# Private Topics - are they supported?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [July 9, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043 "2016-07-09T20:04:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/1 "2016-07-09T20:04:25Z")
Is there any way that Topics can be made as private ? e.g limit topics to the topic authors and administrators/moderators who created them ? We have a scenario where sensitive information is posted which is not meant for other users. Thanks in advance.
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### Author:  [@dax](https://meta.discourse.org/u/dax)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/2 "2016-07-09T20:13:01Z")
Create a private category and add permissions to see-create-reply only for staff (admins-mods) and eventually a group
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### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/3 "2016-07-09T20:16:07Z")
Thank you for your reply, But the problem is - There can’t be other users in that “Group” and it would be too in-efficient to create a new “group” every time a new private topic is created.
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/4 "2016-07-09T20:23:20Z")
Errrm Discourse _has_ private topics.
They’re called messages.
Does not messages here meet your need, if not exact already, can you imagineer any ways they might be improved?
Or can you please list any difficulties you had about the UI and feature?
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### Author:  [@dax](https://meta.discourse.org/u/dax)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/5 "2016-07-09T20:27:38Z")
I think @Hammad_Abbasi wants only **create-reply** permissions so the other members cannot see others topics.
Messages are ok but they are not simple to find for new users until they granted TL1.
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### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/6 "2016-07-09T20:39:24Z")
> [@Trash](#):
>
> wants only create-reply permissions so the other members cannot see others topics.
That’s exactly what i need. Thanks @Trash
Messages do not fit well in our scenario.
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/7 "2016-07-09T20:52:51Z")
I did manage to throw some code together that I think works.
Might this plugin do what you need ?
> [@Kinder Guardian - let New members message Staff](https://meta.discourse.org/t/kinder-guardian-let-new-members-message-staff/45737):
>
> Without this plugin, New members can only contact Staff by email or by replying to their Welcome message This plugin allows them to message Staff from either the Staff members User Card, or the Staff members Profile page. It does not let them send messages to non-Staff members. display the Flag icon or it’s option to send a message from its modal. let them send messages from their own Profile page. let them send messages if the site has them disabled
I have looked and am looking at places this touches.
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### Author:  [@meteor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/meteor)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/8 "2016-07-14T00:24:34Z")
> [@Mittineague](#):
>
> Errrm Discourse has private topics.
>
> They’re called messages
I suggest that the main problem in this case when “private topic” become “message” is difficult for stuff to manage them.
Maybe you have any idea how to realize this scenario or it is impossible? :
Main category have permissions to create-reply for stuff. They made subcategories with topics where they invite user (which is not stuff members) granted them permission to see/reply in this topics. The best variant that this users (not stuff members) see also there topics in same subcategory. The worse variant - that they see it like private post or private messages, but stuff-members still have opportunity to manage this topics and reply there as usual forum.
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/9 "2016-07-14T00:33:37Z")
> [@meteor](#):
>
> the main problem in this case when “private topic” become “message” is difficult for stuff to manage them.
The simple solution is for members to start a message sent to `@staff`
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### Author:  [@meteor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/meteor)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/10 "2016-07-14T00:38:08Z")
The main problem that is hard to navigate in a huge amounts of private massages… Of course it is possible to name them properly and then search, but still in search always need to add in:private.
In your professional view - is it possible to make plugin with this functionality and if yes - how hard is it?
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/11 "2016-07-14T00:43:51Z")
> [@meteor](#):
>
> hard to navigate in a huge amounts of private massages
Perhaps, but I think it would be much less so looking through messages compared to looking through huge amounts of topics.
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### Author:  [@shri](https://meta.discourse.org/u/shri)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/12 "2016-07-14T01:49:10Z")
A couple of forums I visit use this for support.
– Support Category
---- Bug Reports
Thread can be viewed and replied to by author and say developer group.
---- Hosting Problems
Thread can be viewed and replied to by author and say sysadmin group.
I am assuming this is what the OP wants?
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/13 "2016-07-14T02:39:34Z")
Discourse does Groups,
And Category permissions can be set to include only certain group members.
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### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/14 "2016-07-14T04:45:06Z")
> A couple of forums I visit use this for support.
> – Support Category
> ---- Bug Reports
> Thread can be viewed and replied to by author and say developer group.
> ---- Hosting Problems
> Thread can be viewed and replied to by author and say sysadmin group.
Can you please share if this can be achieved via some Permissions? I don’t want to use messages as private features which doesn’t fulfill our requirements
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### Author:  [@shri](https://meta.discourse.org/u/shri)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/15 "2016-07-14T05:08:15Z")
No clue. Was just suggesting that as something I’ve seen on “other forums”. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 5:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/16 "2016-07-14T05:13:10Z")
Easy to do, perhaps not so easy to find.
First, go to Admin → Groups and create the group.
Then _from the category list page_ use the Admin menu to create a new category,
Under Security is what you’re looking for
Use the left side drop-down to select the group.
Select the appropriate permissions from the right and “add”.
Delete the “everyone”
finish up and Save
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 5:23am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/17 "2016-07-14T05:23:38Z")
There is no concept of per topic permissions in Discourse outside of personal / group messages.
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### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 9:09am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/18 "2016-07-14T09:09:47Z")
> No clue. Was just suggesting that as something I’ve seen on “other forums”.
oh, Thanks for sharing, We are already using this functionality in our current forums so we want to make sure it is somehow supported in discourse.
@Mittineague
Is there any possibility of developing a plugin to serve this requirement? Please confirm . Thanks
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### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 9:16am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/19 "2016-07-14T09:16:53Z")
so if i use these permissions- topic authors can only see “Their” posts ?
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### Author:  [@Hammad\_Abbasi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Hammad_Abbasi)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/private-topics-are-they-supported/47043/20 "2016-07-14T09:20:27Z")
> There is no concept of per topic permissions in Discourse outside of personal / group messages.
I am sorry i am confused, @Mittineague suggesting otherwise. Is this something that can be done via Plugin? We don’t want to change the core framework and still want to get latest updates.
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