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Managing Group Settings and Customizations

Learn how to manage members, permissions, and brand your Haystack groups to fit your team's unique identity.

Groups are the heart of collaboration in Haystack. Whether it’s a departmental hub, a social club, or a project team, the Group Settings menu provides the tools you need to curate content, manage privacy, and ensure your group reflects your team’s culture.

Prerequisites & Permissions

To access and edit Group Settings, you must hold one of the following roles:

  • Workspace Admin

  • Group Admin

  • Group Owner

Navigating to Group Settings

  1. Visit the Group Main Page you wish to edit.

  2. Click the Caret Drop-down Button (⌄) located on the right side of the header.

  3. Select Settings from the menu to open the customization modal.

Step-by-Step Guide to Group Customization

Let's walk through your Group Settings tabs from top to bottom.

1. General Settings: Branding & Identity

This is where you define the "look and feel" of your group.

  • Group Name: Update the name that appears to all members.

  • Group Type: Categorize your group (e.g., "Department" or "Social"). These are configured by Workspace Admins in the Admin Console and help users filter groups in the directory.

  • Group Icon: Select an emoji or upload a custom image to serve as the group's avatar.

  • Group Branding Colors: Enter Hex Values for Primary and Secondary colors. This is perfect for sub-brands or ERGs that have their own unique color palette.

2. Permission Settings: Privacy & Participation

Control the visibility and access levels of your group:

  • Visibility: Choose between Open (anyone can join/view), Closed (visible in directory, but requires an invite to view content), or Secret (hidden from everyone except members and admins).

  • Contribution Rights: Set who can create posts, events, and pages. You can keep it open to All Members for a social vibe or restrict it to Admins/Owners for an announcement-only group.

3. Custom Group Nav: Custom Navigation Settings

You can reorder or hide the tabs that appear on your group dashboard (e.g., Dashboard, Posts, Pages, Members, Links). The first tab in your list will act as the default landing page for users visiting the group.

Learn more about customizing group navigation here: Customizing Group Dashboards, Navigation, and Assets.

4. Members: Member Management

The Members tab is your command center for your roster:

  • Add Members: Add individuals one-by-one by name or use the CSV Upload tool to bulk-add a large list via email address.

  • Remove Members: Use the three dots (⋮) to remove a user. Haystack does not send a notification for removals, making it a discreet process for admins.

  • Grant Ownership: Click the three dots (⋮) next to a member's name to Make Owner.

     

Note: If a newly permissioned group owner isn't seeing the ability to create content or edit groups settings, allow about five minutes and then ask them to try again. These roles cache and sometimes take just a few minutes to set fully. 

5. Connect Slack, Teams, Google Calendar: External Integrations

Connect your group to the tools your team uses daily:

6. Advanced Tools

In the bottom lefthand corner of your settings window, you'll also spot too advanced feature buttons. 

  • Export Feedback: Download a report of "Thumbs Up/Down" responses from your group's pages to see what content is resonating. Learn more about this tooling here: Content Feedback Overview.

  • Delete Group: Permanently remove the group and all of its content, settings, and members. 

Warning: Please use the Delete Group tool with caution. There is no Group Restore tool available to you in the product. If you delete a group by accident and need it restored, please reach out to our support team for their assistance. 

Best Practices

  • Consistent Icons: Use clear, high-quality images for icons to make the Group Directory easy to navigate at a glance.

  • Audit Permissions Regularly: As teams change, ensure you have at least two Group Owners so management isn't dependent on a single person.

  • Use Branding for ERGs: If you have Employee Resource Groups, give them their own branding colors to make their pages feel like a dedicated community space.

Need More Help?

We’re here for you! If you have questions or accidentally deleted a group and need a restoration, please reach out:

Keywords: Groups, Settings, Permissions, Branding, Members, Customization, Slack Integration, Teams Integration, CSV Upload, Group Privacy