👥 Groups Guide

Joining a Group

Becoming a member of a group is simple and free:

1. Find a group: Use the Discover Groups page or search for specific interests.
2. Visit the group page: Click on a group to see its description, upcoming events, and members.
3. Click "Join Group": The join button is prominently displayed on the group page.
4. Start participating: You'll immediately have access to RSVP to events and view group content.

Leaving a Group

If you decide a group isn't right for you, you can leave at any time:

1. Go to the group's page.
2. Click on "Leave Group" (usually found in the group settings or member options).
3. Confirm your decision.

After leaving, you'll no longer receive notifications from the group or be able to RSVP to its events.

Creating Your Own Group

Have a passion that isn't represented? Start your own community!

How to Create a Group

1. Click "Create New Group": Find this button in the navigation bar when logged in.
2. Choose a name: Pick a clear, descriptive name that tells people what your group is about.
3. Write a description: Explain the purpose of your group, what members can expect, and who should join.
4. Add a banner image: Upload an eye-catching image that represents your group.
5. Set your location: Specify where your group is based (for in-person events).
6. Publish your group: Once you're happy with the details, make your group visible to others.

Tips for a Successful Group

• Be specific: "Downtown Seattle Hiking Club" is better than just "Hiking."
• Host regular events: Active groups attract more members.
• Engage with members: Welcome new members and encourage participation.
• Keep your description up to date: Make sure it accurately reflects what your group does.

Group Organizer Responsibilities

As a group organizer, you have special abilities and responsibilities:

What Organizers Can Do

• Create and manage events
• Edit group details and settings
• Manage group members
• Send messages to all members
• Promote members to co-organizer status

Best Practices

• Be responsive: Answer member questions promptly.
• Communicate clearly: Keep members informed about events and changes.
• Create a welcoming environment: Make newcomers feel included.
• Plan ahead: Schedule events in advance so members can plan to attend.

Managing Group Settings

Organizers can customize various group settings:

• Group name and description: Update these anytime to reflect your group's evolution.
• Banner image: Change your group's visual identity. Accepted formats are JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP or AVIF. Recommended aspect ratio: 16:9 (e.g., 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×360 pixels) for optimal display across all devices.
• Location: Update if your group moves to a new area.
• Member management: View members, promote co-organizers, or remove members if necessary.

Social Media Links

Connect your group's online presence by adding social media links in the group edit page. Supported platforms include:

• Facebook
• Twitter / X
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube
• GitHub
• Website

Social media links are displayed on your group's page with recognizable icons, making it easy for members and visitors to find your group across platforms. Leave any field blank if it doesn't apply.

Organizer Email Access

Organizers can control how member email addresses are requested when joining the group:

• Disabled - Do not ask members for their email. Members join directly without any email consent prompt.
• Optional - Members choose whether to share their email with organizers. This is the default setting.
• Required - Members must share their email address to join the group. They cannot join without providing consent.

Note: Members who have already joined keep their existing consent status. Changing this setting only affects new members joining the group.

Image Guidelines

Follow these recommendations for the best visual appearance of your group:

• Group Banner Images: Use a 16:9 aspect ratio for optimal display
  • Recommended sizes: 1920×1080, 1280×720, or 640×360 pixels
  • Maximum resolution: 4096×4096 pixels (images larger than this will be rejected)
  • Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP or AVIF images are supported
  • Content tips: Include your group name, logo, or imagery that represents your group's theme
  • File size: Keep under 2MB for optimal performance
• Event Main Images: Use a 16:9 aspect ratio for event cover images (not photo galleries)
  • Recommended sizes: 1280×720 or 640×360 pixels
  • Maximum resolution: 4096×4096 pixels (images larger than this will be rejected)
  • Content tips: Show event activities, venue photos, or thematic imagery
• Event Photo Galleries: Any aspect ratio accepted
  • Flexibility: Landscape, portrait, or square formats all work well
  • Maximum resolution: 4096×4096 pixels (images larger than this will be rejected)
  • Display: Photos maintain original proportions in the gallery

Technical Limits

To ensure optimal performance and server stability, GatherLogic enforces these technical limits:

• Maximum resolution: 4096×4096 pixels
  • Applies to all image uploads (group banners, profile photos, event images)
  • Images exceeding this limit will be automatically rejected
  • This prevents server memory issues and ensures fast loading times
• File size limits
  • Varies by group configuration (typically 2-5MB per image)
  • AVIF format recommended for smaller file sizes

Enhanced Group Features

GatherLogic includes advanced features to make your group stand out and support international communities:

• WebP Banner Support: Upload WebP images for faster loading and better compression. The system automatically:
  • Converts uploaded images to WebP format for optimal performance
  • Falls back to original format if WebP isn't supported
  • Displays the best quality image based on the user's device
• Extended Character Support: Full support for international characters in group names, and descriptions:
  • Accented letters: á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, ç, ü, etc.
  • Currency symbols: €, £, ¥, ₩, etc.
  • Special characters: ©, ®, ™, §, etc.
  • International emojis and symbols
• Welcome Message Field: Simple text area (2000 character limit) for creating custom welcome messages sent to new group members.

