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Create groups

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Groups are a collection of items, often related to a specific region, subject, or project, that are created and managed by the group owner. If you have privileges to create groups, you decide who can find your groups, whether others can request to join, whether members can update items shared with the group, and who can contribute content. You also have control over items shared with the group and can invite others to join, even if your group doesn't accept membership requests.

Administrators can create groups that allow members to update items that have been shared with the group. Groups created with this item update capability are useful in collaborative situations in which multiple people need to update the same item—for example, shift workers in operations centers who need to update the maps underlying their apps and dashboards. Groups created with this capability are also useful when certain members in the organization need full editing control of a publicly visible hosted feature layer, but public access to the layer must be restricted to viewing only.

When members share an item with a group created with the item update capability enabled, they remain the owner of the item. Other group members can update the item. Updates to an item include changes to the item details and updates to the content. For example, they can add layers to a map and save the map with the updated content.

Note:

At this time, the item update capability is intended for use with item details and the contents of maps, configurable apps, and scenes. Currently, the presentation viewer and most ArcGIS apps do not support the item update capability. For example, members of a group created with this capability enabled can update the item details of a presentation shared with the group from My Content but cannot modify the presentation from within the viewer. Support will be added in future releases.

Administrators also use groups to configure the website with the organization's featured content, basemaps, and configurable apps.

Create a group

  1. Verify that you are signed in and have privileges to create groups.
  2. Open Groups and click Create a Group.
  3. Enter a name, summary, description, and tags.
  4. To add a thumbnail image, click the icon Upload image next to your group name, browse to the image file on your desktop, and click OK. Click Save to see your new thumbnail.

    Add an image that is 65 pixels wide by 65 pixels high in a web file format such as PNG, GIF, or JPEG. The maximum file size is 1 MB. If your image is a different dimension, it is resized to 65 by 65 and may appear warped.

  5. Select the sharing status of your group: Private, Organization, or Public. Your sharing privileges may determine the status you can select. If you have a public account, your group status is automatically set to public and cannot be set to private (or organization).
  6. If your organization is configured for ArcGIS Open Data and you have the privileges, you can make any of your public groups available to open data sites by checking the box next to Designate as available for use in Open Data sites.
  7. Check the box to allow users to apply to join the group.

    This option is not available if your group is private.

  8. Check the box to allow members to update all items in the group. Updates to an item include changes to the item details and updates to the content.

    Checking this box enables the item update capability, giving group members the ability to update any items shared with the group. The item update capability is available from the Share button in My Content. For more information, see Share item with a group.

    Note:

    Only default administrators can enable this capability on a group and own groups with this capability. Only members with level 2 accounts in the same organization can belong to the group. The group must be new; the item update capability cannot be added to an existing group.

    All members of this group can update the item regardless of the privileges for their role. However, they cannot perform other actions that are outside their privileges. For example, if they do not have privileges to create content, they cannot save a copy of a map they update. Only the owner (or administrator) of the item can perform the following actions on the item (not all actions apply to all item types): delete, share, move, change owner, change delete protection, publish, register an app, overwrite data in hosted feature layers, and manage tiles in hosted tile layers.

  9. Select who can contribute content to the group, all members or just you, the group administrator (group owner).

    If you choose to only allow the group owner, members can view and access your items, but they can't share their own items with the group. This type of group is a good way to share your authoritative maps and data to a targeted audience. You control what items appear in the group and who can view them.

  10. To change how the items are sorted on the group page, select a field in the drop-down list next to Sorted by.

    You can choose to sort by title, owner, ratings, views, or date (default). To change how the items are ordered, check or uncheck the box next to Ascending. The sort field and order extends to your group when it is embedded in a website, shared as an app, and used to configure your organization's website (such as the basemap gallery). If you change the sort field or order, the item display is updated everywhere the group is used.

  11. Click Save to create your group.

Edit a group

You can edit the properties of an existing group you own or administer. These properties include descriptive details, such as the title and thumbnail, as well as the status and who can contribute items.

  1. Verify that you are signed in and own the group you want to edit or have privileges to update groups owned by members.
  2. Open Groups and click the name of the group.
  3. Click Edit and edit the group properties.

    You cannot enable or disable the capability for members to update all items in the group on existing groups. You can only enable the capability on new groups. To disable the capability, you need to delete the group.

  4. Click Save to update the group.