# What is difference between post reply and topic reply

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-difference-between-post-reply-and-topic-reply/223194>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Created:** [April 4, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-difference-between-post-reply-and-topic-reply/223194 "2022-04-04T19:08:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 16

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**Author:** ![seanblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@seanblue](https://meta.discourse.org/u/seanblue)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-difference-between-post-reply-and-topic-reply/223194/16 "2022-04-04T20:14:11Z")

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> [@awesomerobot](#):
>
> Immediate replies above/below have that reply indicators hidden by default. The idea there is that they’re close enough to each other that the extra context isn’t helpful.

I still think it’s confusing. Sometimes it becomes legitimately ambiguous whether the reply was to the post right above or to the OP. Is there any reason a different icon shouldn’t be used to indicate a reply to the post directly above, like an up arrow or something simple like that?

For what it’s worth, I’m speaking as someone who uses a forum where `suppress reply directly above` _is_ disabled. It is better than the default in some ways, worse in others. But I think a separate icon or indicator of some sort would be the best of both worlds.

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