Discourse topic template before support post submit
Prefill support categories with the fields you actually need so bug reports and setup questions arrive with enough context to answer on the first pass.
Why this can grow a startup
A support forum starts to feel expensive when every useful reply begins with the same cleanup questions. Discourse's category topic templates give the operator a blunt but effective intake control. You can ask for version, environment, steps, and expected outcome before the thread is even posted. That does not make every report perfect, but it sharply reduces the empty first roundtrip where support has to drag the basics out of the user. A forum with better first posts produces faster answers, better search results, and fewer abandoned threads.
Company example
Discourse documents category topic templates, title placeholders, hidden comments, and pre-filled topic links as built-in ways to keep topics in a category structured from the start.
Source and metric
Source: Discourse Meta: Using topic templates for categories
Discourse supports category topic templates, title placeholders, pre-filled topic links, and hidden HTML comments inside the template.
Source discovered: May 29, 2026
When to use it
Use this when Community, Support, Documentation is relevant to support intake, community ops, first-response quality and you can run a bounded test with a free budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
Founder checklist
- Read Discourse Meta: Using topic templates for categories and identify what is directly supported.
- Choose one channel context: Community, Support, Documentation.
- Define the test around Discourse supports category topic templates, title placeholders, pre-filled topic links, and hidden HTML comments inside the template..
- Set an owner, evidence window, and stop condition before launch.
Explore the context
Apply this with an operator
Choose product surfaces that compound distribution without hiding weak activation or retention.