---
title: "Prepare To Use Freeform Topics"
slug: "prepare-to-use-freeform-topics"
description: "Prepare to implement Freeform Topics and help Agents understand its value and how to utilize the feature. Visit Gladly Help Docs to learn more."
updated: 2025-01-19T22:29:23Z
published: 2025-01-30T20:02:30Z
---

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

# Prepare To Use Freeform Topics

To ensure a successful implementation of Freeform Topics, it would help if you did some preparation to address use cases for your organization before proceeding to [create Freeform Topics](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-freeform-topics). We recommend you review the following first:

- Learn more about [Freeform Topics](https://help.gladly.com/docs/what-is-freeform-topics) and its uses.
- Have a general understanding of how to use APIs, webhooks, or AWS EventBridge.

## Prepare Freeform Topics you want Agents to capture in Conversations

What Conversation attributes do you want to capture through Freeform Topics? Based on the kind of analysis or type of business you run, you might want to construct and capture attributes like:

- Order Number
- Courier
- IATA Code
- Locations
- Codes
- SKUs
- Product ID

Proceed to [create these as Freeform Topics](https://help.gladly.com/docs/create-freeform-topics).

## Set up your analytic tool to receive Freeform Topics usage

Transmit Freeform Topic usage to your preferred analytics tool via API, webhooks, or AWS EvenBridge. See [Analyze Freeform Topics Attributes](https://help.gladly.com/docs/analyze-freeform-topics-attributes) for setup information.

> [!NOTE]
> **Custom attributes power Freeform Topics through API**
> 
> Custom attributes power Freeform Topics through API, the Conversations API, the Events API, and events used in Webhooks.

## Determine structure for applying Freeform Topics

When applying a Freeform Topic attribute such as *Order Numbe*r, Agents apply the same format as your actual order numbers, which are inherently unique to each order. The same applies to *SKUs* or *IDs*. For other Freeform Topics, such as *Sentiment*, *Location*, or*Courier,* it is recommended to provide clear specifications and options to Agents for applying these attributes to avoid variances.

**Format examples**

| **Location** | Courier |
| --- | --- |
| Store #123 | FedEx |
| Store #456 | USPS |
| Store #789 | UPS |
| Store #1011 | OnTrack |

Using **Courier** as an example, it's best to provide specifications on how Agents should apply *FedEx* and not of FDX or USPS, not *US Postal*. For **Location**, Agents should format entries like Store #123, not *Store123* or *Store number 123*.

## Train Agents how to apply Freeform Topics

Once you create the Freeform Topics in Gladly and the API, webhooks, or AWS EvenBridge is configured, take the time to train Agents on how to use Freeform Topics.

Go over the formatting requirements when applying a Freeform Topic.

****Freeform Topics formatting****

- Values can only be composed of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- They cannot be more than 255 characters.
- Values must be unique to a Conversation, meaning you cannot add the same value twice in one Conversation.
- Values are case sensitive (PO1234 and po1234 will be considered different).

Help Agents understand that the [Topics menu](https://help.gladly.com/docs/apply-topics-to-a-conversation) will contain Freeform Topics and their standard Topics list.

![Dropdown menu displaying various selected topics including Order ID and Customer complaint.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/enter-order-id-custom-attribute-795x1024.png)

Train Agents to understand the difference between applying a Topic(s) and/or Freeform Topics to Conversations and how they could apply both. Show Agents how to tell the difference when applying a Topic or a Freeform Topic, with the latter exposing a freeform field to enter a relevant attribute.

![Order number displayed as XPH888 in a user interface field.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/custom-attribute-selected-in-Topics-menu.png) Agents can also apply multiple Freeform Topics. For example, if multiple order numbers are relevant to the Conversation, *Order Number* Freeform Topic can be applied multiple times, and each is associated with a relevant order number.

As an additional benefit outside of analysis, highlight to Agents the benefit of obtaining more context about a Conversation based on Freeform Topics already applied to a Conversation.

> [!WARNING]
> Freeform Topics count as a required Topic
> 
> Applying one Freeform Topic satisfies the Topic Assignment setting, which requires at least one Topic to be applied to a Conversation.

## Help Agents find where Freeform Topics and Topics appear for context

Topics and Freeform Topics applied to a Conversation appear in the Conversation Details card in the Customer Profile.

![Conversation history showing claims and customer complaints assigned to Michelle Smith.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/custom-attribute-in-converation-details.png)

They also appear in the Conversation Timeline headers.

![Gerard Urbano's order cancellation details and communication history displayed on the interface.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/converastion-timeline-header-custom-attributes-1024x219.png)