Deck

Sort Uncategorized Feedback into the Right Subthemes

Find the insights in each Deck theme that no subtheme holds yet, decide where each one belongs, and place them only after you approve the plan.

By Matt TeixeiraUpdated

Run it in Deck
Time to Run
20 min
Uses
Themes,MCP Server
You Get
Insight Placement Plan
Run It
In Deck or with your agent

What Are Uncategorized Insights?

Uncategorized insights are pieces of feedback that sit in a theme but in none of its subthemes yet. They build up after a large import. Sorting them means placing each one in a subtheme that fits, moving it to a better theme, or leaving it for Deck's next synthesis run when nothing fits well.

Why New Feedback Sits Outside Your Subthemes

You import a quarter of interviews, and the subthemes do not move. The new quotes sit in the theme but in no subtheme, so the subtheme counts miss what customers said this month. You either wait for the next synthesis run or read every insight by hand to see where it belongs.

How Deck Places Each Insight Where It Fits

Deck tracks how many insights in each theme no subtheme holds yet, and lists them with their quotes. You decide where each one goes: a subtheme of the same theme, a better theme, or nowhere yet. A wrong placement is worse than an uncategorized insight, so nothing is forced, and nothing moves until you approve the plan.

How to Sort Uncategorized Insights in Deck

Run it yourself in Deck, or hand it to your AI agent. Same steps, same result.

  1. 01

    Check Your Plan Includes Subthemes

    Subthemes need the Starter plan or higher. Check your plan in Settings → Billing before you start.

  2. 02

    Pick the Themes to Sort

    Open Visualize → Themes and start with the largest themes, or the ones a recent import fed. A theme needs 5 or more insights before Deck builds subthemes. Below that it shows a Below Threshold notice, so skip it.

  3. 03

    Read the Subthemes First

    Open the theme and use the Subthemes card, or go to Visualize → Subthemes sorted By Theme. Open each subtheme and read its narrative and key quotes, so you know what it holds.

  4. 04

    Read the Insights No Subtheme Holds

    Open the theme's All Insights tab and note the insights that fit none of its subthemes. Deck MCP lists exactly which insights are uncategorized and how many.

  5. 05

    Decide Where Each Insight Goes

    Give each insight one outcome: add it to a subtheme of this theme, move it to another theme, or leave it. Do not force a fit. When several insights share a new topic, the next synthesis run can build a subtheme from them.

  6. 06

    Apply the Plan and Check the Subthemes

    Placing an insight in a subtheme runs through Deck MCP, so give your approved plan to your agent. Then reopen the subthemes to see what they hold. Deck rebuilds subthemes on the weekly synthesis run, which can change the groups.

Insight Placement Plan Template

insight-placement-plan.md
## Theme
- Theme: [Theme name]
- Uncategorized insights: [Deck count]
- Subthemes: [Subtheme A], [Subtheme B], [Subtheme C]
## Plan (grouped by target)
Insight        | Short quote | Outcome         | Target                      
---------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------------------
[Insight name] | "[quote]"   | Add to subtheme | [Subtheme A]                
[Insight name] | "[quote]"   | Move to theme   | [Other theme]               
[Insight name] | "[quote]"   | Leave           | Next synthesis run: [reason]
## Rules
- Do not force a fit. A wrong placement is worse than an uncategorized insight
- Several insights on a new topic: Leave them for the next synthesis run
- Many insights belong to other themes: Review the theme taxonomy
## After
- Uncategorized insights now: [Deck count]
- Left for the next synthesis run: [count] because [reason]
Plain text. Pastes into Docs, Notion, or your agent.20 lines

Frequently Asked Questions

Starter or higher. Subthemes are not on the Free plan, and the subtheme tools change nothing on Free.

No. The subtheme write tools spend no credits. Any member with Deck MCP access can use them.

You can. Deck rebuilds subthemes every week, on Sunday evenings UTC. Sorting now keeps subthemes current after a large import, and the next run can still change the groups.

Leave it. A wrong placement is worse than an uncategorized insight. When several share a new topic, the next synthesis run can build a subtheme from them.

Not unless you ask. If you do, the agent asks first every time, and the subtheme's insights go back to the theme as uncategorized. No insight is deleted.

Yes. With Deck MCP connected, paste the prompt on this page. The agent reads each theme's uncategorized insights and subthemes, shows you a placement plan, and asks before it changes anything.