Scheduling topics for future publication

[Discourse]

This guide explains how to use topic timers to schedule a topic for future publication in Discourse.

Required user level: Trust level 4 users or Staff (Admin/Moderator)

Discourse allows you to create topics and schedule them for publication at a later date using topic timers. This feature is available to staff (admins and moderators) as well as trust level 4 users.

To schedule a topic for future publication:

1. Create a new topic in a private category, as a private message, or as an unlisted topic
2. Set a topic timer for publishing
3. Choose the publication time and destination category

Creating a topic for future publication

Create a new topic in a private category

1. Click the “New Topic” button at the top of your forum.
   

   

2. Add a title for your topic.

3. Select a private category (e.g., “Staff”) to temporarily publish the topic. You may want to create a new private category called “Scheduled Topics” for this purpose. Alternatively, you can create a private message or an unlisted topic — the “Schedule Publishing” option is available for all three.

4. Write the content of your topic.

5. Click “Create Topic”.
   

   

Set the topic timer for future publication

1. Click the wrench icon in the topic timeline (on the right side of the topic) or in the topic footer area to open the topic admin menu.
   

   

2. Select “Set Topic Timer…”.
   

   

3. From the dropdown menu, choose “Schedule Publishing”.
   

   

4. Set the publication time and select the destination category.
   

   

5. Click the “Set Timer” button.

Note for TL4 users: You can only publish to categories where you have permission to create topics. Staff-only categories are not available as a destination.

Reviewing and managing the scheduled publication

After setting the topic timer, you’ll see a new section at the bottom of the topic showing when and where it will be published:

Verify that the publication time and destination category are correct. You can edit or delete the timer using the (edit) and (delete) buttons.

When the scheduled topic is published, its timestamp will be updated to reflect the publication time. Additionally, all edit revision history on the first post will be cleared and the post version will be reset.

Best practices

• Use a dedicated private category for storing scheduled topics to keep them organized and easily accessible.
• Double-check the publication time and destination category before setting the timer to avoid accidental early publications.
• Regularly review your scheduled topics to ensure they’re still relevant and up-to-date before their publication date.

FAQs

Q: Can I edit the topic content after setting a publication timer?
A: Yes, you can edit the topic content at any time before it’s published. Note that all edit history will be cleared when the topic is published.

Q: What happens if I delete the topic timer?
A: If you delete the topic timer, the topic will remain in its current private category and won’t be automatically published.

Q: Can regular users see topics scheduled for future publication?
A: No, only users with access to the private category where the topic is initially created can see it before publication.

Q: Can I schedule a private message for publication?
A: Yes, the “Schedule Publishing” option is also available for private messages. When published, the PM will be converted to a public topic in the destination category.

Last edited by @JammyDodger 2024-07-31T08:14:36Z

Last checked by @hugh 2024-07-31T05:58:46Z

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