# Start a new topic

Topics are a lightweight tool to keep conversations organized. You should
start a new topic whenever you're not replying to an existing message.

### Start a new topic

{start_tabs}

1. Click on a stream in the left sidebar.

1. Click **New topic** at the bottom of the screen.

!!! warn ""
    **Keyboard tip**: Use `c` to start a new topic.

{end_tabs}

Don't worry about picking the perfect topic. The first 2-4 words that come
to mind are great.

Note that topics are not available for [private messages (PMs)](/help/private-messages). If you find
yourself wanting topics in a PM, we recommend
[creating a private stream](/help/create-a-stream).

## Related articles

* [Change the topic of a message](/help/change-the-topic-of-a-message)

* [Rename a topic](/help/rename-a-topic)

* [Require topics](/help/require-topics) for all stream messages