Group Tags
Group Tags are church-defined labels you can attach to any group to enable richer filtering — especially in the public Group Finder. Unlike the built-in Category (which is a single value chosen from a fixed list of 13 options), tags are many-to-many: a single group can carry as many tags as you want, and tags are fully managed by your church.
Tags vs. Categories vs. Custom Group Types
It's easy to confuse the three classification systems. Here's how they differ:
| System | How Many | Defined By | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | 1 per group | Built-in (13 options) | High-level grouping (e.g., "Bible Study") |
| Custom Group Type | 1 per group | Per-church | Church-specific labels with default settings (e.g., "Recovery Group" with default approval required) |
| Group Tag | Many per group | Per-church | Cross-cutting filters (e.g., "Childcare", "Spanish", "Beginner Friendly") |
Use tags when one group needs to be findable under multiple labels, or when you want a flexible filter system that does not affect the group's behavior or default settings.
Managing Tags
Tags are managed from a dedicated admin page. Go to Admin → Groups → Tags. Anyone with the Groups module permission can manage tags.
From this page you can:
- List all tags (each shows how many groups use it)
- Create a tag
- Update a tag (rename, recolor, change icon)
- Delete a tag
- Assign tags onto a specific group
Creating a Tag
A tag carries:
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Up to 50 characters |
| Color | No | Defaults to Indigo. The 10 preset colors are Indigo, Blue, Teal, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, Purple, Gray. |
| Icon | No | Choose from the available icons |
| Sort Order | Auto | Appended to the end of the existing list |
Each tag is displayed as a translucent colored pill using the color you chose.
Assigning Tags to a Group
When you assign tags to a group, the system validates that the selected tags belong to your church and then replaces that group's entire tag set with your selection. You'll see a confirmation once the tags are updated.
Filtering by Tag
There are two places where tags are used:
Public Group Finder
The public Group Finder lets visitors filter the group list by one or more tags. A group matches if it has at least one of the selected tags (logical OR) — it does not need to have all of them.
Admin Group List
The admin Groups index page can show tag pills next to each card so staff can see at a glance how a group is classified.
Deleting a Tag
Deleting a tag removes it outright. Groups previously tagged simply lose the tag — no data is lost on the group side.
There is no soft-delete for tags today. If you delete a tag and want it back, you'll need to recreate it and re-assign it to the relevant groups.
Best Practices
- Keep tags short and concrete. "Spanish", "Wheelchair Accessible", "Childcare", "Open to Visitors" — single-word or two-word labels work best on small pill UIs.
- Avoid overlap with Category. If a label fits cleanly into Bible Study / Fellowship / etc., put it in the Category field. Use tags for cross-cutting concerns.
- Re-use a small palette. Limiting yourself to 4–6 tags keeps the Finder filter UI clean.
- Audit periodically. The Tags page shows a group count for each tag; tags with zero groups are candidates for deletion.
Tip: Tags are a great fit for accessibility and language indicators ("Spanish-speaking", "Hearing assistance available"). Visitors often filter for these specifics on the public Finder.