> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help-empuls.xoxoday.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Communities
> Create open and closed Empuls groups, manage membership automatically or manually, set posting permissions, and use groups to drive team collaboration.
Groups are the communities at the heart of Empuls. They bring together colleagues around shared roles, departments, locations, interests, or projects — and they're where conversations, recognitions, announcements, and polls live. Every organization starts with a default **Townhall** group that includes all employees, and you can create as many additional groups as your organization needs.
By default, any active employee can create a group. Super Admins can restrict group creation to managers and admins only under **Access Control Settings**.
## Group types
Empuls supports several categories of groups. Use the type that fits your purpose:
| Group type | Description |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Townhall** | Default company-wide group. All employees are members automatically. |
| **Department groups** | Official groups for a team or function, typically managed by HR or department leads. |
| **Location groups** | Groups organized by office location or region. |
| **Interest groups** | Voluntary communities around hobbies, sports, wellness, books, and more. |
| **Project groups** | Created for specific projects or product initiatives. |
| **Leadership groups** | Restricted groups for management-level discussions. |
### Public vs. private groups
* **Public groups** — visible to all employees; anyone can join immediately.
* **Private groups** — membership requires approval from a Group Admin. Non-members can optionally be allowed to view discussions without joining.
## Creating a group
Go to **Social > Groups > See All**, then click **Create Group**.
Enter the **Name**, **Description**, and **Membership Restrictions** (public or private). Click **Create Group**.
From the group page, click **Add Members** in the **Group Members** card on the right. You can:
* Type individual **email addresses** manually
* Use filters such as **All Employees**, **By Department**, or **By Location** to add members in bulk
* Set up **automatic membership rules** by configuring parameters
When employees are added to a group, they receive a notification.
## Joining a group
Navigate to **Social > Groups > See All**, then click the **Other Groups** tab to see all groups you haven't joined yet.
Search for the group by name or browse the list. Click **Join** on the group you want to join.
You can join public groups immediately. For private groups, your request goes to the Group Admin for approval.
## Automatic group membership
Instead of manually managing members, you can define smart membership rules that automatically add and remove employees as their profiles change.
### How it works
Admins can set membership rules based on one or more criteria:
* **Location** (e.g., Bangalore, London)
* **Department / Function** (e.g., Engineering, Sales)
* **Employee Type** (e.g., Full-time, Intern)
* **Grade / Level**
* **Business Unit**
* **Custom attributes** from your HRMS
Once rules are saved:
* **Auto-join**: Employees who match the criteria are added automatically.
* **Auto-remove**: Employees who no longer match (due to a promotion, location change, or department transfer) are removed automatically.
### Setting up automatic membership
Navigate to the group, then click **Add Members** in the Group Members card.
Use the filter dropdowns to define your audience — by department, location, grade, business unit, or other attributes.
Check the option to **update group members automatically in real time**. This enables the auto-join and auto-remove behavior.
Click **Add** to save the rules. Matching employees are added immediately, and membership stays current as employee data changes.
Automatic membership is highly recommended for large or distributed organizations. It's ideal for department groups, location groups, new joiner welcome groups, and regional social clubs.
### Common automation use cases
| Community type | Rule example | Result |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Location-based | `Location = Los Angeles` | All LA employees join automatically |
| Org function | `Department = Engineering` | Engineering team grouped for knowledge sharing |
| Leadership | `Designation contains "Manager"` | Managers-only group for strategic discussions |
| New joiners | `Date of joining within last 30 days` | Onboarding group auto-populated each month |
## Posting in groups
Navigate to the group and click **Post** at the top of the feed.
Type your post. Keep it relevant to the group's purpose, clear, and professional.
Use bold, italics, and lists for readability. Attach images, videos, documents, or GIFs using the icons in the composer. Documents can be up to 10 MB; videos up to 500 MB.
Use **@name** to mention a colleague — they'll receive a notification. Use **@group** to notify all group members. Use **#value** to attach a company core value card for peer recognition.
Click **Post** to publish to the group.
### Types of content to post in groups
* **Announcements** — upcoming events, policy updates, important information
* **Questions** — ask for input, seek advice from colleagues
* **Knowledge sharing** — tips, articles, resources
* **Recognition** — celebrate a colleague's achievement using a value card
* **Polls** — gather quick opinions from the group
* **Community posts** — fun, social content to build connection
## Managing group settings
Group Admins can update group details, privacy, content moderation, and membership from the group settings panel.
Navigate to **Home > Groups > See All**, select the group, then click **Group Settings** in the **About this group** card on the right side.
Click the **pen icon** to update the group's **Name**, **Image**, and **Description**. Click **Update** to save.
Switch the group between **Public** and **Private** to control who can join and view content.
Click **More > Edit** to open content settings. Check or uncheck permissions for members, such as the ability to initiate discussions or add comments. Click **Update** to save.
## Managing group members
### Adding members
Navigate to **Group Settings > All Members**, then click **Add Members**. Enter email addresses or apply filters to add multiple employees at once.
### Removing members
Go to **Group Settings > All Members**, click the **action icon** next to a member's name, and select **Remove from Group**.
Bulk removal is not available. Members must be removed individually.
### Giving and revoking admin rights
* To make someone an admin: **Group Settings > All Members > action icon > Make Admin**
* To revoke admin access: **Group Settings > All Members > action icon > Revoke Admin Access**
## Archiving, leaving, or deleting a group
Click the **three-dot icon** on the Group Information page and choose the relevant option:
* **Leave group** — removes you from the group without affecting other members
* **Archive group** — prevents new posts and comments; older content remains viewable; archived groups appear under **My Groups**
* **Delete group** — permanently removes the group and all its content
## Best practices
Choose a name that immediately communicates the group's purpose. Vague names like "Team A" don't help employees decide whether to join. Clear names like "Engineering — Backend" or "Book Club" work much better.
Start with the essentials: a group for each department, a location group per major office, and a few interest groups to seed community. Let employees create additional groups organically as interest develops.
Use public groups for departments, locations, and general interest communities where transparency is fine. Use private groups for leadership discussions, project teams with sensitive information, or exclusive programs.
Post consistently. Ask questions, share wins, and run polls. Welcome new members by name. Respond to posts from others — groups thrive when participation is reciprocal.
## Related
Overview of all social intranet features including posts, reactions, and feed personalization.
Use the Townhall group for company-wide announcements and broadcasts.