Setting Up Groups

Overview

Groups in Sociable allow users to create communities around shared interests, topics, or organizations. Members can discuss, share content, and organize events within groups.

Group Types

Sociable supports three group visibility types:

Type	Description
Public	Anyone can see the group, its posts, and join freely
Private	Anyone can see the group exists, but membership requires approval to view posts
Secret	Only members can see the group exists or find it in search

Group Roles

Each group has a role hierarchy:

Role	Permissions
Owner	Full control - edit, delete group, manage all members and roles
Admin	Edit group settings, approve members, manage moderators and members
Moderator	Approve pending posts, remove content, manage members
Member	Post content, comment, participate in discussions

Group Settings Configuration

Configure global group settings in Components → Sociable → Settings → Groups:

Setting	Description	Default
Allow Group Creation	Let users create groups from the frontend	Yes
Require Group Approval	New groups require admin approval before going live	No
Default Max Members	Maximum members per group (default limit)	1000
Allowed Group Types	Which group types users can create	All (public, private, secret)

Creating Groups

From the Frontend

Users can create groups if enabled in settings:

1. Navigate to the Groups page
2. Click Create Group
3. Fill in required information:
   • Name - Group title
   • Description - Purpose and rules
   • Type - Public, private, or secret
   • Category - Optional category classification
   • Avatar - Group profile image
   • Cover Image - Group banner
4. Click Create

From Administrator

Administrators can create groups directly:

1. Go to Components → Sociable → Groups
2. Click New
3. Configure all group settings
4. Set join approval preferences
5. Assign initial admins/moderators
6. Save the group

Managing Groups

Group Administration Panel

Group owners and admins can access group settings:

1. Open the group page
2. Click the settings/gear icon
3. Available options:
   • Edit Group - Update name, description, type
   • Manage Members - View and manage membership
   • Pending Approvals - Approve/reject join requests (private groups)
   • Delete Group - Permanently remove the group

Member Management

Group admins can manage members:

Approving Members (Private Groups):

1. Go to the group's Members tab
2. Click Pending to view join requests
3. Approve or reject each request

Changing Member Roles:

1. Find the member in the Members list
2. Click the role dropdown
3. Select new role (member, moderator, admin)

Removing Members:

1. Find the member in the Members list
2. Click the remove/kick button
3. Confirm the removal

Group Features

Group Activity Feed

Each group has its own activity feed where members can:

• Create posts visible only to group members
• Share media (images, videos)
• React and comment on posts
• See all group activity in one place

Group Events

Groups can host events:

• Group admins/moderators can create events
• Events appear in the group and in members' event feeds
• RSVP and attendance tracking
• Event discussions within the group

Group Categories

Organize groups by category:

1. Go to Components → Sociable → Categories
2. Create categories for groups (e.g., Sports, Technology, Music)
3. Users can filter groups by category when browsing

Join Policies

Join Approval

Configure whether new members need approval:

Policy	Behavior
Open Join	Anyone can join instantly
Approval Required	Join requests go to admins for review

When approval is required:

1. User clicks "Join Group"
2. Request status becomes "pending"
3. Group admins receive notification
4. Admin approves or rejects
5. User is notified of the decision

Invitations

Group members can invite others:

1. Go to group settings
2. Click Invite Members
3. Search for users to invite
4. Send invitation

Invited users receive a notification with the option to accept or decline.

Group Notifications

Members receive notifications for:

Event	Notification
Invited to group	In-app + email (if enabled)
Join request approved	In-app + email
Join request rejected	In-app
New post in group	In-app (configurable)
Role changed	In-app + email
Removed from group	In-app + email

Admin Management

Viewing All Groups

Administrators can manage all groups:

1. Go to Components → Sociable → Groups
2. View list of all groups with:
   • Name and description
   • Type (public/private/secret)
   • Member count
   • Creation date
   • Status

Group Moderation

Administrators can:

• Publish/Unpublish - Toggle group visibility
• Edit - Modify any group settings
• Delete - Remove groups entirely
• Assign Owners - Change group ownership
• View Activity - Monitor group content

Reported Content

When users report group content:

1. Go to Components → Sociable → Reports
2. Filter by group context
3. Review reported posts/comments
4. Take action (delete, warn, ignore)

SDK Integration

Developers can interact with groups via the Sociable SDK:

$sociable = Sociable::getInstance();

// Get group by ID
$group = $sociable->groups()->getById($groupId);

// List user's groups
$myGroups = $sociable->groups()->getUserGroups($userId);

// Check membership
$isMember = $sociable->groups()->isMember($groupId, $userId);

// Get member role
$role = $sociable->groups()->getMemberRole($groupId, $userId);

Groups Module

Display groups anywhere on your site using the Sociable Groups Module:

1. Go to Extensions → Modules
2. Create new mod_sociable_groups module
3. Configure options:

Option	Description
Limit	Number of groups to display
Display Type	Grid, list, or compact view
Group Type	Popular, newest, active, suggested, or my groups
Category	Filter by specific category
Show Cover	Display group cover images
Show Member Count	Display number of members
Show Join Button	Show join/leave button

4. Assign to module position and publish

Best Practices

For Site Administrators

• Set clear guidelines - Establish rules for group creation and moderation
• Monitor activity - Regularly review group reports and activity
• Use categories - Organize groups for easier discovery
• Configure notifications - Balance engagement without spam

For Group Owners

• Write clear descriptions - Help users understand the group's purpose
• Set appropriate visibility - Choose the right group type
• Moderate actively - Keep discussions on-topic and respectful
• Delegate moderation - Assign moderators for larger groups

Next Steps

• Activity Streams - Configure post settings
• Events - Set up group events
• Notifications - Configure group notifications