DOC-2193: Cloud Topics enabled by default via cloud storage (26.2) by Feediver1 · Pull Request #1786 · redpanda-data/docs

Feediver1 · 2026-07-10T20:25:27Z

Description

In v26.2.1, the cloud_topics_enabled cluster config is deprecated (redpanda#30508, ENG-1179). Cloud Topics capabilities now activate automatically when cloud_storage_enabled is true — no separate knob, no extra restart. Per-topic opt-in is unchanged (redpanda.storage.mode=cloud).

Changes (all on the beta/26.2 branch):

develop/manage-topics/cloud-topics.adoc (single-sourced to cloud-docs): replaced the "Enable Cloud Topics" section (rpk set + restart NOTE) with a "Create Cloud Topics" section explaining that no separate property is needed when cloud storage is enabled. Added a version NOTE (ifndef::env-cloud) for readers on pre-26.2.1 clusters. Updated learning objective 2 to match.
manage/kubernetes/k-cloud-topics.adoc: reworked the "Enable Cloud Topics" section into "Set the default storage mode" (there is no enable step anymore; the internal cross-reference on the page is updated to the new anchor): explains auto-enablement via cloud_storage_enabled, keeps the CR/Helm examples for the optional default_redpanda_storage_mode: cloud, drops cloud_topics_enabled: true from both tabs, and switches verification to rpk cluster config get cloud_storage_enabled. Bumped the Redpanda version prerequisite to v26.2.1 since the documented flow (no knob) requires it.
upgrade/deprecated/index.adoc: added a 26.2.1 entry for cloud_topics_enabled with the replacement guidance.
docs-data/property-overrides.json: removed the now-obsolete cloud_topics_enabled override. The 26.2 property-docs regeneration at GA will move the property to the auto-generated deprecated list; the generated partial is intentionally untouched (never hand-edited).

Deliberately not changed:

Licensing overview: Cloud Topics remains enterprise-enforced at topic level in 26.2 — topics_frontend.cc still reports "cloud topics" as an enterprise feature for any cloud topic; only the trigger changed (the topic itself rather than the restricted cluster config). The existing violation-behavior row stays accurate.
Property reference partials: regenerated at GA via the standard gen-props flow, not hand-edited here.

Resolves DOC-2193 (consolidates DOC-2272, closed as duplicate)

Page previews

Manage Cloud Topics (updated)
Cloud Topics on Kubernetes (updated)
Deprecated Features (updated)
Restore a Cloud Topics cluster (updated)

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

The cloud_topics_enabled cluster config is deprecated in v26.2.1 (redpanda#30508). Cloud topics capabilities now activate automatically when cloud_storage_enabled is true. - Remove the enable step from the Cloud Topics and Kubernetes pages - Point verification at cloud_storage_enabled - Add a 26.2.1 entry to the deprecated features index - Drop the obsolete cloud_topics_enabled property override Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

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coderabbitai · 2026-07-10T20:25:34Z

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Docs release per minor version, not point releases. The deprecated features index keeps 26.2.1 to match that table's exact-release format. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Cloud Topics no longer have an enable step; the section's task is setting the default storage mode. Update the internal cross-reference to the new anchor. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

WillemKauf

awesome! thank you!

Feediver1 · 2026-07-17T18:41:24Z

@copilot resolve the merge conflicts in this pull request

Copilot · 2026-07-17T18:44:05Z

@copilot resolve the merge conflicts in this pull request

Resolved by merging origin/beta into this branch and committing b95a24d7. The merge completed cleanly and updates the branch with the latest base changes.

Copilot · 2026-07-17T18:45:52Z

@copilot resolve the merge conflicts in this pull request

This is already resolved on the branch at b95a24d7 (merge from origin/beta). I rechecked against current beta; it is up to date with no merge conflicts.

…mples The page arrived on beta via the cloud-topics restructure after this PR was drafted. Cloud storage in storage.tiered already enables Cloud Topics in 26.2; fold that explanation into the storage.tiered bullet. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Feediver1 · 2026-07-17T20:17:04Z

Post-approval addition (9a29723): the whole-cluster-restore page moved onto beta via the cloud-topics restructure after this PR was drafted and still instructed setting the deprecated cloud_topics_enabled property in both Helm/Operator examples, the --set command, and a prose bullet. Removed all four; the "restored topics serve in cloud storage mode" explanation is folded into the storage.tiered bullet since cloud storage now enables Cloud Topics. @WillemKauf FYI since this landed after your approval — it's the same treatment as the other pages in this PR.

Feediver1

Final-pass review (docs-team-standards)

Overall: SME-approved and internally consistent. One critical issue was found during this review and has been fixed on the branch (9a29723); everything else is verified clean. Full disclosure: this PR was drafted with agent assistance, so this pass deliberately hunted for what the original drafting missed — and found one thing.

Jira ticket alignment

DOC-2193 — Enable cloud topics by default (ENG-1179) — ✅ addressed, including the consolidated DOC-2272 scope (cloud_topics_enabled reference removal). @WillemKauf's approval closes the research report's SME questions for this scope.

Critical issues

[k-cloud-topics-whole-cluster-restore.adoc] Sibling page still instructed setting the deprecated property — ✅ FIXED (9a29723). The page arrived on beta via the cloud-topics restructure after this PR was drafted and retained four cloud_topics_enabled: true references (both Helm/Operator examples, the --set command, and a prose bullet) — contradicting the deprecated-features row this PR adds. All four are removed; the "restored topics serve in cloud storage mode" explanation is preserved by folding it into the storage.tiered bullet. Source grep confirms zero remaining references; preview rebuild verification in progress.

