Overview

Appian users can be organized into various groups. Groups can contain users or other groups as members. There are three types of membership: direct addition as a member, indirect addition by being a member of a subgroup, or addition by a membership rule.

Groups can be further organized into group types. Group types allow you to classify your groups into different categories. A group type can also be configured to ask for or require additional information for all new groups created for the type.

Learn how to manage groups after you create them.

Creating a group

All designers can create groups in Appian Designer. These groups may be of the Custom group type or any user-defined group type.

To create a group:

1. Use either of the following methods to open the Create Group dialog:
   • In an application, go the Build view and click NEW > Group.
   • On the Members tab of a group page, click NEW GROUP.
2. Configure properties for the group.
3. Click CREATE.
4. Configure security for the group.

   Note:  If default security groups are configured for your application, the default administrators group pre-populates the role map when you create a group. If default security groups are not configured for your application, you are automatically assigned Administrator permissions for any group you create. System administrators can always access a connected system, regardless of object-level permissions.

5. Click SAVE.

Group Administration Versus Group Membership

An administrator for a group is (by default) also an administrator for all of its subgroups. An administrator of a group is not an administrator of its parent group. On the other hand, any member of a group is also made a member of its parent group. Administration descends the group hierarchy. Membership ascends it.

Locating the ID and UUID Number of a Group

In Appian, a group can be referenced in expressions using its ID number or sometimes UUID number. These numbers are displayed on the group's Properties dialog.

To view these numbers for a group, view the group's properties by doing the following:

1. Select a group in Appian Designer.
2. Click on the More menu and select Properties from the dropdown menu.
   • The group's Properties dialog is displayed.

Or:

1. Click on a group in Appian Designer to open it.
   • The group opens inline, with the group's name as the page title.
2. Click on the gear icon next to the current group's name to open the context menu, and select Properties from the dropdown menu.
   • The current group's Properties dialog is displayed.

Conversely, Appian Designer enables searching objects by their ID or UUID. Additionally, designers can use a rule to convert the group name to its ID number.