Hide the Topic template placeholder text discussion revolves around the issue of users posting topics with the entire template text included. Danny_Dainton is seeking a method to provide a template that disappears as the user starts typing.
Suggestions from the community include using the Custom Wizard Plugin (not-ethan) and adding template text as HTML comments (Moin). JammyDodger recommends adding a ‘Before asking…’ snippet to blocked Watched Words and using HTML comments, which has worked for them. Additionally, a Topic Templates V2 feature is mentioned, which may help with this issue by allowing form templates to be created with data validation.
What I’m finding, far too often, are users posting new topics with the whole template text included, instead of removing it before adding their content. I can add another line to say “Delete this block before posting” but I honestly think that they would post that too
Is there a method, process, plugin that can provide me with the same section to add a Template but then disappears, as the user starts to type? To prevent seeing my own template all the time
This was the closest topic that I found which related to my issue but I wasn’t sure what/where the solved response was referring too.
We add the ‘Before asking…’ snippet to our blocked Watched Words to encourage people to remove it before posting, which can work if it’s something small. We also use the <!-- Comment --> style ones Moin suggests in our plugin topics too, which has worked pretty well.
We also have a new ‘Topic Templates V2’ coming out soon, which may be able to help with this as well. It allows ‘form templates’ to be created, that also validate data before allowing a topic to be created. This may cut down the need on providing ‘text as structure’ from the outset.