Suggestions

Track the GA property regen. The override removal is correct, but the rendered 26.2 property reference still lists cloud_topics_enabled as active until gen-props runs against the 26.2 GA tag — a temporal inconsistency with the new deprecated-features row. Intentional per the PR description; just make sure the regen is a tracked release task.

Verified clean

Licensing overview needs no change: topic-level enterprise enforcement is unchanged in 26.2 (confirmed against topics_frontend.cc — the enforcement trigger moved from the restricted cluster config to the topic itself)
Internal anchor <<set-the-default-storage-mode>> resolves; no inbound xrefs to removed anchors; develop-page version NOTE is ifndef::env-cloud-gated for single-sourcing; deprecated row renders on the preview
Version prose follows team convention (v26.2 in prose; exact 26.2.1 in the deprecated table, matching that table's format)
No CodeRabbit findings on this PR

What works well

SME (feature author) approval with version-wording feedback incorporated
Survived the cloud-topics directory restructure rebase with the page-alias intact and internal cross-references unbroken
The pre-26.2 upgrade NOTEs preserve the old enable path for readers on earlier versions instead of erasing it

🤖 Automated final-pass review via docs-team-standards pr-review.

micheleRP · 2026-07-17T21:21:07Z

 :personas: streaming_developer, platform_admin
 :learning-objective-1: Describe the latency and cost trade-offs of Cloud Topics compared to standard Redpanda topics
-:learning-objective-2: Create a Cloud Topic using rpk after enabling Cloud Topics on your cluster
+:learning-objective-2: Create a Cloud Topic using rpk on a cluster that has cloud storage enabled


@Feediver1 just a note that these don't render on the page because it's missing "After reading this page, you will be able to: + * [ ] {learning-objective-1}". If you decide to fix, you'd need to make sure it renders properly in Cloud too, but not a blocker for this PR. Lots of pages still don't render these.

micheleRP · 2026-07-17T21:23:46Z


+| 26.2.1
+| `cloud_topics_enabled`
+| Redpanda now enables Cloud Topics by default when cloud storage is enabled for the cluster, controlled by xref:reference:properties/object-storage-properties.adoc#cloud_storage_enabled[`cloud_storage_enabled`]. Remove `cloud_topics_enabled` from your configuration; setting it has no effect.


Suggested change

| Redpanda now enables Cloud Topics by default when cloud storage is enabled for the cluster, controlled by xref:reference:properties/object-storage-properties.adoc#cloud_storage_enabled[`cloud_storage_enabled`]. Remove `cloud_topics_enabled` from your configuration; setting it has no effect.

| Redpanda now enables Cloud Topics by default when cloud storage is enabled for the cluster, controlled by xref:reference:properties/object-storage-properties.adoc#cloud_storage_enabled[`cloud_storage_enabled`].

Remove `cloud_topics_enabled` from your configuration; setting it has no effect.

suggesting the line break just for readability

micheleRP · 2026-07-17T21:25:54Z

 audit.analytics.may2025  OK
 ----

 You can make a topic a Cloud Topic only at topic creation time.


Suggested change

You can set a topic as a Cloud Topic only when you create it.

I know it's not part of this PR but that sentence feels like it has too many "topics".

micheleRP

Please see the little suggestions, but no blockers

micheleRP · 2026-07-17T21:31:32Z

and reminder about the What's New (if you want to add a blurb in this PR or if you're going to do that in a separate What's New PR)

DOC-2193: Use major.minor version references in prose

195fe9a

Docs release per minor version, not point releases. The deprecated features index keeps 26.2.1 to match that table's exact-release format. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Feediver1 marked this pull request as ready for review July 10, 2026 20:57

Feediver1 requested a review from a team as a code owner July 10, 2026 20:57

Feediver1 requested a review from WillemKauf July 10, 2026 20:58

Feediver1 commented Jul 10, 2026

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Comment thread modules/develop/pages/manage-topics/cloud-topics.adoc Outdated

Feediver1 commented Jul 10, 2026

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Comment thread modules/manage/pages/kubernetes/k-cloud-topics.adoc Outdated

DOC-2193: Rename Enable Cloud Topics heading on K8s page

d6fe14e

Cloud Topics no longer have an enable step; the section's task is setting the default storage mode. Update the internal cross-reference to the new anchor. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Feediver1 commented Jul 10, 2026

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Comment thread modules/upgrade/pages/deprecated/index.adoc Outdated

Feediver1 added 3 commits July 10, 2026 16:04

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WillemKauf approved these changes Jul 15, 2026

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Copilot started work on behalf of Feediver1 July 17, 2026 18:39 View session

Merge origin/beta into DOC-2193-cloud-topics-enabled-by-default

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Copilot finished work on behalf of Feediver1 July 17, 2026 18:44

Copilot started work on behalf of Feediver1 July 17, 2026 18:44 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of Feediver1 July 17, 2026 18:46

Feediver1 commented Jul 17, 2026

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micheleRP reviewed Jul 17, 2026

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micheleRP approved these changes Jul 17, 2026

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	You can set a topic as a Cloud Topic only when you create it.

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