What are subgroups?

Subgroups are designed to allow you to nest groups under an existing Access Group in order to control access or segment your members. With subgroups:

• Organize members under a single topic, like location, interests, profession
• Create content that is accessible by the parent group in order to give all subgroups individual access (i.e. create a channel accessible to all interest groups by adding the parent group as opposed to each subgroup)

What limitations do subgroups have?

• Paid and Course Access Groups cannot be or have sub-groups. 
• Automated groups cannot be or have sub-groups. 

How to create a subgroup for an existing Access Group?

Admin Settings > Members > Access Groups

1. Go to Access Groups in your Heartbeat settings.

2. Select the group (must be Admin Controlled or Joinable) and press the 3-dot menu to select "Create Subgroup"

   
    

How can I use subgroups for my community?

🧭 1. Interest-Based Communities

Example: A wellness community with a parent group called “Fitness Enthusiasts” and sub-groups for Yoga, Running, Strength Training, and Nutrition.

• Members can join one or more sub-groups to find like-minded people.
• Channels or events open to all fitness members can just be shared with the parent group — and everyone in sub-groups automatically gets access.
  Why it’s useful: Keeps the structure clear while letting content flow upward to all interest-based members.

🌎 2. Location-Based Groups

Example: A global community with a parent “Regional Hubs” group and sub-groups for New York, Austin, Toronto, and London.

• Local members connect in their own hubs, while global announcements or discussions can go to everyone via the parent group.
  Why it’s useful: Makes it easy to manage access to region-specific channels and still reach the full network at once.