# Introducing nested replies

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-nested-replies/402812>\
**Category:** Announcements\
**Tags:** nested-replies\
**Created:** [May 12, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-nested-replies/402812 "2026-05-12T23:21:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 66

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JonahAragon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@JonahAragon1](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JonahAragon1)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-nested-replies/402812/66 "2026-07-23T22:17:41Z")

</div>

Currently the main problem I have is just that this is still too buggy to use, when I scroll around it randomly jumps to different locations on the page for no reason. And I’ve seen a number of people saying that scrolling [and even typing](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/defaulting-new-posts-to-use-nested-replies/39302/51) is too laggy when this view is enabled for some reason. I haven’t noticed on my M4 Pro MacBook Pro, guess I’m elitist.

> [@JonahAragon1](#):
>
> - It’d also be nice if new replies since the last time I opened the topic were highlighted

Browsing a test topic on my forum now, I did finally notice this exists (in the form of a dot next to the timestamp) but I think this is too subtle, and also more importantly disappears too quickly when scrolling. I’d probably wish to see that dot stick around until I leave the topic entirely and come back to it again later.

I wonder how we’d feel about a “jump to next unread comment” button floating at the bottom when returning to a topic? Maybe that is too confusing though.

* * *

On a positive note, I really like how deleted comments are handled, and I wish they worked similar to this in regular threads. We get some complaints about moderation not being transparent enough with the current system.

 ![CleanShot 2026-07-23 at 16.57.58@2x](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/6/f/5/6f5d166581bda59de800f9ea7b50846b7c511ff4.png)

* * *

> [@NiceOldGuy](#):
>
> I really agreed with Kris’ @awesomerobot [defense of the flat model as fitting CDCK’s community building and engagement model.](https://meta.discourse.org/t/threaded-discussion-is-ultimately-too-complex-to-survive-on-the-public-internet/63172/75)

Honestly, one of the things I like most about this nested replies system is that it forces people to reply to posts properly. Nested replies makes doing this…

> [@Threaded discussion is ultimately too complex to survive on the public Internet?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/threaded-discussion-is-ultimately-too-complex-to-survive-on-the-public-internet/63172/75):
>
> In a flat system these should be moved to a new topic titled: “Where can I buy prebiotic fiber in Australia?” (and perhaps tagged) because it’s only loosely relevant to the original topic.

…a lot easier IMO. Currently at least on my forum, I feel like people hit the reply button on the post they’re replying to like 70% of the time, otherwise they just hit the topic’s reply button even though they’re replying to a specific reply, whereas with nested threads you basically would never do that. I **really** wish as a moderation tool I had the option to mark a post as a reply to another post.

Furthermore, at least on my forum it is common for people to use the quote feature to reply to multiple posts at once, and this makes splitting off posts into new topics extremely annoying.

Like my very reply here for example, if we wanted to move this reply into new topics about 1) new unread posts in topics, 2) deleted posts & moderation, and 3) the merits of nested threads vs. the current format, this would be challenging to do. Even moreso if a bunch of people reply to this post before we decide to split it off.

With nested replies, if a chain of messages gets long enough we can split it off into its own topic with its own title, etc. no problem, and the “select post + replies” button will always work the way it’s intended to.

* * *

> [@JonahAragon1](#):
>
> maybe there could be an option for New to sort the threads by the newest _reply_ in the topic rather than newest top-level thread

Indeed, most common feedback I’ve seen on my forum is that nested replies makes following a post live near-impossible:

> **[Defaulting new posts to use nested replies?](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/defaulting-new-posts-to-use-nested-replies/39302/28)**
>
> Not a big fan, much harder to follow a post as it’s being discussed. I guess it would be easier to follow specific replies but that’s about it. I think people will be less likely to read the whole discussion too since they will probably just read...

---

_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-nested-replies/402812)._
