# Ideas category type with topic voting defaults

> Create a dedicated ideas category that turns feature requests into a ranked backlog instead of a flat complaint list.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/ideas-category-type-with-topic-voting-defaults/
- Source: [meta.discourse.org](https://meta.discourse.org/t/easily-create-ideas-categories-using-the-topic-voting-plugin/399365)
- GrowthDex source hub: [Discourse Meta: Easily create Ideas categories using the Topic Voting plugin](/sources/discourse-meta-easily-create-ideas-categories-using-the-topic-voting-plu/)
- Last checked: 2026-05-30
- Rarity: rare
- Budget: medium
- Channels: Community, Product Feedback, Support
- Stages: feedback routing, community ops, roadmap intake, request prioritization


## Why this can grow

A forum gets messy when support questions, product ideas, and general discussion all fight for the same surface. Discourse's Ideas category type gives operators a cleaner fork in the road. It automatically turns on topic voting, exposes the useful settings in one place, and treats feature requests like items that can accumulate demand over time. That helps the community signal which asks keep getting real support instead of rewarding whichever request was posted first or argued the loudest.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. My bias is to treat this as a small market test first. Make the audience narrow, make the promise concrete, and let the first real response decide whether it deserves more work. I would run it small enough to learn quickly, then only scale the parts that real users repeat, save, reply to, or buy from. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where ideas category type with topic voting defaults can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Community and Product Feedback channel.
3. Use the evidence from meta.discourse.org to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

Discourse says the Ideas category type preconfigures topic voting, surfaces the most useful idea settings during category creation, and reflects how they have seen this category style work best in their own and other communities.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [Discourse solved tags on mixed discussion categories](/growth-ideas/discourse-solved-tags-on-mixed-discussion-categories/) - 3 shared channels, 1 shared stage
- [Discourse support category type with solved defaults](/growth-ideas/discourse-support-category-type-with-solved-defaults/) - 2 shared channels, 1 shared stage
- [Prefilled composer links for first-contribution routing](/growth-ideas/prefilled-composer-links-for-first-contribution-routing/) - 3 shared channels
- [GitHub contributing tab before first PR](/growth-ideas/github-contributing-tab-before-first-pr/) - 2 shared channels, 1 shared stage

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The forum should route the newcomer before they post](/blog/the-forum-should-route-the-newcomer-before-they-post/) - community-led growth, support-led growth, product feedback

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.