Summary
"Topics" are a Planhat data model that groups related Sessions in one place, much like a channel in Slack.
Use a Topic to collect posts on one subject — product updates, closed deals — so the conversation lives in Planhat instead of a chat app.
A Topic profile is a live feed of Sessions, and you post to it straight from the composer at the bottom.
You control who sees a Topic with Public and Private, and you can add whole Teams at once.
Topics are part of Planhat OS.
Who is this article for?
It's particularly relevant for teams who want to move everyday work discussion — wins, release notes, feedback — into Planhat
It's also relevant to Planhat Admins who decide who can create and manage Topics
This feature is part of Planhat OS.
Introduction
"Topics" are a native Planhat data model. You can use Topics to group Sessions under one subject, so a stream of posts on that subject lives together in one feed.
Teams run a lot of their day in channels - a channel for closed deals, one for release notes, another for inbound questions about a specific topic. Each channel is really a subject with a stream of posts under it, and people drop in to read the feed or add to it. Topics bring that collaboration into Planhat.
For example, let's say a Customer Success team keeps a Topic called "Wins". When Marcus, an Account Executive, closes a renewal with mid-market customer Bridgewell Retail, he posts it to the "Wins" Topic. Becky, a CSM who follows the Topic, sees the new post, opens it, and replies with a Message to congratulate him - all inside Planhat.
What are Topics?
A Topic is a Planhat object, like a Company or a Workflow, with its own Profile.
At this time, a Session can only have one parent. If a Session is linked to a Topic, it cannot also be linked to a Company or any other object, and a Session already linked to a Company cannot later join a Topic.
Why use Topics?
Topics are for Sessions organized by subject rather than by another record, like a customer. A Topic is the right home for an ongoing stream many people read — release notes, a feedback channel — where a typical profile would be the wrong place because the posts are not about one record.
A product team opens a "Product Updates" Topic and posts each shipped change to it. Anyone in the workspace can follow the feed, so the history of product updates stays in Planhat alongside its context.
How to set up and use Topics
Create a Topic from Data Explorer.
Give it a "Name" and a "Description". You can add participants and change visibility later, from the Topic profile.
Open the Topic and write a post in the composer at the bottom of the feed. This starts a new Session under the Topic. Others reply with Messages, which appear under your post.
To make a post stand out, add a cover image to its opening Message. The image shows full-width at the top of the post.
To follow a Topic, open the "..." (ellipsis) menu at the top right of the Topic profile and choose "Subscribe to Sessions". New Sessions in the Topic will then always show in your left-hand sidebar.
🚀 Tips
You can subscribe to Sessions on other profiles too, such as a Company, from the same "..." menu.
Topic settings and access
You control who can see a Topic and its Sessions from the Topic profile header.
"Public" - anyone in your workspace can find and read the Topic and every Session in it.
"Private" - only participants can see the Topic and its Sessions. You add specific participants.
For a Private Topic, you can add participants two ways:
Add Users or Teams. Adding a Team grants access to everyone in it
Invite by mention. @-mention someone who is not yet a participant in a Session under a Private Topic, and an "Add to topic" prompt lets you add them.
📌 Important to note
Managing Topic membership follows the "Topic" model permission. Which roles can create, view, update, or remove Topics is set by your Planhat Admin, the same way as for other models.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Topic in Planhat?
A Topic is a Planhat object that groups related Sessions under one subject, like a channel in a chat app. Its profile is a live feed of posts.
Can a Session be in a Topic and on a Company at the same time?
No. A Session has one parent. If it is in a Topic, it cannot also be on a Company, and the reverse.
Who can see a Topic?
A Public Topic is readable by anyone in your workspace. A Private Topic is readable only by its participants, including everyone in any Teams added to it.
How do I always get notified about new posts in a Topic?
Open the "..." menu on the Topic profile and choose "Subscribe to Sessions". New Sessions then appear in your navbar.
Are Topics available in pre-OS Planhat?
No. Topics are a Planhat OS feature.