> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cocoondata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing groups

The **Groups** page allows Covata Platform administrators to define groups of [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md) with whom files (or Secure Objects) can be shared.

Permission to share a file/Secure Object with a group of users is granted through the group's association with a [label](/3.3/admin/managing-labels.md) (specified when sharing this file/Secure Object).

If a [Covata user](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md):

* Belongs to any group, which in turn is associated with a [label](/3.3/admin/managing-labels.md), then that Covata user can be shared a file/Secure Object when this label is specified.
* Is not associated with a label (by virtue of their account not being a member of any group associated with this label), then that Covata user cannot be shared a file/Secure Object when this label is specified.

![\covataadministration Groups page](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/XFCH1-fsOPTworsw/images/a68ec095df17-groups-page.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XFCH1-fsOPTworsw\&q=85\&s=58cdb89666464cdc5ca9686f5e8d59c1)

> [!NOTE]
>
> Groups are not exposed in any way to [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md) who do not have the [System administrator role](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md#system-administrator-role).

## Adding a new group

**To add a new group to the Covata Platform:**

1. [Sign in](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#signing-in) to Covata Administration.
2. Click the **Groups** option on the left of the [Covata Administration interface](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#the-administration-interface) to open the **Groups** page. \

   **Note:** If adding the first group, an existing **All Users** group will be present. This 'reserved' group contains all [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md) on your Covata Platform instance and cannot be [deleted](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#deleting-an-existing-group). However, [labels can be modified](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-labels-on-an-existing-group) on this group.
3. Click the **Add New** button.
4. In the **Add new group** dialog box, specify the:

   * **Name** - A name that best describes its members (i.e. Covata users) in a short sentence.
   * **Description ( *Optional* )** - A longer description to provide more information about the group. Be aware that the value of this field is only visible when this group is subsequently [edited](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#editing-an-existing-group) (in the **Edit group** dialog box).
5. Click **Save** and the new group is added and will appear as a new entry on the **Groups** page. \

   **Notes:**

   * To add one or more [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md) to this group, see [Modifying users on an existing group](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-users-on-an-existing-group).
   * To associate this group with one or more [labels](/3.3/admin/managing-labels.md), which would then allow these labels to restrict file sharing to any Covata users who are members of this group, see [Modifying labels on an existing group](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-labels-on-an-existing-group).

## Modifying users on an existing group

**To modify the membership of Covata users with an existing group:**

1. [Sign in](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#signing-in) to Covata Administration.
2. Click the **Groups** option on the left of the [Covata Administration interface](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#the-administration-interface) to open the **Groups** page.
3. In the **Members** column, click the numbered link associated with the group whose existing [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md) are to be modified. This opens the 'group's members' dialog box. \

   **Note:** It is not possible to modify the members of the **All Users** group, since this 'reserved' group includes all Covata users on your Covata Platform instance.
4. In this dialog box, any Covata users whose email addresses appear in the **Group members** section on the right are already members of the group:

   | To do the following: | Do this: | Which results in this: |
   | - | - | - |
   | Add a user to the group | Click the email address of that user in the **Available users** section. | Transfers that user to the **Group members** section. |
   | Remove a user from the group | Click the email address of that user in the **Group members** section. | Transfers that user to the **Available users** section. |
   | Find specific users by filtering them (making it easier to add or remove them above) | In either the **Available users** or **Group members** sections, begin typing (into its respective **Filter...** box) a series of characters contained in the Covata users' email addresses. | The list of users (in their respective section/s) being filtered to those whose email address contains the subset of characters entered into its **Filter...** box. |
   | Add all users to the group | Click the  ![Add all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/nH8pbjLreDSHB6fD/images/771492f75633-add-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=nH8pbjLreDSHB6fD\&q=85\&s=2213b255f0c52c6d50c2414fa3eb5f8a)   (Add all) button in the **Available users** section. | Transfers all remaining users in this section to **Group members**. |
   | Remove all users from the group | Click the  ![Remove all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/XFCH1-fsOPTworsw/images/c470c43a3f70-remove-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XFCH1-fsOPTworsw\&q=85\&s=ec35fb38a061d1d9d61cae8f23c2aebc)   (Remove all) button in the **Group members** section. | Transfers all remaining users in this section to **Available users**. |
5. Click **Save** and the group's membership will be modified accordingly. The number in the **Members** column associated with this group is updated to reflect the total number of Covata users that were in **Group members** section (just before clicking **Save**). \

   **Note:** To associate this group (of one or more Covata users) with one or more [labels](/3.3/admin/managing-labels.md) (which would then allow these labels to restrict file sharing to these Covata users), see [Modifying labels on an existing group](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-labels-on-an-existing-group).

