# Replies in tree structure
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [April 4, 2022, 11:19am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124 "2022-04-04T11:19:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@asugar](https://meta.discourse.org/u/asugar)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 11:19am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/1 "2022-04-04T11:19:28Z")
I want replies to a topics to be organised in tree structure like other forums scripts have. I’ve done some searching and can’t find any solution and I also came to realize that Discourse was never developed in that way. The replies are mostly few years old so not sure if it has changed?
I was wondering if tree structure for replies can be achieved or it’s just a total no? If yes how?
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### Author:  [@Jonathan5](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jonathan5)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 12:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/2 "2022-04-04T12:02:23Z")
Until someone comes along and quotes an authority, I’ll give you the short answer, which is No :slight_smile:
When people have clicked the small reply-to-post button instead of the main reply-to-topic button it’s possible to collapse/hide the other replies, but that only goes half way to what you want.
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### Author:  [@itsbhanusharma](https://meta.discourse.org/u/itsbhanusharma)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/3 "2022-04-04T12:15:07Z")
You can write a theme component (or maybe a plugin! IDK) to stylize the replies to your preference. That being said, it is not directly supported and there is not setting to configure in discourse core that would enable that functionality.
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### Author:  [@asugar](https://meta.discourse.org/u/asugar)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 12:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/4 "2022-04-04T12:27:52Z")
It’s so confusing when you are coming from other forum scripts. I’m 2 days and so far not able to get my way around it.
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### Author:  [@asugar](https://meta.discourse.org/u/asugar)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/5 "2022-04-04T12:29:34Z")
> [@itsbhanusharma](#):
>
> You can write a theme component (or maybe a plugin! IDK)
If I’ve to write or know how to write plugin I would build my own forum software.
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### Author:  [@Jonathan5](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jonathan5)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 12:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/6 "2022-04-04T12:31:31Z")
If you click the little 1 (or probably 2 now) on my first post above, you’ll see our conversation with the other replies hidden.
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### Author:  [@itsbhanusharma](https://meta.discourse.org/u/itsbhanusharma)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/7 "2022-04-04T15:34:39Z")
That’s even better! Total control on your own software, Just the way you like it :slight_smile:
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/8 "2022-04-04T15:39:54Z")
> [@asugar](#):
>
> I was wondering if tree structure for replies can be achieved or it’s just a total no?
Discourse follows the flat model for discoussions:
> **[Web Discussions: Flat by Design](https://blog.codinghorror.com/web-discussions-flat-by-design/)**
>
> It’s been six years since I wrote Discussions: Flat or Threaded? and, despite a bunch of evolution on the web since then, my opinion on this has not fundamentally changed.
>
> If anything, my opinion has strengthened based on the observed data: precious...
If you are looking for a threaded/tree-like software there is
[https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy](https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy)
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### Author:  [@Jonathan5](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jonathan5)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/9 "2022-04-04T15:43:32Z")
I had misunderstood it myself. I think doing this shows all n replies to the relevant post but only the direct replies. So after this second reply to your post the number beside it might be 2 and it’ll show my two replies (but not any future replies to my own posts).
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### Author:  [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 4:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replies-in-tree-structure/223124/10 "2022-04-04T16:36:25Z")
> [@asugar](#):
>
> It’s so confusing when you are coming from other forum scripts.
What forum software are you using daily? Do/did you not use forums like phpBB, vBulletin, Vanilla, etc?
> [@asugar](#):
>
> I’m 2 days and so far not able to get my way around it.
I don’t know your goal (create a new community?), but I’m sure you’d be able to get your way around it fairly quickly. “Flat” discussions are quite common on the Internet.