Groups.io provides the ability for group owners and moderators to merge separate topics together. For example, you might want to combine separate topics that were started about the same subject, or perhaps a member created a new topic by mistake instead of replying to an existing topic.
Note: Bear in mind that the messages have already been delivered as emails. Even when you merge topics in the message archive, if someone replies to an email that originated from one of the merged topics, a new topic will be created.
To merge topics:
- On the group’s website, view the messages in Topics view. See Viewing topics and messages on group websites.
Tip: You can use the Search button to search for topics. Then, in the search results, click or tap the Tools button and select the Collapse Topics checkbox. The list now shows the topics and the number of messages in each one. - Navigate to one of the topics that you want to merge into the original topic. (Do not open the topic. Stay on the Topics page.)
- Click or tap the arrow button next to the posting date to display a menu, and select Start Merge (view an example). The page is refreshed, and that topic has a vertical blue line to the left of it.
- Go to the original topic you want to merge the selected topic into.
- Click or tap the arrow button next to the posting date, and select Merge Into from the menu (view an example).
- When the Verify Merge confirmation popup appears, click or tap Yes. The first topic you selected is merged into the original topic.
- Repeat steps 2 through 6 for any other topics you want to merge into the original topic.
Tip: If the original topic is still active, consider putting it on moderation so you or other moderators can edit the subject lines of incoming messages before they are posted to the archive (because messages might be replies originating from the “stray” topic that was merged into the original, and the subject lines might be different). You can also consider locking the topic if you do not want members posting more messages to it.