---
title: Explore topics
slug: solutions/topic-registry/explore
description: Find topics, inspect values and relationships, and capture custom topic namespaces.
createdAt: 2024-11-05T15:35:50.639Z
---

Follow a topic from its published value to the components that use it. Use this view to investigate a data flow or understand a setup you inherited.

## Start from the dashboard

Open **Dashboard** to review topic counts, data-quality indicators, and usage charts. Open **Explore** when you want to inspect individual topics.

![Dashboard showing topic counts, tag usage, data quality, and topic usage by component](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/z0ncMCAbFYTVrd0aN1_oG-20261110-034728.png)

## Search for a topic

1. Open **Explore**.
2. Search for a topic name in the table, or use the global search bar.
3. Open the topic to view its **Overview**.
4. In **Overview**, inspect **Topic Value** and **Topic Context**. The context groups configuration by component.
5. Follow [Inspect topic details](docId\:msa_6pRoQiGKm_zZ92GRC) to read the value, context, and relationships.

![Explore table showing topic names, validity, data quality, and value controls](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/rF9r3vy8cO3VnQ5ZBZbsk_step-5.png?format=webp)

The table's **Valid Topic** column reports whether the name passes Topic Registry's format check. **Data Quality** reports whether a DeviceHub message contains `success: true`. Non-DeviceHub messages pass this check without inspecting their payload. These indicators help narrow an investigation; they do not prove the entire data flow is healthy.

![Global search showing matching topic names](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/ebKqfwtHR5g56tezzkncq_step-8.png?format=webp)

## Refresh configuration

Select **Refetch From Edge** after changing Litmus Edge configuration. Select **Proceed** in the confirmation dialog. Review component retrieval results before relying on the refreshed inventory.

![Refetch From Edge control in the Explore table](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/_bfhoj7oayQ0Swf-Q5fY7_step-7.png?format=webp)

Topic discovery reads configuration from DeviceHub, Flows Manager, Digital Twins, Analytics, Integration, and the OPC UA Server.

## Review unused tags

1. Open **Explore**.
2. Turn on **Unused Tags**.
3. Review the tags with no detected consumers.

![Unused Tags enabled in the Explore table](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/fCdoJpibFXSOeaBMzYSUd_step-6.png?format=webp)

Do not delete a DeviceHub tag based on this result alone. Custom applications and flows with dynamic topic names can consume tags that configuration discovery does not identify.

## Inspect topic details

Open a topic when you need to understand its value or trace the components that use it. Start from **Explore**, a component page, or the global search bar.

### Read the value and context

1. Open the topic.
2. Select **Overview**.
3. Read **Topic Value** for the cached message.
4. Expand a component under **Topic Context** to inspect its configuration.

Topic Value is a received sample. Use the message timestamp, when present, to assess its age. A cached value does not prove that the source still publishes.

![Topic Value beside component configuration in Topic Context](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/ZSm6gxG4pdBCOLHuiN9P__step-9.png?format=webp)

### Request a new value

Select the control labeled **Resubscribe for updates** beside **Topic Value**. Topic Registry subscribes and waits for a new message. If no message arrives before the wait ends, the subscription remains active.

![Resubscribe for updates control beside Topic Value](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/-NK6HAJPz4-rbeFl2f0Wm_step-10.png?format=webp)

### Trace relationships

1. Select **Visualization**.
2. Review **Overview** and **Topic Usage** for publish and subscribe counts by component.
3. Inspect the **Topic Context** graph to follow the relationships between the topic and its components.

![Publish and subscribe counts beside the Topic Usage chart](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/q-klhmXbXPlZ6waWbWEIJ_step-11.png?format=webp)

![Topic Context graph linking a topic to DeviceHub, Digital Twins, Flows, and OPC UA](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/m3cpK9wCSDy8P-Q78oytv_step-12.png?format=webp)

Relationships reflect discovered configuration. Custom applications and dynamic topic names can require [topic namespaces](docId\:msa_6pRoQiGKm_zZ92GRC).

## Add topic namespaces

Add a namespace when configuration discovery does not identify a topic used by a custom application or dynamic flow. A namespace subscribes to a topic prefix and records matching topics as messages arrive.

### Choose a prefix

Use the prefix shared by the topics you want to capture, without wildcards. For example, `Site.Area.LineX` includes `Site.Area.LineX.temperature`.

Reserved roots include `devicehub`, `analytics`, `integration`, `flows`, `marketplace`, `digitaltwins`, and `opcua`. Use a more specific namespace when the root is reserved.

### Add the namespace

1. Open **Marketplace** for application topics, or **Flows** for flow topics.
2. Select **Add Namespace**.

![Add Namespace control on the Marketplace page](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/YiFS8cDxXcuXcnizEBN-P_step-13.png?format=webp)

3. Enter the topic prefix.
4. Select **Add**.

![Namespace entry field and Add control](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/iq3sr6xQPiwySiYulEjAh_step-14.png?format=webp)

5. Publish a matching topic from its source.
6. Confirm that the topic appears in the component table or **Explore**.

![Marketplace table showing topics captured under an added namespace](https://cdn.images.archbee.com/SSUUxKZUk9bFTEPNn_6Zo/GnFqGRXftbl6Vf0bvP7m9_step-15.png?format=webp)

For an external Docker installation, the NATS access-account token needs read permission for the chosen topics. Adding a namespace does not change that account's permissions.

A namespace captures messages. It does not prove which application consumes a topic, or that every consumer has been discovered. Check custom applications separately before removing an apparently unused tag.

## What's next

[Monitor live data](docId:877KRAR3ewPu_rn7lWjS6) to watch new messages, or use the [reference](docId:4LVzTh5VKjHMsZ1wrd31G) for configuration and API access.