This thread introduces the Discourse Custom Topic Lists plugin, which allows administrators to create custom topic lists accessible via URL and sidebar dropdowns. gabriel explains that the plugin leverages Discourse’s experimental /filter feature, enabling lists based on complex queries such as multiple categories (e.g., category:bug,feature). This differs from standard categories by allowing cross-category aggregation.
Key developments include:
Tag Group Support: gabriel confirmed that support for tag groups in filters has been merged into the core via PR #27427, addressing requests from users like Heliosurge and jrgong.
RSS Integration: The plugin now supports appending .rss to custom list URLs to generate RSS feeds gabriel.
Advanced Usage & Theming: User putty shared techniques for targeting specific categories with identical names using full category paths and comma separation without spaces. They also developed a theme component to add a calendar view to custom lists, inspired by the Events plugin, and shared examples of styling lists for product announcements and security advisories putty.
Future Features: While end-user customization of lists is not currently supported gabriel, there is community interest in this feature to allow personalized feeds ncaming215. putty also discussed their workflow using AI tools to build these theme components efficiently.
It uses this experimental feature called /filter, you can see the DSL query in this meta post
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.
I have tested, and from what I could see, tag groups are not supported in the /filter feature.
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
I think you’re onto something, @gabriel. You’ve actually managed to get really close to a working concept for this idea 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.
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
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.
for this idea.
), we’re incrediby close to people defining their own feed based on interests.