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:
- Create a new topic in a private category
- Set a topic timer for publishing
- Choose the publication time and destination category
Creating a topic for future publication
Create a new topic in a private category
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Click the “New Topic” button at the top of your forum.
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Add a title for your topic.
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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.
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Write the content of your topic.
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Click “Create Topic”.
Set the topic timer for future publication
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Click the
wrench icon next to the first post of the topic.
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Select “Set Topic Timer…”.
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From the dropdown menu, choose “Schedule Publishing”.
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Set the publication time and select the destination category.
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Click the “Set Timer” button.
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.
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.
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.
Last edited by @JammyDodger 2024-07-31T08:14:36Z
Last checked by @hugh 2024-07-31T05:58:46Z
Check document
Perform check on document:
this is really problematic as scheduling is specifically to notify users of something time sensitive - and the notifications failing breaks the key reason to schedule.