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Glossary

Terms used throughout Topicary and this documentation.

Use this glossary as a quick reference while authoring. Terms here match the labels you see in the Topicary UI. If you encounter an unfamiliar term in the app, look it up here.

API key

A secret token used to authenticate REST API overview requests. API keys are generated in the Connections section of Settings, prefixed with tk_, and stored as SHA-256 hashes. Each key is scoped to a single project and can be revoked at any time. Available on the Business plan.

Approval workflow

A configurable sequence of stages that a topic must pass through before it is considered finalized. Workflows replace the built-in Content statuses with custom stages, required roles, and transition rules. Admins define workflows in the Team section of Settings. Available on Team and Business plans.

Branch

A named copy of a topic's content that can be edited independently and later merged back. Branches let multiple authors work on different versions of the same topic without overwriting each other's changes. See Topic branches.

Callout

A visually distinct block for tips, warnings, notes, or cautions. Unlike a blockquote (which sets text apart without implying severity), a callout carries a type, color, and icon that signal how critical the content is. Insert one with the / slash menu in the editor.

Component

A named, reusable content fragment stored independently from any topic. Topics reference components rather than containing their own copy. Editing a component updates every topic that references it.

Code group

A set of tabbed code blocks that let readers switch between languages or variants (for example, curl, JavaScript, and Python). Insert a code group in the editor with the / slash menu. On published sites, code groups render as tabbed panels.

Component reference

A pointer inside a topic that pulls in a component's content. References are live, so they always reflect the current state of the source component. The reference itself is a placeholder; the content lives in the component.

Filter (condition)

A rule that controls whether a content block appears in a specific publication target. The app UI labels this feature Filters; the documentation and export formats also call the same concept a condition. Filters are defined in filter groups (like Audience or Platform) and applied to blocks in the editor. At publish time, blocks that do not match the target's filter profile are excluded. Filters are available on the Business plan.

Filter group (dimension)

A named axis for content variation, for example "Audience" or "Platform." Each filter group holds two or more values. Also called a dimension in export formats.

Filter profile (condition profile)

The set of filter values selected for a publication target. When publishing, only content matching the profile is included. Content with no filters applied is always included.

Filter value (condition value)

A specific option within a filter group, for example "Admin" and "End User" within the "Audience" group. Each value gets a distinct color in the editor.

Demand

A ranked worklist that gathers every governance signal into one prioritized list of what to work on next: content gaps, lifecycle recommendations, code-watch suggestions, docs-as-tests results, and quality findings. Demand is a top-level item in the project sidebar and is available on every plan.

Finding

An automatically detected content quality issue -- such as a broken reference, missing alt text, heading hierarchy skip, or H1 misuse -- surfaced in the editor's validation panel. Findings are grouped by topic with severity icons (error, warning, info). See Content health indicators.

Connector

An integration that syncs published Topicary content to an external platform, for example Connect Zendesk, Connect Salesforce Knowledge, or Connect Phrase TMS. Connectors are configured in the Connections section of Settings and require a Business plan.

Content status

The workflow state of a topic: Draft (in progress), In review (under review), or Published (approved and ready for output).

Inline AI

An editor feature that lets you rewrite or generate content in place. Press Cmd+/ (or Ctrl+/) to open a floating prompt. In rewrite mode, select text and choose an action; in generate mode, type a freeform instruction. The result appears as a diff preview that you can accept or dismiss. Available on every plan. See Inline AI editing.

Locale

A language-and-region code (BCP 47 format, such as en-US or de-DE) used for Localize content. Each project has a source locale and zero or more target locales. Publication targets can be assigned a locale to serve translated content.

Map

An ordered, nestable list of topics that defines the structure of a documentation site or PDF. Maps control which topics appear, in what order, and with what hierarchy. The same topic can appear in multiple maps.

Map item

A single entry in a map: a reference to a topic, positioned at a specific level of nesting. Map items can be reordered and indented to create hierarchy.

