Overview
Groups allow you to organize users into logical collections and manage their access collectively. When you assign roles to a group, all members automatically inherit those permissions. This makes it easy to onboard new team members and ensure consistent access across your organization.Team Organization
Group users by team, department, or function for easier management
Inherited Permissions
Members automatically receive all roles assigned to their groups
Why Use Groups?
- Simplified Onboarding
- Consistent Access
- Easy Offboarding
When a new team member joins:Without Groups:
- Create user account
- Identify all needed roles
- Assign each role individually
- Hope you didn’t miss anything
- Create user account
- Add to appropriate group(s)
- Done — they inherit all necessary permissions
Viewing Groups
The Groups page shows all groups in your organization:| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Group | Group name and unique key identifier |
| Description | Brief explanation of the group’s purpose |
| Members | Number of users in the group |
| Roles | Roles assigned to this group |
| Created | When the group was created |
| Actions | Manage members, edit, or delete |
Quick Actions
From the three-dot menu (⋮) on any group:- Manage Members — Add or remove users
- Edit — Update group details and roles
- Delete — Remove the group
Creating Groups
1
Open Create Dialog
Click the Create Group button in the top right corner
2
Define Group Identity
Enter the group details:
- Group Key — Unique identifier (lowercase, e.g.,
engineering) - Group Name — Display name (e.g., “Engineering Team”)
- Description — Explain the group’s purpose
3
Assign Roles
Select roles that all group members should have:
- Use the search bar to filter roles
- Check the boxes next to desired roles
- Both system and custom roles are available
4
Save the Group
Click Create to save your new group
Managing Group Members
Viewing Members
To see who’s in a group:- Find the group in the list
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮)
- Select Manage Members
- Left panel — Current members with option to remove
- Right panel — Available users to add
Adding Members
1
Open Manage Members
Click the three-dot menu and select Manage Members
2
Search for Users
Use the search bar in the right panel to find users by name or email
3
Add Users
Click the + button next to each user you want to add
4
Verify Addition
The user moves to the left panel and immediately gains group permissions
Users already in the group won’t appear in the search results, preventing duplicate additions.
Removing Members
1
Open Manage Members
Click the three-dot menu and select Manage Members
2
Find the Member
Locate the user in the left panel (current members)
3
Remove User
Click the remove button next to their name
4
Confirm Removal
The user is removed and immediately loses group-inherited permissions
Removing someone from a group only revokes permissions inherited from that group. Any directly assigned roles remain intact.
Editing Groups
To modify an existing group:1
Find the Group
Locate the group in the list
2
Open Edit Dialog
Click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Edit
3
Make Changes
Update any of the following:
- Group Name — Change the display name
- Description — Update the purpose description
- Assigned Roles — Add or remove roles
4
Save Changes
Click Save Changes to apply modifications
Deleting Groups
1
Consider the Impact
Deleting a group removes all members’ inherited permissions from this group
2
Open Delete Dialog
Click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Delete
3
Confirm Deletion
Read the warning and click Delete to confirm
How Group Permissions Work
Permission Inheritance
When a user is added to a group, they automatically inherit all roles assigned to that group.Multiple Group Membership
Users can belong to multiple groups. Their effective permissions are the union of:- Directly assigned roles
- All roles from all groups they belong to
Example: Multiple Groups
Example: Multiple Groups
User: AlexDirect Roles:
- None
- Engineering Team → Incident Editor
- On-Call Responders → Incident Admin, Schedule Editor
- All Incident Editor permissions ✓
- All Incident Admin permissions ✓
- All Schedule Editor permissions ✓
Permission Resolution
Permissions are additive — you can only gain more access through groups, never less.| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| User has role A, group adds role B | User has A + B |
| User is in two groups with same role | No change (role counted once) |
| User removed from group | Loses only that group’s roles |
Common Use Cases
Team-Based Access
Team-Based Access
Create groups for each team in your organization:
- Engineering — Incident Editor, Integration Viewer
- Support — Incident Viewer, User Viewer
- Management — Full Viewer access
- DevOps — Incident Admin, Schedule Admin
On-Call Rotation
On-Call Rotation
Create an “On-Call” group with elevated incident permissions:
- Add whoever is currently on-call
- Remove them when their rotation ends
- Permissions automatically adjust
Project Teams
Project Teams
Create temporary groups for project work:
- Project Alpha Team — Specific permissions for the project
- Add cross-functional team members
- Delete the group when the project ends
External Contractors
External Contractors
Create a limited-access group for contractors:
- Contractors — Read-only access to specific areas
- Easy to audit who has external access
- Quickly revoke all contractor access if needed
Best Practices
Name Groups by Function
Name Groups by Function
Use clear, descriptive names that indicate the group’s purpose:Good: “Engineering Team”, “On-Call Responders”, “Support Tier 1”Avoid: “Group 1”, “Admins”, “Users”
Document Group Purpose
Document Group Purpose
Use the description field to explain:
- What the group is for
- What permissions members get
- Who should be added
Prefer Groups Over Direct Roles
Prefer Groups Over Direct Roles
Assign roles to groups rather than individual users when possible. This makes access management much easier as your team grows.
Keep Groups Focused
Keep Groups Focused
Each group should have a clear purpose. If a group needs very different permissions for different members, consider splitting it into multiple groups.
Review Membership Regularly
Review Membership Regularly
Periodically audit group membership:
- Remove people who’ve left or changed roles
- Verify new team members are in the right groups
- Check for users in groups they shouldn’t be in
Use Meaningful Group Keys
Use Meaningful Group Keys
The group key is permanent, so choose wisely:
- Use lowercase letters and underscores
- Make it descriptive but concise
- Examples:
engineering,support_tier_1,on_call
Groups vs. Direct Role Assignment
| Factor | Groups | Direct Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams, consistent access | Individual exceptions |
| Onboarding | Add to group(s) | Assign each role |
| Offboarding | Remove from group(s) | Remove each role |
| Changes | Update once, affects all | Update each user |
| Auditing | Easy to see who’s in what team | Must check each user |
| Flexibility | Same permissions for all members | Individual customization |
Troubleshooting
User doesn't have expected permissions
User doesn't have expected permissions
- Verify the user is in the correct group(s)
- Check that the group has the expected roles assigned
- Confirm the roles include the needed permissions
- Ensure the user’s account is active
Can't add a user to a group
Can't add a user to a group
- Verify the user exists in your organization
- Check if they’re already in the group (they won’t appear in search)
- Ensure you have permission to manage groups
Removed user still has access
Removed user still has access
- Check if they have the same role assigned directly
- Check if they’re in another group with the same role
- Ask them to log out and back in to refresh their session
Group role changes not taking effect
Group role changes not taking effect
Members may need to refresh their session. Changes are immediate but cached sessions may show old permissions until refreshed.