Articles support three different kinds of response: focused discussion topics, whole-article emoji reactions, and Awards. Each serves a different purpose, from developing one part of an idea to offering a quick signal of appreciation.
Choose the Response That Fits
Use a discussion when your response needs context or a reply. Use an emoji reaction when a brief response to the article as a whole is enough. Use an Award for quick item-level appreciation that is distinct from an ordinary reaction.
These response types stay connected between the article and its feed post:
This means a post does not create a second, disconnected conversation. Opening its comments brings you to the article where its summary, body, and focused discussions can be understood together.
The article footer keeps focused discussion, lightweight reactions, and Awards available as distinct response choices.
Keep Discussions Focused on Article Sections
A comment topic is the container for a focused conversation. Instead of placing every reply in one long thread at the end of the article, Visual Space attaches each topic to either the article summary or a body section. The connection tells readers what part of the article the conversation addresses.
For example, one body section might have a topic for questions about its evidence and another for suggestions about its conclusion. Both discussions belong to the same section, but each keeps a clear subject and its own replies.
The Topics index connects reading and discussion. It can show comment topics and their counts beneath the matching summary or body entry. Selecting a discussion there moves to the article's comments area, where the thread can be opened and read. The article also provides a comments control and, when comments already exist, may show a Read Comments area near the end of the reading flow.
Discussions can appear below the published article or in the dedicated Comments view. The dedicated view keeps the same section grouping and includes an Article action for returning to the reading page.
The Topics index and discussion heading both preserve the section that gives the conversation its context.
Browse a Conversation at Your Own Pace
Each comment topic shows its name, author context, and total comment count. Topics that already contain comments are expanded when the discussion first loads, making active conversations immediately visible.
The thread controls help longer discussions remain manageable:
Loading more comments appends them to the same topic. The displayed count continues to represent the whole thread, not only the replies currently loaded.
Start a Topic in the Right Place
Starting a topic begins with the article section it should discuss. In the dedicated Comments view, choose Start Topic, then select a summary or body section from the available article sections. On an embedded discussion area, the corresponding section can offer Add Comments Topic directly.
Give the conversation a short, meaningful name that tells other readers what belongs there. A new topic is added beneath the selected article section, reflected in the Topics index, and opened so the conversation can begin.
For the complete creation and moderation flow, follow Start and Manage an Article Discussion.
Write and Manage Comments
Expand a topic and use the comment field to add a reply. Comments must contain text and can be up to 5000 characters. If the text exceeds the limit, Visual Space shows how many characters need to be removed and prevents submission until the comment fits.
Your own comments remain yours to manage. Open a comment's options to:
Only the comment author receives these edit and delete actions. The author of the surrounding topic does not automatically gain control over comments written by other people.
Manage a Discussion Topic
The person who started a comment topic can rename it or delete it from the topic options. Renaming changes the label readers see in the Comments view and article index while preserving the conversation underneath it.
Deleting a topic deletes its entire thread. Its comments are removed, its contribution to the article and post counts is removed, and the topic disappears from both the discussion list and article index. Delete a topic only when the whole focused conversation should be removed; delete an individual comment when only that reply should go.
React to the Whole Article
Emoji reactions are the lightest response. Choose React to open the reaction picker, then select an emoji that expresses your response to the article. Each reaction capsule shows the emoji and its aggregate count.
Current article reactions apply to the article as a whole. They do not attach to a selected sentence, heading, image, or discussion topic.
Reaction capsules behave like toggles for your own response:
Your own reactions are visually distinguished from the aggregate response. You can also preview who used a reaction and open its full author list when that information is available.
!Reaction author modal for the Welcome article with emoji tabs and author rows
Each reaction keeps its aggregate count while offering a separate view of the people behind it.
Give an Award
Awards are quick item-level appreciation. They can appear near emoji reactions, but an Award is not another emoji reaction. Choose Award when you want to give the article a stronger, distinct form of recognition and have the required access.
Award controls use their own picker, and each Award has its own author list. Readers can inspect who granted an Award separately from the people who selected an emoji reaction. The ability to grant an Award depends on the article's space permissions and the Awards available to the reader.
Sign-In, Permissions, and Archived Areas
Reading an article does not guarantee permission to contribute to it. Starting a topic, posting a comment, reacting, and granting an Award are separate actions that can be controlled by the owning space.
The main boundaries are:
If a control is missing, disabled, or sends you to sign in, check that you are signed in, have access to the article's area, and hold the relevant contribution permission.
Common Questions
What is the difference between a topic and a comment?
A topic names a focused conversation and connects it to the article summary or a body section. Comments are the individual replies inside that topic.
Can one article section have more than one discussion?
Yes. Separate topics can address different questions or decisions related to the same summary or body section.
Why did opening comments from a post take me to the article?
The post is the feed-facing summary of the article, not a separate discussion object. Its comment control opens the article context so the conversation stays connected to the relevant summary and body sections.
Does collapsing a topic delete or lose its comments?
No. Collapsing hides the loaded replies from the page. Expanding the topic loads its thread again, and its total count remains visible.
Can a topic author edit someone else's comment?
No. A comment's edit and delete actions belong to that comment's author. Topic ownership controls only the topic name and deletion of the topic as a whole.
What happens when I delete a topic?
The topic and all comments in its thread are removed, related counts are updated, and the discussion disappears from the article index.
Can I react to one paragraph or image?
No. Current emoji reactions apply to the whole article, not to a selected fragment.
Are Awards removable like emoji reactions?
Do not assume so. Emoji reactions can be toggled off by the person who added them, while Awards follow their own recognition and spending rules.