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Creating a Virtual Agent topic › Getting started with the Asset library in Assistant Designer › Build and deploy › Virtual Agent › Conversational Interfaces
Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-26 · Official documentation · View source

Control topic discovery and visibility

Admins and topic authors can enable Virtual Agent to discover topics for use in chats, include a topic in the list users see, or both. The topics can be setup topics and small talk topics.

Before you begin

Role required: virtual_agent_admin or admin

About this task

Virtual Agent Designer includes discovery and visibility options when you select the Show actions for this row icon

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next to each topic in the Asset library.
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Options for managing active topics include discoverable and visible.

Admins or topic authors can use these options to manage the active topics as follows:

  • Include the topic in topic discovery.

    By selecting Discoverable, admins or topic authors can enable Virtual Agent to discover the topic by using keyword or Natural Language Understanding (NLU) discovery.

    Note: If these methods don't generate search results, or Virtual Agent can't determine the appropriate conversation to display, use AI Search as a fall-back method.

  • Include the topic in the list of topics available for use.

    By selecting Visible, admins or topic authors can include the topic in the All Topics menu. The All Topics menu lists all of the topics available for use.

    To see the All Topics menu, first select Show all my options in the chat window.

    You should then see the All Topics menu.

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All Topics menu in the chat window.

The options you select automatically update the corresponding property in the Topics [sys_cs_topic] table. For example, if you've enabled Discoverable, the Visible property in the Topics [sys_cs_topic] table is set to true.

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Topics table view with Is Topic Discoverable and Is Topic Visible values highlighted.

Note: If the fields are not visible, you can configure the form layout to show them.

Procedure

  1. Creating a Virtual Agent topic.

  2. Set the topic to Active either in the topic properties header bar, or in the Show actions for this row icon (

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\) next to your topic in the Asset library.
**Note:** Selecting this option also publishes the topic.

  1. Select the options you want to use, or accept the default settings.

    Some options are enabled or disabled by default, based on the type of topic.

    | |Options| | |Discoverable|Visible| |---|-------| |---|------------|-------| |Topics|Enabled|Enabled| |Setup topics|Disabled|Enabled| |Small talk topics|Disabled|Enabled|

  2. Test the topic by selecting Test in the topic header bar, or using the Test assistant drop-down menu in the Asset library after associating your topic with an assistant.

    Note: Associate your topic with one or more assistants before testing, under the Conversational settings option.

Result

Depending on the options enabled, Virtual Agent can discover the topic, the topic is included in the All Topics menu in the chat window, or both.

Parent Topic:Creating a Virtual Agent topic