Why is my Topic Layout displaying like this

In short, it's a layout for your topics, not a topic itself.

The header/footer will appear above/below any topic to which you attach the layout. If you want it attached to all topics, then select the layout in the preset instead.

• When you create a topic, you can select a layout in General Properties. If you select it there, then any body content will be in the topic. The last layout applied will be attached to any new topics but in the dialog setting up the topic, you can change that to any other layout or to the default (no layout).
• If you apply a layout later, the body content will not be included. Body content is a one-off option.

Once a topic has been created, the logic changes.

• Any changes to the header/footer will apply when the topic is viewed in Preview or an output is generated.
• Any changes to the body of the layout will not reflect in linked topics. 

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My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

See https://www.grainge.org/RoboHelp_Tour/rh2022/authoring/topic_layouts.htm ?