# Unlisted topics become listed via references
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243
**Category:** Bug
**Tags:** unlisting
**Created:** [4월 19, 2017, 10:52오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243 "2017-04-19T10:52:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@niemeyer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/niemeyer)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 10:52오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/1 "2017-04-19T10:52:50Z")
When an unlisted topic refers to a listed topic, the former is backlinked in the latter, thus becoming “listed”.
Ideally topics would lose old and not gain any new back references when becoming unlisted. It seems okay to have the unlisted topics referencing the listed ones, though, if they happens to be explicitly linked there.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 11:11오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/2 "2017-04-19T11:11:22Z")
Do you mean.. unlisted? What the heck is an “invisible” topic?
---
### Author:  [@niemeyer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/niemeyer)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 1:26오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/3 "2017-04-19T13:26:41Z")
Yes, sorry. The pt\_BR translation I’m using chose to use visible/invisible instead of listed/unlisted.
Updated terminology above.
---
### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 9:19오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/4 "2017-04-19T21:19:58Z")
I’m a bit confused by the use of “invisible” and “unlisted”
If what is meant is that linking to an unlisted topic in a listed topic:
\> changes the unlisted topic to listed, AFAIK that should not be happening.
\> makes the unlisted topic more easily found, then yes, that is true.
Perhaps there is a misunderstanding about what “unlisted” means?
It does _not_ mean the topic is “invisible”, it means the topic can only be accessed from a direct link to it.
---
### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 9:24오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/5 "2017-04-19T21:24:41Z")
I believe he is talking about this:
So if an unlisted topic links to a listed one, the unlisted can be found in the links list on the listed.
---
### Author:  [@niemeyer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/niemeyer)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 9:37오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/6 "2017-04-19T21:37:50Z")
Right, in practice the unlisted is listed. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 10:54오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/7 "2017-04-19T22:54:23Z")
Well, you’re not supposed to post links to unlisted topics unless you want the link out there. So from my perspective, this is a feature.
Unlisted means that: not listed in the Discourse UI proper. But if you _explicitly link to it in a post you yourself typed on the computer using your keyboard?_ all bets are off..
---
### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 10:59오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/8 "2017-04-19T22:59:45Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> Well, you’re not supposed to post links to unlisted topics unless you want the link out there. So from my perspective, this is a feature.
It’s the reverse.
You create a post on a unlisted topic that contains a link to a listed post.
The Discourse link magic will create a back-link in the listed topic automatically.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [4월 19, 2017, 11:05오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/9 "2017-04-19T23:05:47Z")
OMG you’re right my bad @niemeyer I wasn’t understanding this.
That’s indeed a sort of bug.
@falco can you add something to the codepath which prevents showing the backlink if the topic is unlisted?
---
### Author:  [@techAPJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/techAPJ)
#### Post date: [8월 22, 2017, 9:27오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/12 "2017-08-22T09:27:19Z")
Fixed via:
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/b00747fd49cfaff421630ad8986642a32cc466a9](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/b00747fd49cfaff421630ad8986642a32cc466a9)
Thanks for reporting this issue @niemeyer 👍
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [8월 27, 2017, 1:00오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/unlisted-topics-become-listed-via-references/61243/13 "2017-08-27T01:00:13Z")
This topic was automatically closed after 4 days. New replies are no longer allowed.