# Require approval for specific categories?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 21, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004 "2019-06-21T17:32:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cori\_online](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cori_online)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/1 "2019-06-21T17:32:18Z")
Hi - is it possible to require approval for all new topics and replies in certain categories?
Thanks so much in advance!
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/2 "2019-06-21T18:05:16Z")
Yes, all categories include a setting to require moderator approval for new topics and new replies.
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### Author:  [@cori\_online](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cori_online)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/3 "2019-06-21T18:22:35Z")
Thanks for the speedy reply!
I’m not seeing that option in any of the Settings areas for categories…
Should it be in the ‘Security’ tab?
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/4 "2019-06-21T18:23:51Z")
It’s in the Settings tab under **Moderation**.
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### Author:  [@cori\_online](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cori_online)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/5 "2019-06-21T18:28:39Z")
OK, gotcha - if there is no ‘Moderation’ section of the ‘Settings’ tab, could that be due to not running the most current version of Discourse?
(All I see is 'EDIT PERMISSIONS")
Thank you!!!
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/6 "2019-06-21T18:28:58Z")
Which version are you using if you look at /admin ?
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### Author:  [@cori\_online](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cori_online)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/7 "2019-06-21T18:30:06Z")
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/8 "2019-06-21T18:30:35Z")
That’s troubling to see ‘unknown’ there like that, how was the instance installed?
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### Author:  [@cori\_online](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cori_online)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/9 "2019-06-21T18:33:27Z")
TBH, I don’t know - ENG team that installed Discourse initially are no longer w/ us and I am NOT an engineer 🙃
If I were to ask eng team to update platform would that help w/ this?
I honestly don’t know how big of an ask that is…
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/10 "2019-06-21T18:35:03Z")
I can’t say for sure, there’s only one install method that we support here, I’ve not seen an unknown version returned with a supportable install. It’s possible you’re using a third-party package which means we’re going to be unable to help you.
Whatever you do I would recommend having a staging copy upgraded first, with no idea which version you’re upgrading from and other plugins you’re running there are just too many unknowns.
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### Author:  [@cori\_online](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cori_online)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/11 "2019-06-21T18:36:58Z")
OK - thanks so much, Stephen; I’ll share this with my team.
Really appreciate the help!
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2022, 7:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/12 "2022-12-04T07:28:21Z")
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/require-approval-for-specific-categories/121004/13 "2022-12-04T14:08:38Z")