Search for unlisted topics for bulk actions

I’m moderator of Discourse-based forum. There is trade category and it’s topics which doesn’t follow this category’s rules are being unlisted. Users are being expected to correct posts and if they do the topic is set as listed again.

But over time many topics stay as they were. I would like to move the topics which have been unlisted for 90 days or more. I figured that I search for such topics but there’s no such option (even for mods). So right now I have to go and pick them one by one (just scrolled through half a year of topics to move 73 of them).

What would you suggest I should do to make it a faster process? I can’t archieve/close them because I want user to correct the post not make a duplicate topic.

That seems like an unreasonable expectation for your users. As you’ve just described, it’s really hard to find unlisted topics. Rather than unlisting them, I’d recommend creating a subcategory, perhaps one hidden from the main page, to hold the errant topics.

To find the ones you’re looking for now, you might check out the Data Explorer plugin. There’s a “hidden” field in the post table. I believe that if you search for it, you’ll find your unlisted topics.

If I could make category which is hidden not only form main page but also you can’t select them elsewhere and if you do browse it (using category url) you would see only your own posts (expect moderators… they should see everything), then I would use your suggestion. Can it be achieved?

There is a “hide from main page” (or similar) category setting. The category is still visible, however. There’s not a way to have a category where people can read only their own posts, however, though it does come up from time to time.

Another solution might be to click the wrench and “make private message”, and then add someone (you?) as one of the recipients.

Making topic to private message is propably not as clear of a process for users as the one I have currently.

Currently I unlist the topic, send user an official warning about breaking rules, user gets message with link to unlisted topic together with explanation why the topic was hidden. User updates the topic and let’s me know after which I list the topic again.

Any reason you don’t put a 90 day auto-close timer on them at that point? It would solve the clean-up for the ones that never get fixed. And you could clear the timer upon fixing of the problem.

You could probably also use a tag for finding them. Maybe a tag with a date for easier date-based actions.

I don’t think that closing the topic helps me find the unlisted topics. I would still like to hide the topic for everyone exept mods and author. Tagging would be too far-fetched for this purpose.