Map version

A duplicate of a map's structure (items and hierarchy) that shares the same underlying topics. Versions let you maintain separate documentation structures (for example, v1 and v2 of your product docs) while keeping topic content in sync.

Release

A named snapshot of one or more maps at a point in time. Releases move through a lifecycle: Draft → Published → Archived. Publishing a release captures a frozen copy of every topic in the included maps. Use releases to coordinate documentation updates with product launches. See Manage releases.

Publication target

A configuration that combines a map, an output format (web or PDF), a condition profile, and a variable set to produce a specific output. One map can have multiple targets, for example an admin web site and an end-user PDF from the same source.

REST API

A programmatic interface for reading and writing Topicary data (topics, components, maps, targets, webhooks). All requests use Bearer token authentication and return a standard JSON response envelope. Available on the Business plan. See REST API overview.

Review session

A time-boxed collaboration period where reviewers provide feedback on selected topics. Reviewers access content through a unique token link, with no account required.

Single sign-on (SSO)

Enterprise authentication that lets team members log in through an external identity provider (IdP) using SAML 2.0. When SSO is enabled, users authenticate through the IdP instead of email and password. Just-in-time provisioning can automatically create Topicary accounts for new users. See Set up SSO (SAML 2.0).

Slug

The URL-friendly version of a topic title, used in published site URLs. Generated automatically from the title. For example, a topic titled "Setting Up SSO" gets the slug setting-up-sso.

Suggest mode

An editing mode that records changes as tracked suggestions instead of applying them directly.

Suggestion

A tracked change proposed by a collaborator, shown as an insertion or deletion that the topic owner can accept or reject. Suggestions are created when an author edits in suggest mode. See Track changes and suggestions. Insertions appear in green; deletions appear with red strikethrough. A reviewer can then accept or reject each suggestion individually or in bulk. See Track changes and suggestions.

Tag

A label applied to a topic for cross-cutting classification. Tags are organizational metadata for your authoring team, so they do not affect published output.

Tag group

A named collection of related tags, for example "Feature Area" containing tags like "Authentication," "Billing," and "Analytics."

Task

A trackable work item associated with a topic, map, or project. Tasks have a type (workflow, review, or feedback), a status (draft, planned, in progress, in review, or done), an optional assignee, and an optional due date. Filter and manage tasks from the project dashboard. See Manage tasks.

Taxonomy

The overall system of tag groups and tags used to classify content in a project. Equivalent to the Tags feature in the sidebar.

Template

A reusable starting point for new topics. Save any topic as a template (preserving its content, structure, and metadata) with Save as template, then create new topics from it through the template picker. Templates are project-scoped. There are no built-in templates: the list contains only the templates your project has saved. See Use topic templates.

Topic

The atomic unit of content in Topicary. Each topic covers one concept, procedure, or reference entry and exists independently of any particular output. Topics can appear in any number of maps.

Variable

A named placeholder that resolves to a specific value at publish time. Variables let you swap values like product names, URLs, or version numbers across publication targets without duplicating content.

Variable set

A named collection of key-value pairs assigned to a publication target. When publishing, each variable token in the content resolves to the value from the target's variable set.

Variable token

An inline placeholder in a topic that displays as a styled pill showing the variable key. At publish time, the token is replaced with the value from the target's variable set.

Webhook

An HTTP callback that Topicary sends to an external URL when an event occurs, for example when a topic is published or a map is unpublished. Webhooks use HMAC-SHA256 signatures for verification and retry failed deliveries up to 3 times with exponential backoff. Available on the Business plan. See Configure webhooks.

Workflow

A configurable sequence of approval stages that topics must pass through before publishing. Workflows define the required roles, transition rules, and stage order. Admins create and manage workflows in the Team section of Settings. Available on Team and Business plans.

XLIFF

XML Localization Interchange File Format, an open standard for exchanging translatable content between a CMS and a translation management system. Topicary exports and imports XLIFF 2.0 files for Localize content workflows.

See also

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