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All Things Groups 🏘️

Groups are the powerhouses of your Haystack workspace. They act like mini-intranets where you can house specific information, and they are your best tool for using notifications as focused distribution lists. 

Whether you prefer to learn by watching the full video or following along with our super-detailed, time-stamped instructions, you've got this! Pick your learning adventure below!

Table of Contents

When to Use a Group (01:15)

Most teams use groups for four core areas. It’s no pressure to do them all at once—start small and add on!

Core Area Example Group Purpose
Departments (01:31) Marketing, Engineering Houses news, resources, and links relevant only to that team.
Location-Based (01:57) Brooklyn Office, Los Angeles Shares office maps, lunch menus, and local announcements.
Culture/Community (02:27) Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) Builds a home for cultural moments, initiatives, and community programs (e.g., Pride, Parents Group).
Employee Segments (02:52) People Managers, Directors, Interns Used for communication (e.g., performance reviews, bonuses) or resources unique to that segment.
 

The Types of Groups (03:51)

This is a critical decision that dictates who can see and access the group’s content.

Group Type Icon Visibility Purpose
Open (None) Visible and searchable to everyone, even non-members. Best for Transparency & Collaboration. Content appears in all employee search results.
Closed (Lock Icon) Visible to everyone, but only members can see the content. Employees will see a "Request to Join" button. Best for Safe Spaces/ERGs. Signals that the community exists but requires permission to enter.
Private (Closed Eye) Only visible to members. It does not appear in search results or group listings for non-members. Best for Sensitive Topics (e.g., Executive or confidential projects).
 

Customizing Your Group Dashboard (06:20)

Every group has its own dashboard, and you can fully configure it to fit the group’s purpose using the same card library as your main dashboard.

  • Access: The group's default landing page shows the dashboard.

  • Configuration: Click the three-dot button in the top right of the group page to access the settings.

  • Strategy (07:07): Department Groups should elevate links and recent posts. Culture Groups (ERGs) should elevate cards like birthdays and the Name Game to foster community.


Card Name Purpose
Group Resources See top resources within your groups
Recent Posts See recent posts from your groups
Upcoming Events See upcoming events from your groups
Groups links See important links set by admins or group owners
Static Card Add a custom title and text block
Banner A scrolling, narrow banner for special group announcements

Adding Cards to the Dashboard:

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the dashboard page and click on the Add Card button.

  2. From the card library, choose the card you'd like to add.

Managing the Group's Look and Feel (08:44)

You can customize the group's visual identity and informational tags to help users find and understand its purpose.

Updating a Group's Cover Image

  1. Hover your mouse over the cover image space and click on Change Cover in the top right corner. (Tip: We suggest an image size of 1128x216px for beautiful display!)

  2. Select an image from your computer or drag and drop it into the area.

  3. Click Save.

Completing a Group's About Info (09:09)

  1. Navigate to the group and click About in the page header.

  2. Use the Edit buttons to complete the Ask us About (for searchable expertise tags) and Description areas.

Group Settings: Controlling Permissions (10:00)

Your group settings are accessed via the dropdown arrow in the top header. This is where you configure access and content roles.

Setting Area Action Timestamp
Group Permissions Content Creation Roles (11:35): Decide who can share content for each type (Posts, Events, Pages, Dashboard). Options include: All Members, Workspace Admins and Group Owners, or Workspace Admins only. We suggest the middle option for organization. 10:58
Content Approval Flow Posts Only (12:18): Toggle this ON to allow members to submit posts for approval, but require a Group Owner or Workspace Admin to review and publish it. 12:18
Edit Group Dashboard Control who can configure the group's dashboard layout (defaulting to Group Owners and Workspace Admins is recommended). 13:06
Navigation Reorder and hide/show the headers (Dashboard, Posts, Events, Pages, Links) that appear across the top of the group. You can also set a new default landing page for the group (14:06). 13:20
Members Add or remove members one-by-one or via CSV upload. You also manage Group Owner roles here. (Note: If you use SSO, reach out to your CSM about integrating group membership management.) 14:46
Teams Integration Connect your group to a specific Slack Channel or Teams channel to push notifications from the group to that chat platform. 15:33

How To Configure a Group's Visibility Permissions (10:58)

Group visibility settings can be configured by Group Owners, Group Admins, and Workspace Admins.

  1. Navigate to the group in which you'd like to configure visibility settings.

  2. Click on the dropdown arrow in the header and select Settings.

  3. Click on Permission Settings (10:58).

  4. Under Group Visibility, click on the drop-down to select the group type that makes sense for your needs: Open, Closed, or Secret.

  5. Click Save at the bottom of the modal.

Setting Area Action Timestamp
Members Add and remove members, and manage Group Owner roles. 14:46
Connect to Slack/Teams Connect group notifications to a specific Slack Channel or Teams channel. 15:3

Configuring Group Navigation (13:20)

You can customize the tabs across the top (Dashboard, Posts, Pages, etc.) for each group.

  1. In the group's settings, click Navigation.

  2. You can drag and drop to rearrange the order of the tabs.

  3. You can toggle off any page tabs you aren't using (e.g., Events) (13:54).

  4. To set a default landing page, click the three-dotted button next to that page and click Set as Home (14:06).

  5. Click Save.

Assigning Group Owners (15:14)

Group Owners are vital to content health. They are responsible for making sure the content is current, relevant, and well-managed within the group.

How to Assign a Group Owner:

  1. Navigate to the group settings and click on the Members tab (14:46).

    Click on Members

  2. Search or scroll to find the member you'd like to promote.

  3. Click on the three dots next to their name.

  4. Select Make Owner. Their role will change from Member to Owner.

Managing Members and Integrations

  • Members (14:46): Add and remove members one-by-one or via CSV upload.

  • Teams Integration (15:33): Connect group notifications to a specific Slack Channel or Teams channel.

And there you have it! You've officially graduated from reader to Haystack master. Go forth, customize, and make your intranet the most brilliant, functional, and well-organized digital space it can be!

Keywords: Haystack, groups, group management, group permissions, visibility, open groups, closed groups, private groups, group owners, content creation, group dashboard, notifications, guide, tutorial, administration.