> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://manuals.dialox.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://manuals.dialox.ai/smart-receptionist/content-settings/content-section/topics.md).

# 5. Topics

What callers phone about, what the receptionist may say about each subject, and what happens next.

Topics are the receptionist's **knowledge**. For each subject you tell it how to recognise the subject, which facts it may share, and what to do after answering. The receptionist only answers questions that a topic, or 1. Company, covers.

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2FH8Ck5tX3AXyZhDGCh8vS%2Fsr2-c05-topic-expanded.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=7196dbdc-d86c-44fe-af31-fdb4864dca94" alt="A topic opened in Content → 5. Topics"><figcaption><p>A topic opened in Content → 5. Topics</p></figcaption></figure>

## Fields per topic

**Recognise and answer**

| Field                                    | What it does                                                                                                                                                                                                   | If empty                                                    |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name** (required)                      | A short label, for example *Quotes* or *Repairs*.                                                                                                                                                              | —                                                           |
| **What callers say when they mean this** | Typical phrasings, and what does and doesn't belong in this topic, for example *"Prices, quotes, new orders, product availability. Not existing invoices, not delivery dates."* For the AI only, never spoken. | —                                                           |
| **What the receptionist may tell them**  | Plain facts, at most 4,000 characters, for example *"Quotes are free and sent within two working days."*                                                                                                       | The receptionist doesn't answer questions about this topic. |

**What happens next**

| Field                | What it does                                                                                                                                                  | If empty                                                                                                 |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **What happens**     | **Answer first** (connect only when the caller needs more) · **Forward** (connect to the department straight away) · **Note** (take a message straight away). | —                                                                                                        |
| **Department**       | Where the caller goes. With **Note**, the message goes to the front desk.                                                                                     | The caller is offered a choice of departments and the front desk, and is connected to the one they pick. |
| **Message template** | How a message about this topic is taken.                                                                                                                      | The template from 2. Front desk.                                                                         |

## The three modes in practice

| Mode             | Use it for                                                                | What the caller experiences                                                     |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Answer first** | Questions that facts can usually settle: opening hours, products, prices. | The receptionist answers. It only connects when the caller wants more.          |
| **Forward**      | Subjects that always need a person, such as technical problems.           | The receptionist connects to the department right away (or hands over in chat). |
| **Note**         | Subjects a colleague handles later, such as invoices or complaints.       | The receptionist takes a message straight away with the topic's template.       |

**Answer first.** The answer comes from the topic's facts, and the visitor isn't transferred:

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2F85Ic5zAYVSK4eBEP2sNu%2Fsr2-t05-topic-answer-first.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=51702a91-44b6-4a69-aadc-7f36ffedacc2" alt="Answer first: the receptionist answers from the Solutions and Products topic"><figcaption><p>Answer first: the receptionist answers from the Solutions and Products topic</p></figcaption></figure>

**Note.** For this test we added an *Invoices* topic set to **Note**, with no department and no template:

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2FcFY3u1KKxiotscAF2kwP%2Fsr2-c05-topic-new-note.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=cb487134-1c7c-4b63-a935-c1d28fc20dc9" alt="A test topic with What happens set to Note"><figcaption><p>A test topic with What happens set to Note</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://3570729730-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHmRSkEkoJwaBZ2OeQbHM%2Fuploads%2F8ocyFqOL91u2W78a7DPM%2Fsr2-t05b-topic-note-message.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=d5475488-6193-46b2-a2b1-65dc31e7b248" alt="Note: the receptionist takes a message straight away (personal data blurred)"><figcaption><p>Note: the receptionist takes a message straight away (personal data blurred)</p></figcaption></figure>

The receptionist offered to take a message and used the name and number it already knew about the visitor. See [12. Message templates](/smart-receptionist/content-settings/content-section/message-templates.md) for how that works.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Seen in testing:** with **Note** and no department, the receptionist said *"There's nobody from Sales available right now"* before taking the message. To control the wording, set a **Department** on Note topics, or adjust the related lines in 11. Phrases.
{% endhint %}

## Tips

* **Three to five topics is plenty.** Cover the subjects behind most calls; everything else goes to the front desk or becomes a message.
* Say what **doesn't** belong in a topic too ("not existing invoices"). That stops topics from overlapping.
* Keep facts short and current. The receptionist repeats them as truth.
* Deleting a topic asks for confirmation, because keypad keys or emergencies may point to it.