Create or delete a group

You can create groups that are specific to your organization, thematic interest, events, or any other unifying principle. A group can be designated as public, which allows anyone using ArcGIS Online to discover the group and apply to join. Alternatively, a group can be designated as private, which means that others cannot find the group by searching, and members are restricted to only those you invite.

To create a new group

1. Click the Groups tab to open the groups panel. You must be signed in to use the Groups tab.
2. Click the New Group button which is at the bottom of the groups list, then complete the information requested in the New Group dialog box.

   

   • The group's Title provides a brief, distinguishing heading that provides a clear indication of the central focus or organization of the group.
   • The Summary of the group is intended to serve as a brief description of the group when it is selected in the Groups panel and displayed with its title and thumbnail image.
   • Tags are usually one- or two-word keywords or terms associated with the group. Individual tags should be separated using commas. Adding appropriate tags will increase the likelihood that your group will be found when a search is performed.
   • The Thumbnail is an optional PNG file that distinguishes the group. It can be a logo, an image of a map, a symbol, a photograph, and so on.
   • You can designate whether the group is public or private. Public groups can be found when other users search for groups, whereas private groups cannot. The default selection will create a public group that also allows users to request membership of the group. Unchecking the check box revokes the ability for users to request membership of the group, and instead, creates a public group where the membership is by invitation only. Private groups will not be returned in any search, and as the group owner, you must invite users to join the group.
     Note:

     If your account is associated with an organization in ArcGIS Online, you have the ability to designate a group as accessible to all members of your organization. Depending on how your organization administrator has configured your account, the ability to make a group publicly available on ArcGIS Online may not be available.

3. Click the Create button to create your new group.

The new group is added to My Groups and will be selected.

Note:

A group may also contain a more detailed description, which can only be added once the group has been created by editing its details. For more information, see Change the properties of a group.

To delete a group

1. Click the Groups tab to open the groups panel. You must be signed in to use the Groups tab.
2. In the My Groups list, select the group that you want to delete. Information for that group will be shown on the right of the screen.
3. Click the Delete Group button, then press OK to confirm that you want to delete that group.

You can only delete groups that you own. If you have joined a group owned by another user, you can leave that group, and it will no longer appear in My Groups.

Learn more about joining or leaving groups