Delete a topic

import {TabItem, Tabs} from "@astrojs/starlight/components";

import FlattenedSteps from "../../components/FlattenedSteps.astro"; import AdminOnly from "../include/_AdminOnly.mdx"; import TopicActions from "../include/_TopicActions.mdx";

We generally recommend against deleting topics, but there are a few situations in which it can be useful:

Clearing out test messages after setting up an organization.
Clearing out messages from an overly enthusiastic bot.
Managing abuse.

In most other cases, renaming a topic is often a better idea, or just leaving the topic as is. Deleting a topic can confuse users who come to the topic later via an email notification.

Note that deleting a topic also deletes every message with that topic, whereas archiving a channel does not.

  1. Click **Delete topic**.
  1. Approve by clicking **Confirm**.
</FlattenedSteps>

</TabItem> <TabItem label="Mobile"> Access this feature by following the web app instructions in your mobile device browser.

Implementation of this feature in the mobile app is tracked [on
GitHub](https://github.com/zulip/zulip-flutter/issues/1549). If
you're interested in this feature, please react to the issue's
description with 👍.

</TabItem> </Tabs>

Note that deleting all of the individual messages within a particular topic also deletes that topic. Structurally, topics are simply an attribute of messages in Zulip.