> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.superpath.io/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How to Start a Discussion

# How to Start a Discussion

**In this article:**
* Overview
* How to start a discussion
* Things to keep in mind
* FAQs
* Who can do this

## Overview
Discussions give your organisation a place to ask questions, share ideas and talk about learning together. Starting a discussion creates a new thread on the Discussions hub that others can read, comment on and react to. This article covers the core details — the title, opening statement, category and tags. Polls, linked learning and access restrictions each have their own article.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/superpath-help-centre/how-to-start-a-discussion/hub-start-discussion-button_54a45036.png)

## How to start a discussion
1. Go to **Discussions** in the main navigation (the `/discussions` hub).
2. Click **Start discussion** in the top right. A **New discussion** panel slides in from the right.
3. In **Title**, enter a clear headline for your thread. The title must be between 5 and 140 characters — the placeholder suggests *"Ask a question or start a topic"*.
4. In the opening statement, write the body of your discussion. This is a rich-text field and must be at least 10 characters.
5. Choose a **Category** from the dropdown. If your organisation has a default category set, it is selected for you automatically.
6. (Optional) Add **Tags** to help people find your discussion. You can add up to 8 tags, either choosing from the suggested list or typing your own.
7. (Optional) Add a thumbnail or cover image, link the discussion to a learning item, add a poll, or restrict who can see it — see the related articles below.
8. Click **Create**. You'll see a *"Discussion created successfully"* confirmation and the new thread appears on the hub.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/superpath-help-centre/how-to-start-a-discussion/new-discussion-drawer_7a9b6d30.png)

> **Tip:** By default a new discussion is **Open** to everyone in your organisation. Change the **Access type** before creating it if you want to limit who can see it.

## Things to keep in mind
* The title must be 5–140 characters and the opening statement at least 10 characters, or the **Create** button stays disabled.
* A category is required when your organisation has categories set up. If none exist yet, you can create the discussion without one.
* You can add a maximum of 8 tags per discussion. Tags are stored in lower case and duplicates are removed automatically.
* The **Start discussion** button on the hub is only shown to certain roles — see **Who can do this** below. Learners can start discussions from a linked learning item's Discussions panel if your organisation allows it.

## FAQs
**How long can the title be?**
Between 5 and 140 characters. Anything shorter or longer is rejected before you can create the discussion.

**Do I have to pick a category?**
Only if your organisation has categories set up. When categories exist you must choose one; a default is pre-selected if your admin has configured one.

**Can I change the details after creating a discussion?**
Yes. Open the discussion and click **Edit** — see "How to Edit a Discussion".

**Who can see my discussion?**
That depends on the **Access type** you choose: **Open** (everyone in your organisation), **Invite-only** (only people you invite) or **Team-only** (members of selected teams).

## Who can do this
On the Discussions hub, the **Start discussion** button is shown to **Owners**, **Admins** and **Managers**. This hub button is a fixed rule and does not follow your organisation's "who can create discussions" setting. Other roles — including **Content Managers**, **People Managers**, **Instructors** and **Employees** — can still start discussions from a learning item's in-context Discussions panel when your organisation's setting allows it (see "How to Start a Discussion From a Course or Pathway Page"). **Restricted** users can never start a discussion on any surface.