By implementing groups in the community, you then need to make them discoverable to the relevant users and build a simple, logical, and effective access path.
Before you start
Groups are used to segment the community and target relevant activations. They can be used in missions, contests, product testing, channels, and communications. Discover how they work here.
Groups don't create a separate sub-community. They help structure members' journeys within the same community, with content and access adapted to their profile.
The goal is to choose the right entry points to guide a member toward a group (welcome popup, profile, homepage, channel, welcome message, mission, or communication). Depending on the use case, you can combine several of them to create a smoother journey and increase the chances that the member joins the right group at the right time.
Groups welcome popup
A new Groups step appears in the welcome popup for new members, right after choosing feed categories. This step automatically shows all Visible groups (Self-join or On application) that the member can join, apply to, or skip.
Members can join, leave, apply, or cancel an application directly from that step. No group choice is required to continue. A progress indicator and an always-visible Confirm button make it clear how many steps are left.
The Groups step is displayed only once per member, during the first login. It does not reappear later, even if the community's groups configuration changes afterwards.
At least one Visible group (Self-join or On application) must exist on the community for the welcome popup to be displayed. If no eligible group exists, the step is skipped.
Group descriptions are collapsed by default and expand with one click. The same group list design appears consistently in the welcome popup, the profile's Activity tab, and restricted channel pages.
Choose the right path
The right user journey first depends on your objective, your strategy for groups within the community, and their configuration. The new Groups welcome popup automatically handles discovery for new members when eligible groups exist, but you can still combine it with other entry points to reinforce adoption. For example:
With a Visible & Self-join group, it may be crucial for members to discover that this group exists very early in their community journey. The Groups welcome popup shows all Self-join groups during members' onboarding.
In this case, all the possible entry points presented in the following section are very relevant. They can be combined to configure a simple and clear access journey designed to maximize group adoption, which is a key challenge for this type of configuration.
A Visible group can easily be highlighted through explanatory elements (welcome messages, Custom Page, channel, etc.). It is always a good idea to use them, but also to combine them with engaging elements to attract members to these groups.
This type of group configuration makes it visible to members by showing them which conditions must be met to access it. As soon as the member meets the required conditions, they automatically join the group.
Therefore, it is important that members are motivated in advance to reach these conditions. The relevant entry points then vary depending on what the group unlocks. For example:
- If this group gives access to an exclusive channel, this can represent a source of motivation because the access conditions will be displayed in this channel, without showing the content that is blocked to non-members of the group.
- If there is no exclusive channel for this group in the menu, it may then be useful to combine a group discovery entry point.
A Visible group can easily be highlighted through explanatory elements (welcome messages, Custom Page, channel, etc.). It is always a good idea to use them, but also to combine them with engaging elements to attract members to these groups.
The Groups welcome popup shows all On application groups during members' onboarding.
This type of group configuration makes it visible to members by showing them that they can apply to it. Therefore, it is important that members are motivated to join this group, especially through the benefits associated with it.
The relevant entry points then vary depending on what the group unlocks. For example:
- If this group gives access to an exclusive channel, this can represent a source of motivation because the access conditions will be displayed in this channel, without showing the content that is blocked to non-members of the group.
- If there is no exclusive channel for this group in the menu, it may then be useful to combine a group discovery entry point.
A Visible group can easily be highlighted through explanatory elements (welcome messages, Custom Page, channel, etc.). It is always a good idea to use them, but also to combine them with engaging elements to attract members to these groups.
When a Hidden group is configured, it is not visible to any members who are not part of it. They will not be able to know that this group exists, neither in their profile nor in the community.
Therefore, it is not necessarily required to use an entry point since this type of group follows an objective of discretion and exclusivity, without frustrating non-members.
However, a pinned post in the group’s exclusive channel may be a good idea: it helps explain to members who are part of it (automatically enrolled as soon as they meet the defined conditions) what it is for and what benefits it gives them.
When a Hidden group is configured, it is not visible to any members who are not part of it. They will not be able to know that this group exists, neither in their profile nor in the community.
Therefore, it is not necessarily required to use an entry point since this type of group follows an objective of discretion and exclusivity, without frustrating non-members.
However, a pinned post in the group’s exclusive channel may be a good idea: it helps explain to members who are part of it (manually selected by an administrator) what it is for and what benefits it gives them.
A strategy that can be effective is to combine a discovery entry point with an activation entry point. For example, a welcome message can introduce the group, then a mission or a channel can encourage the member to join, apply, or meet the required conditions.
