Set up Microsoft Viva Topics
You can use the Microsoft 365 admin center to set up and configure Topics.
It is important to plan the best way to set up and configure topics in your environment. Be sure to read Plan for Microsoft Viva Topics before you begin the procedures in this article.
You must be subscribed to Viva Topics and be a global administrator, or SharePoint administrator to access the Microsoft 365 admin center and set up Topics.
Important
If you have configured SharePoint to require managed devices, you must set up Topics from a managed device.
Video demonstration
This video shows the process for setting up Topics in Microsoft 365.
Assign licenses
You must assign licenses for the users who will be using Topics. Only users with a license can see information on topics including highlights, topic cards, topic pages and the topic center.
To assign licenses:
In the Microsoft 365 admin center, under Users, click Active users.
Select the users that you want to license, and click Licenses and apps.
Under Licenses, select Viva Topics.
Under Apps, make sure Graph Connectors Search with Index (Viva Topics) and Viva Topics are both selected.
Click Save changes.
It may take up to an hour for users to get access to Topics after the licenses are assigned.
Note that users must also have an Exchange Online license to use Topics.
Set up Topics
Note
The first time topic discovery is enabled, it may take up to two weeks for all suggested topics to appear in the Manage Topics view. Topic discovery continues as new content or updates to content are made. It is normal to have fluctuations in the number of suggested topics in your organization as Viva Topics evaluates new information.
To set up Topics
In the Microsoft 365 admin center, select Setup, and then view the Files and content section.
In the Files and content section, click Connect people to knowledge.
On the Connect people to knowledge page, click Get started to walk you through the setup process.
On the Choose how Viva Topics can find topics page, you will configure topic discovery. In the Select SharePoint topic sources section, select which SharePoint sites will be crawled as sources for your topics during discovery. Choose from:
- All sites: All SharePoint sites in your organization. This includes current and future sites.
- All, except selected sites: Type the names of the sites you want to exclude. You can also upload a list of sites that you want to opt out from discovery. Sites created in future will be included as sources for topic discovery.
- Only selected sites: Type the names of the sites you want to include. You can also upload a list of sites. Sites created in the future will not be included as sources for topic discovery.
- No sites: Do not include any SharePoint sites.
In the Exclude topics by name section, you can add names of topics you want to exclude from topic discovery. Use this setting to prevent sensitive information from being included as topics. The options are:
- Don't exclude any topics
- Exclude topics by name
(Knowledge managers can also exclude topics in the topic center after discovery.)
How to exclude topics by name
If you need to exclude topics, after selecting Exclude topics by name, download the .csv template and update it with the list of topics that you want to exclude from your discovery results.
In the CSV template, enter the following information about the topics you want to exclude:
- Name: Type the name of the topic you want to exclude. There are two ways to do this:
- Exact match: You can include the exact name or acronym (for example, Contoso or ATL).
- Partial match: You can exclude all topics that have a specific word in it. For example, arc will exclude all topics with the word arc in it, such as Arc circle, Plasma arc welding, or Training arc. Note that it will not exclude topics in which the text is included as part of a word, such as Architecture.
- Stands for (optional): If you want to exclude an acronym, type the words the acronym stands for.
- MatchType-Exact/Partial: Type whether the name you entered was an exact or partial match type.
After you've completed and saved your .csv file, select Browse to locate and select it.
Select Next.
On the Who can see topics and where can they see them page, you will configure topic visibility. In the Who can see topics setting, you choose who will have access to topic details, such as highlighted topics, topic cards, topic answers in search, and topic pages. You can select:
- Everyone in my organization
- Only selected people or security groups
- No one
Note
While this setting allows you to select any user in your organization, only users who have Topic Experiences licenses assigned to them will be able to view topics.
In the Permissions for topic management page, you choose who will be able to create, edit, or manage topics. In the Who can create and edit topics section, you can select:
- Everyone in my organization
- Only selected people or security groups
- No one
In the Who can manage topics section, you can select:
- Everyone in my organization
- Only selected people or security groups
Select Next.
On the Create topic center page, you can create your topic center site in which topic pages can be viewed and topics can be managed. In the Site name box, type a name for your topic center. You can click the pencil icon if you want to change the URL. Optionally, type a short description in the Description box.
Important
You can change the site name later, but you can't change the URL after you complete the wizard.
Select Next.
On the Review and finish page, you can look at your selected setting and choose to make changes. If you are satisfied with your selections, select Activate.
The Viva Topics activated page will display, confirming that the system will now start analyzing your selected sites for topics and creating the topic center site. Select Done.
You'll be returned to your Connect people to knowledge page. From this page, you can select Manage to make any changes to your configuration settings.
Access to EWS Exchange
If your organization has controlled access to EWS Exchange, this will impact the Viva Topics product. Add "VivaTopicsApi" as the user agent string in EWSAllowList.
Control access to EWS for your organization:
Manage topic experiences
Once you have set up Topics, you can change the settings that you chose during setup in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Manage other areas in topics:
- Manage topic discovery in Microsoft Viva Topics
- Manage topic visibility in Microsoft Viva Topics
- Manage topic permissions in Microsoft Viva Topics
- Change the name of the topic center in Microsoft Viva Topics
You can also add Viva Topics as an app in Teams.
Resources for your users
See also
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