Considerations for updating topic template structures

Add and manage content

You can modify a template's structure, or add a structure to an ordinary template, at any time. However, when you make the changes you should consider how it will affect existing content. This is important when your structure uses a release state to enforce validation and the release state is already assigned to topics in your library.

Topics that do not have the "enforce" release state assigned

When topics are not in the "enforce" release state their content does not have to validate at topic level. In this case the changes to the structure will not cause any topics to become invalidated. The changes to the structure are saved, and the updated rules are assigned to the topics.

Topics that have the "enforce" release state assigned

When you save changes to the structure builder the validation process is triggered against all topics based on that template. If changes to the structure will cause any topics to become invalid if they have the enforce release assigned you are given the following options to continue:

  • Change the release state assigned to the topics that would become invalid due to the structure changes. When there are no longer any topics that would be invalidated the changes to the structure can be saved.
  • Choose the option to create a duplicate template and structure. The original template and structure are not changed and remain assigned to the topics. The duplicate template with the updated structure is created in the same folder as the original template, and the name is prefixed with "Copy of". The duplicate is not assigned to any topics.
  • Cancel the save action. The structure builder remains open and you can modify or remove the changes so they do not cause any topics to be invalidated.