---
title: "What are discussions?"
slug: "what-are-discussions"
tags: ["Participant", "Explainer", "Totara Engage"]
updated: 2025-07-22T10:52:18Z
published: 2025-07-22T11:18:53Z
canonical: "totara.help/what-are-discussions"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://totara.help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What are discussions?

Discussions are a key part of getting the most out of your [workspaces](/19/docs/what-are-workspaces). The **Discuss** tab gives workspace users a place to ask questions and start conversations on topics related to the workspace.

[YouTube video player](https://www.youtube.com/embed/WFu42KuXqKc?si=WfzAWQjjB2m8szOY)

## Using discussions

Workspace users can start a discussion by creating a new thread, and other users can then join in. Discussions can include text, links, attached files and images, as well as embedded media. Users can comment on each other's posts and reply to other comments.

Participants can add hashtags to their comments (e.g. #leadership), or mention other users to notify them about the post (e.g. @alexp).

If a user who started the discussion is suspended or deleted from the site, the discussion will remain active but the poster's user information won't be displayed. Instead the profile picture will be replaced with a generic icon and the user information will be replaced with placeholders. If the user is purged and discussion data is also selected to be purged, the discussion and all comments will be permanently deleted.

Users can also [report inappropriate discussion posts and comments](/19/docs/report-inappropriate-content), allowing Site Administrators or Workspace Owners to remove the content if required.

## Sorting and searching discussions

Users looking for discussions on a specific topic or wanting to revisit a discussion can use the search bar. This searches for any text included in the original posts and comments.

You can also sort discussion topics in order of when they were originally posted (**Date posted**) or how recently someone has commented on them (**Last updated**).

## Files

Any files uploaded in discussions will be stored in the workspace's **Files** area. You can access this page by clicking **Browse files** from the **Discuss** tab.

![The files section of a workspace.](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/image-1639566318940.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T15%3A51%3A31Z&se=2026-11-01T16%3A51%3A31Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=wLqVcuAfjLH%2BWVdgTCFJHUAkEVYfN2fbHKd0sa5HRnI%3D)

Here you can click the file's name to view the file, or click **Download** to save a local copy of the file. Additionally you can click **View discussion** to see the discussion thread in which the file was uploaded. When you have a large number of files in a workspace, you can filter the list to show a specific **File format**, or sort by **Uploaded date**, **Name** or **Size**.

![Course badge](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/course-badge_workspaces-in-totara-engage.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-01T15%3A51%3A31Z&se=2026-11-01T16%3A51%3A31Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=wLqVcuAfjLH%2BWVdgTCFJHUAkEVYfN2fbHKd0sa5HRnI%3D)

Join the conversation on [workspaces](https://totara.community/course/view.php?id=891) in the Totara Community.

The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to using [Workspaces in Totara](https://totara.community/course/view.php?id=891). Here you can find out more about setting up and using workspaces, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

Join the [Totara Community](https://totara.community/) for more resources to help you get the most out of Totara.

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