# How to Add Category-specific Message Above Topic Editor
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [26.Июнь.2018 20:02:34 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812 "2018-06-26T20:02:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ianscott](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ianscott)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 20:02:34 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/1 "2018-06-26T20:02:34Z")
We would like to provide our members with detailed instructions about what to include in their topics. We’ve found that using the topic template to do this appears messy and we’d prefer that the user not have to delete it every time they post.
Instead, we’d like to display a unique message above the reply area based on which category the user has selected in the dropdown.
* * *
* * *
**Does anyone have recommendations about how we might best create this functionality?**
We’d greatly appreciate any advice you can share. Thanks!
cc @timmch
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 21:07:43 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/2 "2018-06-26T21:07:43Z")
a) nobody is going to read this, even though you hope they will.. they won’t.
b) why specifically are templates not working? It’d be more useful to drill into that and get details and examples.
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### Author:  [@davidkingham](https://meta.discourse.org/u/davidkingham)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 23:21:46 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/3 "2018-06-26T23:21:46Z")
I’ve been meaning to request this as well, we have some categories that need fairly specific instructions. I get that most people won’t read this, but I still think it would be a great addition for those that do and gives us something to point to when they don’t follow the guidelines rather than just the pinned topic which nobody reads either.
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### Author:  [@ianscott](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ianscott)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 23:49:29 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/4 "2018-06-26T23:49:29Z")
@codinghorror Thanks for your swift reply 🙇♂️
a) Is your perspective based on previous attempts at adding messages in this location? I’d like to learn more about why it didn’t work and what the specific use case was.
b) When using a topic template, we can’t style the text. We can use markdown so that it appears styled in the preview on the right but the textbox gets filled with raw markdown text — which might look strange to new users who aren’t yet familiar with it.
Similar to what @davidkingham said, we have categories that could benefit from specific instructions and showing them inline with the reply editor seems better than using a template or assuming they’ll read the pinned topic.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 23:50:44 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/5 "2018-06-26T23:50:44Z")
> [@ianscott](#):
>
> I’d like to learn more about why it didn’t work and what the specific use case was.
> **[Teaching Users to Read](https://blog.codinghorror.com/teaching-users-to-read/)**
>
> I’ve talked about irresponsible use of dialog boxes before, but a few pages I’ve read recently highlighted an interesting aspect of this topic that I hadn’t considered. First, Joel Spolsky:
>
> This may sound a little harsh, but you’ll see, when you do...
> **[How Little Do Users Read?](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-little-do-users-read/)**
>
> On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.
> **[Myth #1: People read on the web - UX Myths](https://uxmyths.com/post/647473628/myth-people-read-on-the-web)**
>
> UX Myths collects the most frequent user experience misconceptions and explains why they don't hold true.
> **[You Won’t Finish This Article](https://slate.com/technology/2013/06/how-people-read-online-why-you-wont-finish-this-article.html)**
>
> I’m going to keep this brief, because you’re not going to stick around for long. I’ve already lost a bunch of you. For every 161 people who landed on...
etc etc etc. I can do more Google searches on your behalf, or .. you could search yourself. 😉
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 23:55:07 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/6 "2018-06-26T23:55:07Z")
> [@davidkingham](#):
>
> we have some categories that need fairly specific instructions
That’s what topic templates are for; use them.
If you really _must_ put more text on the new topic area that absolutely _nobody_ will read, perhaps there’s a way with CSS. I’m unsure because I have so very little enthusiasm for this idea that I have, in fact, actually died just now. I’m dead. RIP me. ☠
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### Author:  [@ianscott](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ianscott)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 23:56:22 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/7 "2018-06-26T23:56:22Z")
@codinghorror No need to google for me, I’ve read similar articles before. I was wondering if you or others had experimented with including messages here and if that had more specifically led you to the conclusion that a pinned topic or similar was the best approach to providing instruction.
Please avoid replying if this will double-kill you. I want no harm to come of you good sir 🙇♂️
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [26.Июнь.2018 23:57:27 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/8 "2018-06-26T23:57:27Z")
I dunno, running Stack Overflow? Running Discourse? Writing a blog for 14 years? Pretty much every fiber of my life experience in computing since the day I was born says users will not read _anything_. At least not those users who you’d really, REALLY like to read.
The better question to ask, when thinking “why can’t I force users to do {x}”, is this:
> Why aren’t users already doing what I want them to do?
You will find this a much more productive line of thought. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll return to my grave.
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### Author:  [@davidkingham](https://meta.discourse.org/u/davidkingham)
#### Post date: [27.Июнь.2018 01:03:51 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/9 "2018-06-27T01:03:51Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> I have so very little enthusiasm for this idea that I have, in fact, actually died just now. I’m dead. RIP me. ☠
Hahaha tell us how you really feel Jeff 😆
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> That’s what topic templates are for; use them.
I don’t use them except when there are specific things to fill out where the user doesn’t have to delete the text, but for just information where they have to delete it, it’s a really terrible user experience.
I have edited the `js.composer.reply_placeholder` which gets me 75% of what I want, but to have some extra information for each category would be a nice option.
I hope you rise from the dead to continue the awesome work on discourse 👍 😃
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### Author:  [@ianscott](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ianscott)
#### Post date: [27.Июнь.2018 01:38:54 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/10 "2018-06-27T01:38:54Z")
> [@davidkingham](#):
>
> for just information where they have to delete it, it’s a really terrible user experience.
I agree @davidkingham
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### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [27.Июнь.2018 01:50:52 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/11 "2018-06-27T01:50:52Z")
You can use HTML comments in the template if you don’t want it to show up in the post and also not force people to delete it.
```
```
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### Author:  [@ianscott](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ianscott)
#### Post date: [27.Июнь.2018 05:11:01 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/12 "2018-06-27T05:11:01Z")
I’m planning to continue exploring building out the functionality mentioned above.
However, I appreciate you sharing this clever workaround @riking 👍
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### Author:  [@Rhidian](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Rhidian)
#### Post date: [26.Апрель.2020 08:52:50 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-add-category-specific-message-above-topic-editor/90812/13 "2020-04-26T08:52:50Z")
Возрождаю эту тему, так как теперь у нас есть этот компонент темы, который может помочь выполнить это требование?
> [@Topic Template Placeholder Text theme component](https://meta.discourse.org/t/topic-template-placeholder-text-theme-component/149053?u=rhidian):
>
> Topic Template Placeholder Text theme component This theme component enables you to display Topic Templates as placeholders (watermarks) instead of as editable template text. This allows you to provide custom instructions as a placeholder for each topic. For example: This is the normal placeholder (watermark) text. NB You can already change this site-wide by changing the custom text Go to Admin \>\> Customise \>\> Text Then search for the text that you see there on the screen. A se…