Convert Thread Type tool overview

You can use the Convert Thread Type tool to convert an existing thread from one type to another within a community. This is beneficial if you want to "re-classify" a thread because, for example:

• you feel it was incorrectly classified when it was created, or
• you think that it would garner better and more engagement as a different type of thread.

The tool is applicable to Discussion threads and Q&A threads only, and both types of threads have to be enabled in a community in order for that community to even be available in the tool's community list.

• If both types of threads are not enabled, the community will not display in the conversion tool's community-list dropdown.

See Discussions Overview to learn about the different types of threads and how to determine which are enabled in a community.

Conversion outcomes

The thread-conversion tool is applicable only to Discussion threads and Question threads. When you use the tool to convert one to the other, here is what you can expect:

Convert a Discussion to a Question

• The original Discussion post is converted to a Question.
• Each Reply to the discussion is converted to an Answer to the question.
  • All "best response" mappings are honored.

Convert a Question to a Discussion

• The original Question post is converted to a Discussion as the root post.
• Each Answer to the question is converted to a Reply to the discussion.

You can also move discussion threads and question threads to a different community. If "moving" a thread is a better action than "converting" it, see Move Discussion Threads.

Conversion process - notes and limitations

Below are a few things that you should consider and remember if you use the Convert Thread Type tool.

• The tool can only convert threads in communities that have both Discussion threads and Q&A threads enabled.
• You cannot convert a thread if its parent post is scheduled or in a draft state; these threads will not display for selection in the Choose thread to convert dropdown.
• You can convert threads that have a child thread in a draft state. A draft Answer is converted to a draft Reply and vice-versa.
• Pinned posts on a converted thread lose that "pin" status as a result of the conversion.
• Multi-level "trees" of replies are flattened as a result of the conversion.

Refer to Affects of a conversion, below, for more in-depth information about the affects and impact of converting a thread to a different type.

Access the conversion tool

The Convert Thread Type tool is easily accessible in the Admin interface.

To access the tool:

1. In the Admin Toolbar, click Admin.

2. Navigate to Community > Tools > Convert Thread Type.

You are on the Convert Thread Type page.

The next section describes how to convert a thread.

Convert a thread

There are only a few steps in the conversion process.

To convert a thread:

1. Click one of the radio buttons (Q&A Threads or Discussion Threads) as the type to convert.
2. Click the Choose community dropdown and select the community in which the thread is posted.

NOTE: Only those communities that have Discussion threads and Q&A threads enabled are "eligible." If an eligible community does not have any threads of the type selected above, it will not display in the list.

3. Click the Choose thread to convert dropdown and make a selection from the list.

NOTE: Parent posts that are scheduled or in a draft state are not presented for selection.

4. Click Convert Thread.
5. Review the information on the confirmation dialog and click Convert Thread to complete the conversion (or click Cancel).

The conversion is logged and can be viewed by Super Admins. It's data include:

• information about the Admin,
• a timestamp, and
• the title of the thread.

Affects of a conversion

This section provides information on "what happens" during the conversion and what you can expect as a result.

Replies and Answers

• Attachments and "Reply Anonymously" are handled as expected in each direction.
• Private eGroup replies are not converted to Answers; they remain in the user's email inbox.

Signatures

• When a Question is converted to a Discussion, signatures are added to messages that came from Question/Answer content.
• When a Discussion is converted to a Question, signatures are removed from all content that becomes an Answer.

Moderation

• Self‑moderated communities: items retain their current moderation status (approved/pending/rejected) after being converted.
• Full moderation communities: all items in the thread go back into moderation after being converted.

Anonymity

• Anonymous posts remain anonymous when converted (in either direction).

Emails and Activity History

The dedicated "suppress activities/emails" work ensures that thread conversions do not generate new Activity History records or mail-log entries.

Metadata

The following metadata are preserved and/or mapped as indicated.

• BestResponse is mapped as IsAnswer on converted threads
• Documents and other attachments (including Library Entries)
• ItemRatings (such as "likes")
• ItemBoost ("boosted" content)
• ItemMentions (@mentions)
• ItemTags (tags)
• ItemFollowing (followers and subscriptions)

Related articles

You can also move discussion threads and question threads to a different community as described in Move Discussion Threads.