Group Sponsors

Showcase the organizations and businesses that support your group. Sponsors are displayed on your group page for all visitors to see.

Adding a Sponsor

Organizers and co-organizers can add sponsors to their group:

1. Go to your group page and scroll to the Sponsors section
2. Click "Manage Sponsors" to open the sponsors management page
3. Click "+ Add Sponsor" to create a new sponsor entry
4. Fill in the sponsor details:
   • Sponsor Name (required): The name of the sponsoring organization
   • Description: A brief description of the sponsor
   • Website URL: Link to the sponsor's website (visitors can click the sponsor logo or name to visit)
   • Logo Image: Upload the sponsor's logo (max 5MB, recommended square or landscape format)
5. Click "Save" to add the sponsor

Managing Sponsors

From the sponsors management page, you can:

• Edit: Update sponsor name, description, website, or logo
• Delete: Remove a sponsor from your group
• Reorder: Drag and drop sponsors to change their display order on the group page

How Sponsors Appear

Sponsors are displayed in a dedicated section on your group page:

• Logo display: Sponsor logos are shown prominently with the sponsor name
• Clickable links: If a website URL is provided, visitors can click through to the sponsor's site
• Description: A brief description appears alongside the logo
• Custom order: Sponsors appear in the order you set on the management page

Group Photos

View all photos shared across your group's events in one convenient gallery.

Viewing Group Photos

The group photos page collects all event photos from across the group:

1. Go to the group page
2. Click "Photos" to open the group photo gallery
3. Browse photos from all events in the group

Photo Visibility

• Group members: Can see all photos from all events in the group
• Non-members: Can see a preview of up to 3 photos

Adding Photos

Photos are added through individual event pages, not the group photos page:

1. Go to a specific event page
2. Scroll to the Photos section
3. Click "Add Photos" to upload images

See the Event Photos section for detailed instructions on uploading photos.

Group Communication

Stay connected with your group through the Messages system. Members and organizers each have access to messaging features tailored to their role.

Messages for Members

As a group member, you can access your messages from the Manage Membership dropdown on the group page. Look for the Messages link after "Email Notifications."

Accessing Your Messages

1. Go to the group page
2. Click the Manage Membership dropdown
3. Select Messages

Unread Message Indicator

When you have unread messages, a red badge with the unread count appears on the Manage Membership dropdown button, so you can see at a glance when new replies are waiting.

Contacting Group Organizers

Need to reach out to group leadership? Use the Contact Organizer feature from the Messages page:

1. Go to the group page and open your Messages
2. Click the Contact Organizer button
3. Write your message and submit
4. Organizers will receive your message and can reply directly

When to Contact Organizers

• Questions about group policies or events
• Reporting issues or concerns
• Suggestions for group improvements
• Requesting special accommodations for events

Messages for Organizers

Organizers and co-organizers have expanded messaging capabilities accessible from the group page:

Viewing Member Messages

Organizers see an unread message badge on the group page when members have sent new messages. Click the badge or use the Manage Group dropdown to access Member Messages.

Replying to Members

1. Open Member Messages from the group page
2. Click on a conversation to view it
3. Type your reply and submit
4. The member will receive an email notification with your reply

Contacting All Members

Organizers can send messages to all group members for important announcements:

• Who can send: Only organizers and co-organizers
• Appropriate uses: Event announcements, policy changes, important group updates
• Message delivery: Members receive messages via email notification

Managing Conversations

Both members and organizers can manage their conversations:

Deleting Conversations

• How to delete: Open a conversation and click the Delete button
• What happens: The conversation is removed from your Messages list but remains visible to the other party
• Permanent action: Once deleted, the conversation will no longer appear in your Messages

Email Notifications for Messages

You receive email notifications for messaging activity:

• New messages: When a member sends a new Contact Organizer message
• Replies: When the other party replies to your conversation
• Group announcements: When organizers send messages to all members

You can manage your notification preferences from the Email Notifications link in the Manage Membership dropdown on the group page.

Member Guidelines

• No spam: Don't send excessive or promotional messages
• Respect preferences: Honor members who opt out of non-essential communications
• Clear communication: Be specific and concise in your messages

Member Roles

Groups have different member roles with varying permissions:

• Member: Can RSVP to events, view group content, and participate in discussions.
• Co-Organizer: Can create and manage events, and help with group management.
• Organizer: Full control over the group, including settings and member management.

