M365 Changelog: Lightweight management of manually created topics outside the Viva Topics license

MC635992 – Viva Topics provides a central knowledge base for manually created topics and definitions inside apps like Viva Engage. These topics don’t use Viva Topics’ AI, topic cards, or pages, but can be selected to classify conversations and posts in Viva Engage.

With this release, Microsoft is providing a way for Viva Engage admins to edit, create, and delete these “simple” topics without Viva licensing as a way to make knowledge management more accessible to more users. Please visit the ‘Manage topics’ page via the URL below:  

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 118672.

When this will happen:

Targeted Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out early July and expect to complete by mid-July 2023.

Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out mid-July and expect to complete by late July 2023.

How this will affect your organization:

Microsoft introduces the lightweight management experience of manually created topics to Viva Engage networks that have been migrated from the legacy data store in Viva Engage to Viva Topics. There is no change to the management permission for Viva Topics in Yammer, and Microsoft automatically grants it to Viva Engage admins so that they can manage topics as knowledge admins in the Manage topics page. 

Management experiences without a Viva Topics license

Microsoft allows those with management permission to access the Manage topics page to manage all “simple” topics, including​:

• View the list of all manually created topics inside apps like Viva Engage.
• Search for a specific topic in the list.​
• Create a simple topic (with only name & description) on the management page.​
• Edit the name & description of an existing topic.​
• Remove a topic. 

Note: Removed topics can’t be restored in the lightweight management page.

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With an active Viva Topics license

You can also purchase Viva Topics licenses or get a free trial for your tenant to enable advanced management experiences and AI technology to enhance the central knowledge base in your organization.

• After purchasing Viva Topics licenses or getting a free trial, the lightweight management no longer works. Microsoft will notify you to complete Viva Topics setup when visiting the lightweight management page.
• Once Viva Topics setup is completed, Microsoft will automatically redirect users to the premium management page in Topics Center from the lightweight management page.

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What you need to do to prepare:

There is nothing you need to do to prepare, but you can let your admins and knowledge managers know about this new management of manually created topics outside the Viva Topics license.

Learn more about Viva Topics: Learn about topics in Microsoft Viva Topics | Microsoft Learn.