Possible entry points
The Member profile > Activity (on the community side) is a good entry point for an autonomous journey, where the member explores groups according to their interests.
By clicking Discover new groups, members will see:
- Discover tab: a search bar and the list of all Visible groups the member has not joined yet (no Hidden groups).
- Your groups tab: a search bar and the list of groups the member already joined, whether Visible or Hidden.
Here are the possible actions depending on the access type:
- Join (Self-join)
- Apply (On application, if not applied yet)
- Remove application (On application, if applied & pending)
- Conditions list (On condition)
- Leave (If already a member)
This allows you to let the member choose their groups themselves, while keeping navigation simple and consistent. Members who skip or miss the welcome popup can still discover groups here at any time.
The manual homecard is a good entry point when you want to make the group visible with quick and clear access from the start. It works well to catch the member's attention and guide them toward a first action.
This entry point isn't ideal for highlighting several groups:
- If they address the same segmentation need (for example, regional segmentation): this would require highlighting all of them, which can create confusion.
- Homecards remain visible on the community's homepage, for both members and visitors. If multiple homecards (manual or dynamic) are already used, this may reduce their visibility.
That's why we recommend that you create a manual homecard that redirects to the member profile's Activity tab (where they can join or apply for a group), or to a Custom Page that presents the different available groups and their benefits (specific missions, extra points, and rewards).
The welcome message is a good entry point to launch the journey as soon as the member arrives in the community. It makes it easy to explain why the group exists and what it brings, to encourage members to join them.
You can use the welcome inbox, the welcome page, or the welcome email to share the available groups and their benefits, but also the link of the Activity tab on the member's profile so they can access the registration page for the groups. It is often the best choice for groups you want to introduce very early in the member journey.
A mission is an excellent lever to connect the group to a concrete action. The member immediately understands the value of the group, because access is tied to a visible and engaging experience.
For example, you can create a manually validated mission (condition Screenshot/picture validated) by asking the member to join the group matching their interests. You can include the link of the Activity tab on the member's profile in the mission description, so they can easily access it and join the group(s) that interest them.
Then, missions specific to the groups they've joined will appear as soon as the user becomes a member of these groups, with an "Exclusive" label.
This approach is useful if you want to create a progression logic: the user discovers the group, joins it, then unlocks an exclusive or targeted mission.
You can use channels in different ways to highlight groups:
-
Custom Page channel: You can create a Custom Page that showcases the various available groups and their benefits (specific missions, extra points, and rewards), then create a channel dedicated to that Custom Page to make it easier to access.
This allows you to use a fully customizable page to inform members about the groups, as well as redirect them to the Activity tab on their profile so they can join groups.
-
Pinned post in a channel: Members discover the group and its benefits (specific missions, extra points, and rewards) when they visit a space they’re already familiar with.
To do this, an admin must post in the relevant channel and pin the message (redirecting to the Activity tab of the member's profile) so it’s visible as soon as members enter the channel. This option works well if the group is tied to a specific theme or a recurring animation space.
Recommended combinations
Use a welcome message, then a manual homecard. This combination is ideal for presenting the group quickly and guiding the user toward a first discovery.
It is the simplest choice for a clear journey, without multiplying touchpoints.
Combine a pinned post in a channel, then a targeted mission. The member first discovers the group, then understands they can access it through a specific action.
This logic works well to increase engagement.
Use a welcome message, an exclusive mission, and access to a restricted channel. This combination can be adapted to Automatically assigned on condition groups, when you want to encourage members to meet the required conditions to access them.
It is well suited to premium, VIP, or confidential use cases, where the group must remain discreet and reserved for a specific audience.
Let the user discover groups from their profile, then complement it with a homecard and a pinned post. This journey is useful when you want to give more autonomy to the member while keeping several entry points.
It is a good option if the community offers several groups and the member should be able to choose the one that best fits them.
Journey examples
Here are a few journey examples to adapt to your needs:
- Broad onboarding: welcome email + homecard + introductory mission.
- Thematic activation: pinned post + dedicated channel + targeted mission.
- Premium group: private message + exclusive mission + restricted channel.
- Autonomous journey: welcome page + profile + homecard.
Best practices
To help you, you can follow these best practices:
- Focus first on the member's point of view to keep the journey simple, clear, and understandable.
- Use simple, direct, and motivating messages when presenting the benefits linked to groups.
- Adapt the journey to the group's visibility level: Visible or Hidden.
- Reserve Hidden groups for use cases that require discretion or manual selection.
- Leverage the Groups welcome popup for automatic discovery during onboarding, then reinforce with manual entry points for returning members.