Group Leadership

Effective group leadership helps build thriving communities. Here's how to manage your group's leadership team:

Adding Co-Organizers

Share the responsibility of organizing by adding co-organizers:

Who Makes a Good Co-Organizer

• Active and engaged group members
• Reliable and committed to the group's success
• Good communication skills
• Understanding of the group's purpose and values

How to Add Co-Organizers

1. Go to your group page
2. Click "Members" to see all group members
3. Find the member you want to promote
4. Click "Promote to Co-Organizer" (organizer-only feature)
5. Confirm the promotion

What Happens After You Submit

1. Group status: Pending: Your group is created but not yet visible to the public.
2. Community review: The GatherLogic Community Review Team reviews your group for compliance with guidelines.
3. Approval decision: Your group is either approved or rejected.
4. Group activation: Approved groups become public and visible to all users.

Co-Organizer Responsibilities

• Event management: Create, edit, and manage events
• Member communication: Participate in conversations and contact members
• Group settings: Help manage group configuration and policies
• Member support: Help answer member questions and resolve issues

Stepping Down from Leadership

When you need to reduce your involvement in group leadership:

Co-Organizer Stepping Down

• Voluntary step-down: Co-organizers can step down at any time
• Process: Use the "Step Down" option in member management
• Impact: You'll become a regular member, but can still participate in events

Organizer Transition

• Before stepping down: Ensure there's at least one other organizer
• Transfer ownership: Promote a co-organizer to organizer first
• Group continuity: Plan the transition to avoid disruption

Member Management

Maintain a healthy group community through thoughtful member management:

Removing Members

Sometimes it's necessary to remove members from your group:

Valid Reasons for Removal

• Policy violations: Repeatedly breaking group rules or community guidelines
• Disruptive behavior: Causing conflicts or making other members uncomfortable
• Spam or promotion: Using the group for inappropriate advertising
• Safety concerns: Behavior that threatens member safety or well-being

Removal Process

1. Document the issue (if applicable)
2. Consider warnings first for minor issues
3. Go to the member's profile in the group
4. Click "Remove Member" (organizer-only feature)
5. Provide a reason (optional but recommended)
6. Confirm the removal

Member Appeals

• Contact organizer: Removed members can contact organizers to discuss the decision
• Reconsideration: Organizers can choose to reinstate members if appropriate
• Final decision: Organizer decisions are final for group management

Organizer Email Access

As an organizer or co-organizer, you may need to contact members directly. Here's how email access works:

Understanding Member Consent

Members control whether their email addresses are shared with organizers:

• Consented members: Email included in exports/downloads
• Non-consented members: Email excluded from all data exports
• Privacy protection: Email addresses are not visible on the member list

Accessing Member Emails

Email addresses are not visible on the group member list. To access member emails:

1. Go to your group page
2. Click "Members" to view the member list
3. Click "Export Members" to download member data
4. The CSV/JSON export includes emails only for members who consented

Exporting Member Data

You can export member information for offline use:

1. Go to your group page
2. Click "Members"
3. Click "Export Members" (organizer/co-organizer only)
4. Choose format: CSV or JSON
5. Download the file

Important: Exports only include emails for members who consented to share them.

Setting Group Email Requirements

Organizers can set how their group handles email access:

• Disabled: No email prompt - members join directly
• Optional (Default): Members choose whether to share email
• Required: Members must share email to join the group

To change this setting:

1. Go to your group page
2. Click "Edit Group"
3. Find "Organizer Email Access" section
4. Choose your preference
5. Save changes

Audit Logging

All email access is logged for privacy compliance:

• Viewing emails: Logged with timestamp and your IP address
• Exporting data: Logged with number of records accessed
• Compliance: Logs retained for 24 months per GDPR/CCPA requirements

Encouraging Email Sharing

To help members understand why email sharing is valuable:

• Be transparent: Explain how you'll use their email
• Respect preferences: Don't pressure members who choose not to share
• Provide value: Send only important, relevant communications
• Alternative channels: Use in-app messaging for less urgent matters

Claiming Organizer Role

If a group has no active organizers, members can request to take over leadership:

When to Claim Organizer Role

• All current organizers have left the group
• Organizers are inactive for an extended period (typically 6+ months)
• Group needs new leadership to continue operating

Claim Process

1. Go to the group page
2. Look for "Claim Organizer Role" option (when available)
3. Submit your request with reasons why you'd be a good organizer
4. Wait for review team approval (if applicable) or automatic assignment