# Find topics

> Group a collection's cards into named topics, written as notes you can see in Graph view.

Clusters groups the cards into broad **families** and finer **topics**, names each one, and writes them as notes. Because topics are notes that link to their sources, Graph view shows the clusters.

## Before you start

The collection is indexed.

## Steps

1. Run **Clusters: Find topics in a collection…** and pick the collection. Or select **Find topics…** in the collection's dialog.
2. Optionally add **seeds**: subjects you want a topic for whatever the clustering finds. One per line, as `Name = what to search for`.
3. Read what a run would do. No model has been called.
4. Select **Dry run** to see the clusters' sizes and each seed's hits. This spends only the seeds' embeddings.
5. Select **Find topics**. Naming the topics runs as a job, with its cost.
6. Read the list of notes it would write, then select **Write**.

Clustering runs inside Obsidian: a few seconds for hundreds of cards, under a minute for four thousand, a few minutes for ten thousand.

## What you get

Under `Clusters/Topics/<collection>/`:

- a folder per family, with the family's note linking its topics;
- a note per topic: its description, and every card with its quote, linking the book's note or the source note;
- a `Seeded` folder with a note per seed.

Graph view gets a colour group per family, beside your own groups.

A topic note you have edited since Clusters wrote it is kept as it is on the next run.

## See a topic in the graph

Open a topic, family or seed note and run **Clusters: Open local graph on this topic**. The local graph opens pinned to that note, in the collection's colours. Graph views already open show new colour groups once reopened.

## Related

- [Draft a write-up](draft-a-write-up.md)
- [Undo a run](undo-a-run.md)