# Pull content into topics (`topicpull`)

The `topicpull` step pulls content into `<xref>` and `<link>` elements. This step is implemented in XSLT.

If an `<xref>` element does not contain link text, the target is examined and the link text is pulled. For example, a reference to a topic pulls the title of the topic; a reference to a list item pulls the number of the item. If the `<xref>` element references a topic that has a short description, and the `<xref>` element does not already contain a child `<desc>` element, a `<desc>` element is created that contains the text from the topic short description.

The process is similar for `<link>` elements. If the `<link>` element does not have a child `<linktext>` element, one is created with the appropriate link text. Similarly, if the `<link>` element does not have a child `<desc>` element, and the short description of the target can be determined, a `<desc>` element is created that contains the text from the topic short description.