--- title: What are Categories and Topics? description: Learn more about the topic detection technology and the different hierarchies of topics (category, topic, term) --- [Skip to content](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/categories-topics#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [More support](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) ![symanto logo.svg\]](https://help.symanto.com/hubfs/symanto%20logo.svg) - [Default HubSpot Blog](https://symanto-4638210.hs-sites.com/blog) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Default HubSpot Blog](https://symanto-4638210.hs-sites.com/blog) - English Show submenu for translations - [More support](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/kb-tickets/new) - [Go to Symanto Insights Platform](https://app.symanto.com/) [Go to Symanto Insights Platform](https://app.symanto.com/) Welcome! How can we help? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Symanto Insights Platform - Help Center](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge?hsLang=en) 2. [Understand our Text Analytics](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/understand-our-text-analytics?hsLang=en) # What are Categories and Topics? ## Learn more about the topic detection technology and the different hierarchies of topics (category, topic, term) ### [**1. How does topic detection work?**](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/categories-topics#topicdetection) ### [**2. Categories**](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/categories-topics#categories) ### [**3. Topics**](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/categories-topics#topics) ### [**4. Terms**](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/categories-topics#terms) --- ### **1. How does topic detection work?** Once the data is uploaded, our text analytics engine first detects keywords and phrases (**Terms**) from the bottom-up and then clusters similar terms into **Topics**. These topics are then further grouped into high-level **Categories**. When a term from a specific topic is mentioned in a text, this text is then tagged with the topic and the category it belongs to. You can view and customise the topic model (category-topic-term) in the 'Configuration' view, or modify single terms of a topic via our [inline editing function](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/work-with-your-data?hsLang=en).   By selecting a specific [use case](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/use-cases?hsLang=en) (=model pre-trained with millions of text) the model is able to discover distinctive and clean topics from the specific use case or industry, and group them into meaningful categories. ### ![](https://help.symanto.com/hubfs/image-png-Jun-30-2022-11-04-09-08-AM.png) 2. Categories **Categories are the highest level**. Within a category, similar topics are being grouped together. Categories are especially useful to a) get a digestible overview of what is being mentioned when there are too many topics, b) be used as a filter to browse results towards topics that belong to a specific aspect. ### 3. Topics All detected **keywords and phrases (Terms) are being grouped together into Topics.** A topic can be a specific product feature (“battery life”), characteristics (“style”), service aspect (“billing issue”), brand (“Tesla”), or more. Combined with the topic sentiment, topics are the key information from which the insights derive. ### 4. Terms **Terms are words and phrases which are mentioned in the data**. A topic contains multiple terms. E.g. here the topic “Price” (in the category 'Product Attributes') contains terms such as “good price", "affordable", "too expensive" etc. In the Term Cloud, you can see positive and negative terms. ![](https://help.symanto.com/hubfs/image-png-Jun-30-2022-11-05-53-83-AM.png)   - [Getting Started](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Symanto Insights Platform](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/getting-started?hsLang=en#symanto-insights-platform) - [Sign Up & Login](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/getting-started?hsLang=en#sign-up-login) - [Data Collection](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/getting-started?hsLang=en#data-collection) - [Project Creation](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/getting-started?hsLang=en#project-creation) - [Data Security](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/getting-started?hsLang=en#data-security) - [Understand our Text Analytics](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/understand-our-text-analytics?hsLang=en) - [Exploring Insights](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Overview](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#overview) - [Topic & Sentiment Detection](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#topic-sentiment-detection) - [Sentiment Analysis](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#sentiment-analysis) - [Personality Traits](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#personality-traits) - [Psychographic Segments](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#psychographic-segments) - [Brand Recommendation](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#brand-recommendation) - [Communication Style](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#communication-style) - [Ekman Emotions](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#ekman-emotions) - [Rating Impact Analysis](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/exploring-insights?hsLang=en#rating-impact-analysis) - [Symanto Insights Assistant](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/symanto-insights-assistant?hsLang=en#main-content) - [FAQs](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/symanto-insights-assistant?hsLang=en#faqs) - [Account & Billing](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/account-billing?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Account](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/account-billing?hsLang=en#account) - [Credits](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/account-billing?hsLang=en#credits) - [FAQ's](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#main-content) - [All around the platform](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#all-around-the-platform) - [Data Collection](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#data-collection) - [Data Collection Service](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#data-collection-service) - [Project Creation](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#project-creation) - [Use Cases](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#use-cases) - [Exploring Results](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#exploring-results) - [Credits](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#credits) - [Pricing](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#pricing) - [Payment](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#payment) - [Account](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#account) - [Data Security](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#data-security) - [Data Export](https://help.symanto.com/knowledge/faqs?hsLang=en#data-export) - [Default HubSpot Blog](https://symanto-4638210.hs-sites.com/blog) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://help.symanto.com/hs-fs/hubfs/symanto%20logo-1.png?width=82&height=24&name=symanto%20logo-1.png "Chill listening crop-3")](http://symanto.net) Copyright © 2026, Symanto Research GmbH & Co. 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