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Understanding Parent Group Member Sync

When you create a nested Group, member sync from the parent Group is enabled by default. This means members of the parent Group automatically gain access to the nested Group. If you don’t want parent members to have access to the nested Group, you need to disable sync.

Automatic Access

Parent Group members are automatically available in nested Groups when sync is enabled

Centralized Management

Manage membership once at the parent level and changes flow to all nested Groups
Key Concept: Parent Group members are managed at the parent Group level. Any changes to their roles or membership must be made in the parent Group settings.

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Viewing Parent Group Members

Nested Groups with a parent have two tabs in the members view:
  • Members: Members added directly to this nested Group
  • Parent Group Members: Members synced automatically from the parent Group
Members view showing the Members tab and Parent Group Members tab
The Parent Group Members tab only appears if the Group is nested under a parent Group. This is where you can enable or disable sync.

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Enabling and Disabling Parent Group Member Sync

You can control whether the system syncs parent Group members to your nested Group using the Sync Parent Group Members toggle.

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Disabling Sync

1

Access Group Members

Hover over the nested Group on the left sidebar and click the three dots menu, then select Invite Members
2

Navigate to Parent Group Members Tab

Click the Parent Group Members tab
3

Toggle Off Sync

Click the Sync Parent Group Members toggle to disable sync
4

Confirm Disabling

A confirmation modal will appear. Click Disable sync to confirm.
Confirmation modal asking to disable member sync
Disabling sync will remove all parent Group members from this nested Group and stop future updates from the parent Group. This does not affect membership in the parent Group itself.

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Enabling Sync

To re-enable parent Group member sync:
  1. Navigate to the Parent Group Members tab
  2. Toggle on Sync Parent Group Members
  3. The system syncs parent Group members to the nested Group
A confirmation message will appear: “Parent Group members successfully synced.”

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When Sync Is Off

When sync is off, the Parent Group Members tab displays an empty state explaining that sync is turned off.
Empty state showing parent Group member sync is disabled

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Managing Parent Group Member Roles

You can’t change parent Group members’ roles directly from the nested Group. When you click a parent Group member’s role, the dropdown shows all role options as unavailable.
Role dropdown showing disabled options for parent Group members
To change a parent Group member’s role:
  • If you have access to the parent Group settings, click the message in the dropdown to navigate directly to the parent Group’s Members tab
  • If you don’t have access, contact a parent Group Owner to make the change

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Removing Parent Group Members

Removing a parent Group member from a nested Group works differently than removing direct members.
Removing a parent Group member will remove them from the parent Group and all nested Groups that sync from it. This action cannot be undone from the nested Group level.
1

Select the Member

In the Parent Group Members tab, select the member you want to remove
2

Click Remove

Click the Remove button
3

Confirm Removal

A confirmation modal will explain that this removes the member from the parent Group and all nested Groups.
Confirmation modal explaining removal scope
Click Remove to confirm.
Alternative: If you only want to stop syncing parent Group members to this specific nested Group (without removing them from the parent), disable the Sync Parent Group Members toggle instead.

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Direct Members vs Parent Group Members

A user can be both a direct member and a parent Group member of the same nested Group. Here’s how this works:

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Adding a User Who Is Already Synced

If you manually add someone who is already a parent Group member:
  • They become a direct member of the nested Group
  • No warning or blocking occurs
  • They no longer appear in the Parent Group Members tab and only appear in the Members tab

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Removing Direct Membership

If you remove a user’s direct membership from a nested Group:
  • If they’re also a parent Group member, they remain in the nested Group as a synced member
  • They only appear in the Parent Group Members tab
  • Their role reverts to their parent Group role
To completely remove a user from a nested Group when they are a parent Group member, you must either:
  1. Remove them from the parent Group (affects all nested Groups), or
  2. Disable parent Group member sync for that specific nested Group

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Best Practices

Parent Group member sync is ideal for:
  • Course sections: A main course Group with nested sections where all students need access to every section
  • Department structures: Parent department Group with nested program Groups
  • Project hierarchies: Main project Group with nested team Groups
This ensures consistent access across your Group structure without manual invitation duplication.
Consider disabling sync and using direct membership when:
  • Section-specific access: Only certain TAs or students should access specific sections
  • Temporary Groups: Short-term project Groups that shouldn’t inherit parent membership
  • Different role requirements: Nested Groups need different permission structures than the parent
For effective parent Group member sync:
  • Regularly review parent Group membership
  • Remove inactive members from the parent Group to automatically remove them from all nested Groups
  • Use consistent roles in the parent Group for easier management

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Next Steps

Create Nested Groups

Learn how to create and organize nested Groups

Invite Users

Add direct members to your Groups