# Introduction to topics

{!topics-intro.md!}

## When to start a new topic

{!when-to-start-a-new-topic.md!}

## How to start a new topic

Zulip lets you start a new conversation in any channel, no matter where you are.

{!how-to-start-a-new-topic.md!}

## What about threads?

Topics in Zulip fill the role of threads in other chat apps. This
section will help you understand how concepts you might be familiar
with from other applications show up in Zulip.

### Where are the threads?

In other team chat applications, you might be used to seeing threads
in a small panel on the side of the app. In busy organizations, that
cramped panel is where you may read most of the substantive
discussions.

In Zulip, you won't see a threads sidebar, because threads appear in the main
message view instead. Threads help keep conversations organized, so Zulip puts
them front and center.

### How do I find threads?

In other apps, threads generally start from a message in the main channel feed.
That message becomes the key to finding a thread (which can often be tricky to
do).

In Zulip, there's nothing special about the first message in a thread. Instead,
each thread is labeled with a topic. This makes threads in Zulip easy to find.
You can:

- See recent threads in each channel you're subscribed to in the [left
  sidebar](/help/left-sidebar).
- See a list of threads where you have unread messages in your
  [inbox](/help/inbox).
- Get an overview of all threads with recent messages in [recent
  conversations](/help/recent-conversations).

### How do I reply?

{!how-to-reply-intro.md!}

## Further reading

* [Getting started with Zulip](/help/getting-started-with-zulip)
* [Introduction to channels](/help/introduction-to-channels)
* [Finding a conversation to read](/help/finding-a-conversation-to-read)
* [Reading conversations](/help/reading-conversations)
* [Replying to messages](/help/replying-to-messages)
