How to Use Automated Access Groups

Automated access groups are a powerful way to segment your members based on behavior, location, or profile data — and automatically personalize their experience inside your community.

These groups act like smart “buckets” — when a member meets the rules you define, they’re added to the group, unlock relevant content, and can even receive custom messages.

💡 Want a broader overview of groups? Check out our full Access Groups Overview →
💬 Want to add messages or popups when people join a group? Explore our guide to Workflows →

✅ What Can You Do With Automated Groups?

Automated groups let you:

Unlock exclusive courses, docs, or events based on engagement
Send targeted DMs with Workflows
Create private channels based on location or behavior
Gamify your community (e.g. “Power User” badges, event unlocks)
Identify at-risk members who’ve stopped logging in
Build interest groups and support chapters by geography

⚙️ Available Filters for Automation

Here’s a full list of filters you can use to build your group rules:

Member Activity

Posts: Set a minimum/maximum number of posts (e.g. "at least 10 in the last month")
Comments: Same as posts — can set time spans like 30 days or all time
Reactions Received: Filter by emoji, by sender (e.g. only count reactions from admins/mods), and set quantity (e.g. “10 👍 from admins”)
Events Attended: Greater than/less than logic available

Engagement Timelines

Join Date: Absolute (before/after a date) or relative (joined within X days)
Last Login: Same as above — works well for detecting inactive users

Membership & Role

Groups: Must be in (or not in) certain other access groups
Roles: Include or exclude admins/mods from logic

Location Filters

City-based: e.g. users within 25 miles of Chicago
Zip code radius: e.g. users within 10 miles of 90210
Country-based: e.g. all users in Canada

Email

Filter members by email conditions:
- Contains @company.com
- Does not contain @gmail.com
- Is or is not a specific address

You can combine filters using AND/OR logic for complex targeting.

🛠 How to Build an Automated Group (Step-by-Step)

1. Go to Settings → Access Groups

Click Create Group, name it, and select Automated under Group Membership.

2. Set Your Filters

You can:

Build custom filters from scratch
OR use a prebuilt template (e.g. Power Users, Less Active Members)

3. Assign Content

Choose what this group unlocks:

Private discussion channels
Events
Courses
Documents

As soon as someone qualifies, they’ll instantly get access to all content tied to the group.

4. Add Workflows (Optional, but recommended)

Send automatic messages or popups when someone joins:

Use a direct message to say “Congrats, you unlocked access!”
Set up emails or onboarding nudges tied to that moment

5. Create & Preview

Click Preview to see how many members currently qualify, then hit Create to activate.

Heartbeat will recheck your group logic every hour.

🧪 Real Examples You Can Try

Power User Badge: 25 posts + 25 comments + 25 reactions → gets feedback channel & badge
Fresh Joiners: Joined within 14 days → gets onboarding guide + new member orientation invite
Local Groups: Anyone in a 25-mile radius of Atlanta → gets Atlanta-specific event invites
Lurkers: Logged in but never posted → gets a DM asking what they’re stuck on
Gamification: Attend 2 events + leave 5 comments → unlock free course + Fast Learner badge

👀 Best Practices

Keep filters simple to start. Too many rules = fewer matches
Use badges to make groups visible in the community
Pair automated groups with Workflows to drive next steps
Don’t over-gamify: volume doesn't always mean value. Reward real contributions.

Need help designing an automated experience for your members? Reach out to our team at support@heartbeat.chat — we’re happy to help brainstorm.

How can we help?

How to Use Automated Access Groups

✅ What Can You Do With Automated Groups?