## Modifying labels on an existing group

**To modify the association of labels with an existing group:**

1. [Sign in](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#signing-in) to Covata Administration.
2. Click the **Groups** option on the left of the [Covata Administration interface](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#the-administration-interface) to open the **Groups** page.
3. In the **Permissions** column, click the numbered link associated with the group whose existing [labels](/3.3/admin/managing-labels.md) are to be modified. This opens the 'group's labels' dialog box.
4. In this dialog box, any labels which appear in the **Group labels** section on the right are already associated with the group:

   | To do the following: | Do this: | Which results in this: |
   | - | - | - |
   | Add a label to the group | Click the label in the **Available labels** section. | Transfers that label to the **Group labels** section. |
   | Remove a label from the group | Click the label in the **Group labels** section. | Transfers that label to the **Available labels** section. |
   | Find specific labels by filtering them (making it easier to add or remove them above) | In either the **Available labels** or **Group labels** sections, begin typing (into its respective **Filter...** box) a series of characters contained in the label's name. | The list of labels (in their respective section/s) being filtered to those whose name contains the subset of characters entered into its **Filter...** box. |
   | Add all labels to the group | Click the  ![Add all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/nH8pbjLreDSHB6fD/images/771492f75633-add-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=nH8pbjLreDSHB6fD\&q=85\&s=2213b255f0c52c6d50c2414fa3eb5f8a)   (Add all) button in the **Available labels** section. | Transfers all remaining labels in this section to **Group labels**. |
   | Remove all labels from the group | Click the  ![Remove all button](https://mintcdn.com/cocoondata/XFCH1-fsOPTworsw/images/c470c43a3f70-remove-all.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XFCH1-fsOPTworsw\&q=85\&s=ec35fb38a061d1d9d61cae8f23c2aebc)   (Remove all) button in the **Group labels** section. | Transfers all remaining labels in this section to **Available labels**. |
5. Click **Save** and the group's labels will be modified accordingly. The number in the **Permissions** column associated with this group is updated to reflect the total number of labels that were in **Group labels** section (just before clicking **Save**). \

   **Note:** To add one or more [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md) to this group, which would then allow these labels to restrict file sharing to these Covata users (including any others who are members of this group), see [Modifying users on an existing group](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-users-on-an-existing-group).

## Editing an existing group

Editing an existing group allows modification of the group's **Name** and **Description**. This functionality can also be used to view a group's **Description**.

**To edit an existing group:**

1. [Sign in](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#signing-in) to Covata Administration.
2. Click the **Groups** option on the left of the [Covata Administration interface](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#the-administration-interface) to open the **Groups** page.
3. Locate/scroll to the relevant group and click its **Edit** link.
4. In the **Edit group** dialog box, modify the:

   * **Name** - A name that best describes its members (i.e. [Covata users](/3.3/admin/administering-users.md)) in a short sentence.
   * **Description ( *Optional* )** - A longer description to provide more information about the group. Be aware that this field is only visible from this dialog box.
5. Click **Save** and the group's **Name** and **Description** are updated accordingly.

## Deleting an existing group

Deleting an existing group removes any association between the [Covata users who were members](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-users-on-an-existing-group) of this group as well as any [labels that were associated](/3.3/admin/managing-groups.md#modifying-labels-on-an-existing-group) with the group.

Therefore, if a Covata user was shared a file/Secure Object with a label that is associated with one or more groups (of which the user is also a member) and the deletion of one of these groups results in the user:

* Still remaining associated with this label (through the label's association with other groups to which the user is also a member), then the user will still have access to this file/Secure Object.
* Losing their association with this label (because the user was not a member of any other group that had an association with this label), then the user loses access to this file/Secure Object.

**To delete an existing group:**

1. [Sign in](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#signing-in) to Covata Administration.
2. Click the **Groups** option on the left of the [Covata Administration interface](/3.3/admin/accessing-administration.md#the-administration-interface) to open the **Groups** page.
3. Locate/scroll to the relevant group and click its **Delete** link.
4. On the **Delete group** message box, click **Yes** to proceed with the group's deletion.

***

#### Please provide your feedback here


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.