Understanding and Managing Group Types in SteepleMate

Understanding Group Types in SteepleMate

Group Types in SteepleMate provide structure and behavior for various types of groups within your organization. These Group Types often come with specific system-defined functions, affecting where and how they’re visible across features, reports, and user permissions.


Some Group Types are functional, meaning they impact app features directly, while others serve purely organizational purposes and might be best managed through Tags.




1. What Are Group Types?


Group Types are classifications for groups in SteepleMate that can assign specific behaviors or system functions to a group. They differ from Tags, which are ideal for non-functional, purely organizational grouping without any system-driven behavior.


In SteepleMate, Group Types allow you to create, manage, and assign groups based on defined roles or permissions, making it easier to keep track of groups with functional significance, such as attendance groups or school-related groups.


2. System-Defined Group Types and Behavior


Some Group Types in SteepleMate trigger specific system behaviors. Here’s a breakdown:

  1. Attendance: Used for church service mode and assigned by default to imported groups. Only SuperUser+ roles can create groups of this type.
  2. SundaySchool: Behaves differently depending on your organization’s “TreatSundaySchoolSeparately” setting. Visible in both Sunday School and Church Service modes.
  3. School and SchoolAttendance: Relevant for School Administrators, these Group Types help manage absences, school events, and student-related data.
  4. General: This is the default type assigned if a group has no specific Group Type designation.

These Group Types influence both the functionality and the availability of groups across certain features.




3. Group Type Visibility and Permissions


Access to certain Group Types may be limited by user role to ensure that only authorized users manage specific types. For example:

  1. Attendance and SundaySchool Group Types can only be created or modified by SuperUser+ or CareCenter+ roles.
  2. School and SchoolAttendance Group Types are accessible by users in the School Administrators group.


Some Group Types may not appear in the Group Type dropdown, depending on your access level or the feature’s intended function.


4. Effect on Reports and Management Pages


Group Types influence how groups are represented in various reports and management tools. The following features and reports may display different results depending on the Group Type:

  1. Family Communication Report
  2. Group Report
  3. Mailing List Builder
  4. Message Manager


These reports are essential for organizational visibility, and Group Types can influence both group inclusion and data filtering in these areas.


5. Best Practices: When to Use Tags vs. Group Types


To keep your data organized without introducing unnecessary functionality, follow these guidelines:

  1. Use Tags for Purely Organizational Groups: For groups that don’t require specific system behavior, Tags are the best option. Tags offer flexibility for organizational data and are easier to manage if you only need to categorize groups without functional impact.
  2. Assign Group Types Thoughtfully: Assign Group Types only to groups that require defined behaviors within SteepleMate features, such as attendance, school groups, or Sunday School tracking.


Using Tags effectively for simple categorization helps avoid potential issues with Group Type behavior and keeps your app organized.