gabriel)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/11 "2024-06-17T16:26:04Z")
The PR was merged into the core!
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### Author:  [@jrgong](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jrgong)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/12 "2024-06-30T13:41:31Z")
This would be epic! Currently we are using the docs plugin to create a some sort of product database. But having a view of tag-group-based dropdowns would help us immensely
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### Author:  [@Gotchur](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Gotchur)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/13 "2024-07-04T22:15:42Z")
@gabriel is it possible for end users to create their own custom lists?
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### Author:  [@gabriel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gabriel)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/14 "2024-07-04T22:48:57Z")
Currently, no.
I do not have yet done a per user customization like that, when I get that know-how and have time I will add it.
It is open source, if you would like, you can start a pr and we can go iterating
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### Author:  [@ncaming215](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ncaming215)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/15 "2024-07-15T18:46:36Z")
> [@Gotchur](#):
>
> @gabriel is it possible for end users to create their own custom lists?
➕ 1️⃣ for this idea.
I think you’re onto something, @gabriel. You’ve actually managed to get really close to a working concept for [this idea](https://meta.discourse.org/t/sidebar-category-configuration-just-follow-watching-tracking-instead-of-having-separate-config/242345/22) that @nathank also helped spark.
If users can custom define their own lists, and **leverage the nav sidebar** ( 🙌), we’re incrediby close to people defining their own feed based on interests.
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### Author:  [@TheDarkWizard](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TheDarkWizard)
#### Post date: [July 16, 2024, 12:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/16 "2024-07-16T00:00:43Z")
That would be an excellent feature for the end user.
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### Author:  [@gabriel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gabriel)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2024, 4:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/17 "2024-10-09T16:30:30Z")
Hey! We have an update for this plugin. Now you can add a `.rss` to the end of your custom list, which will render it in the RSS format.
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### Author:  [@jrgong](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jrgong)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2024, 11:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/18 "2024-11-03T23:08:04Z")
Would it be possible to create a dropdown based on a specific tag group and display all tags as dropdown items?
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### Author:  [@putty](https://meta.discourse.org/u/putty)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/20 "2025-07-22T17:19:24Z")
Is there a way for users to subscribe (watch, watch first post) to a custom list? I’m working on a project that involves compiling content from multiple categories, but I need a way for users to know about new content. I suspect this requirement will drive me to use tags, but wanted to ask 🙂
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### Author:  [@putty](https://meta.discourse.org/u/putty)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-custom-topic-lists/311186/21 "2025-07-23T13:29:35Z")
One more follow-up question: How do you recommend targeting individual categories when multiple categories have the same name? I.e, we have a News category for all of our products, so over a dozen News categories.
I’m trying something like parent:child or ID# but they don’t seem to be working.
**Update:** shoutout to @gabriel for working this out! You can target multiple categories with the same name by using the full category path. Also worth noting, separate with a comma with **no space**.
`category:products:auditor:news,products:data-classification:news,products:access-analyzer:news`