Claiming topics

Everything here is for moderators who have the Can claim topics and see claims permission in the topic's forum (see Settings and permissions). Other members never see claims.

Claim a topic

1. Open the topic.
2. Open Quick-mod tools (the menu at the bottom of the topic) and choose Claim topic.
3. Optionally write a short note for the other moderators, for example Members arguing, keep an eye on it. Up to 255 characters.
4. Press Claim topic.

A topic has one claim at a time. If another moderator claimed it a moment before you, you are told and nothing changes.

Once a topic is claimed, the Quick-mod tools entry is called Topic claim and opens the claim page.

Where claims show

• Topic lists of a forum, topic search results and the MCP forum view: an icon (an eye by default) and Claimed by with the moderator's name. Hover over it for the date and note; click it to open the claim page.
• The topic page: a notice below the title with the moderator, the date, the note and a Manage claim link.
• Your own claims say Claimed by you and are shown in green.

Change, transfer or release a claim

Open the claim page from the Quick-mod tools, the Manage claim link or the MCP list.

Button	What it does	Who can use it
Save note	Replaces the note.	The moderator who holds the claim, and administrators
Transfer claim	Gives the claim to another moderator who can claim topics in this forum. The claim's date starts again.	The holder, and administrators
Release claim	Removes the claim, so anyone can claim the topic.	The holder, and administrators
Take over claim	Makes another moderator's claim yours, with the note in the box. The claim's date starts again.	Administrators

Release claim and Take over claim ask Are you sure? first. No goes back to the claim page without changing anything.

Other moderators can see who holds a claim and its note, but cannot change it.

"Administrators" means users with the administrator permission described in Settings and permissions, in forums where they can also claim topics.

The list of claims

MCP → Claimed topics lists the claims in every forum where you can claim topics and read the forum, newest first, 25 to a page.

• All claims or My claims at the top.
• Each claim shows the topic, forum, note, moderator and date, and a link to its claim page. Locked topics have a lock icon.

Notifications

A moderator is notified when someone else:

• transfers a claim to them,
• takes over their claim,
• releases their claim, or
• gives their claim to another moderator.

Nobody is notified about changes they make themselves, or when the board releases a claim on its own. Moderators choose board or email notifications under UCP → Board preferences → Edit notification options, in the Moderation Notifications group: Someone else changes a topic claim of yours.

Logs

Every claim, take over, transfer and release goes into the moderator log, including claims the board releases on its own. See it under MCP → Moderator logs, in a topic's View logs, or in ACP → Maintenance → Forum logs → Moderator log.

When claims go away

• The topic is deleted, or its forum is deleted with its topics.
• The moderator's account is deleted.
• The topic is merged into another topic (the merged-away topic is deleted; the other topic keeps its own claim).
• The board's release settings, if turned on: the topic is locked, or the claim is older than the set number of days. See Settings and permissions.

Moving a topic to another forum keeps its claim.