What Are Isolated Groups?

Isolated Groups restrict visibility and interaction between members. When an Access Group has Isolate Members turned on, its members:

• Can only see and message admins, moderators and other members of the same isolated Group.

• Are hidden from everyone outside the Group except admins and moderators. Those members can't find them in the member directory or search, or send them a DM.

• Stay restricted even if they also belong to non-isolated Groups.

This is useful for private cohorts, exclusive groups, or communities that need controlled member access within certain spaces.

How Isolation Affects Messaging, Visibility, and Channels

1. Direct Messaging (DMs)

• Members of an isolated Group can't DM members outside it, and members outside it can't DM them.

• If a user belongs to both an isolated group and a non-isolated group, they still cannot DM others outside their isolated group, even if they share a non-isolated space.

• The Rules Tester in DM Rules only checks your DM Rules, not isolation, so it can show a DM as allowed when isolation blocks it.

2. Member Directory

• Members of an isolated Group only see admins, moderators and members of their isolated Group in the member directory, even if they also belong to non-isolated Groups.

• Members who aren't in any isolated Group don't see isolated members in the member directory.

3. Channels and Threads

If an isolated group member is added to a channel where non-isolated members participate:

• They will see messages and interact in the channel as expected.

• They can reply to and engage with posts within the channel but still cannot send private DMs to members outside their group.

• Members outside the isolated Group can't find them in the member directory or send them a DM.

Use cases for Isolated Groups

1. Corporate Client Workspaces

Example: A coaching company or training provider serving multiple corporate clients.

• Why isolation: Each client’s employees need their own community space, but the admin team wants to manage them all in one backend.
• Impact: Prevents employees from different companies from seeing each other’s presence or private discussions while still letting the host manage content, analytics, and billing centrally.

2. Therapy, Coaching, or Support Groups

Example: A licensed therapist running separate groups for anxiety, grief, and trauma.

• Why isolation: Privacy and confidentiality. Participants in one group should never see members of another.
• Impact: Keeps each group emotionally safe and HIPAA-/ethics-compliant while giving the facilitator one place to manage them all.

3. University or School Departments

• Example: A university community containing multiple classes, clubs, or departments.
  • Why isolation: Students from different departments/classes shouldn’t DM or see private group rosters.
  • Impact: Simplifies administration. IT manages one Heartbeat instance instead of dozens of isolated setups.

Common Issues & How to Fix Them

Members Cannot Find or Message Others in the Directory

Cause: One of them is in an isolated Group that the other isn't in. Two members can only see and message each other if neither is in an isolated Group, or if they share one.

Fix: Turn off Isolate Members on the Group if it no longer needs to be private (see below), or remove the member from the isolated Group. Adding them to a non-isolated Group won't change who they can see.

Members Cannot DM Certain Users Despite Sharing a Channel

Cause: Sharing a Channel doesn't override isolation.

Fix: Both members need to be outside isolated Groups, or share one. See the fix above.

Online Member Count Varies or Feels Incomplete

Cause: Each member only sees the people isolation allows them to see, so the count differs from member to member.

Fix: If members need broader visibility, consider adjusting isolation settings.

Users Are Confused About Why They Can See Some Members in Channels But Not Message Them

Cause: Being in a shared channel doesn’t override isolation rules for DMs.

Fix: Admins should clarify that isolation affects private messaging, not shared spaces.

How to Enable/Disable Isolation for a Group

Settings > People > Access Groups

1. Go to Access Groups in your Heartbeat settings.

2. Open the 3-dot menu on the Group and click Edit.

3. Toggle Isolate Members on or off.

4. Click Update.