Quick Answer
In Pinnacle Series reporting, unpublished content will display null values in the Topic(s), Subtopic(s), Library(s) and Attribute(s) columns. However, the historical access record, including the Content Name and Accessed Date, is retained.
Null values do not always indicate that content has been unpublished. If content was published without Topic(s) or Subtopic(s) assigned, these fields may also display null, even when the Library(s) column is populated.
What This Article Helps With
This article explains why some rows in Pinnacle Series Reports show null for Topic(s), Subtopic(s), Library(s) and Attribute(s). Unpublishing content keeps the access history but removes the metadata that shows where the content belonged. A null value can also appear when content has no value assigned for that column, for example no Subtopics.
What You Might See
- Reports rows show null in the Topic(s), Subtopic(s), Library(s) and Attribute(s) columns.
- The same rows still show the Content Name, Content Type, Accessed Date and Publisher.
- Other content in the same report shows Topic(s) and Library(s) values as expected.
How to Fix It
When Topic, Library and Attribute reporting matters, retire content by keeping the content published in a restricted Archive folder instead of unpublishing the content.
- Check whether the affected content is unpublished, or whether the content simply has no Topics, Subtopics, Library or Attributes assigned.
- Select Content in the left-hand navigation.
- Select the ⋮ (more options) menu on the content you want to retire.
- Select Move.
- Choose the Archive folder restricted to the administrator Group as the destination.
- Open Reports and confirm that the Topic(s), Library(s) and Attribute(s) columns show values for the archived content.
Helpful Tips
- If you do unpublish content, record its Library, Topic, Subtopic and Attribute values first, for example in the Archive Register (Excel).
- Before unpublishing content, add the Library or Topic to the content name. The Content Name is the only descriptive information reporting shows for unpublished content. For example: [ARCHIVED] Engineering Standards – Technical Standards Reference – Retired Oct 2026.
- Rename content before unpublishing it, while its metadata is still easy to see.
Common Questions
Why do Topic(s) and Library(s) show null for some content but not others?
Pinnacle Series reporting shows null for these columns when the content is unpublished, or when no value is assigned for that column. Published content with Topics and a Library assigned shows those values.
Does unpublishing content remove its access history from reporting?
No. Access records for unpublished content still appear in reporting, including the Content Name, Content Type, Accessed Date and Publisher. Only the Topic(s), Subtopic(s), Library(s) and Attribute(s) columns show null.
Should I unpublish content I want to retire?
Unpublish content only when Topic, Library and Attribute reporting are not needed. Otherwise, keep the content published in an Archive folder restricted to the administrator Group.